Battle of the Beats: Headphones vs Earphones

I cannot emphasize enough how headphones and earphones have become a must-have accessory to all smartphone owners (which is actually, almost everybody). This is essential as it gives you a better experience with your smartphone: streaming videos, listening to music, and taking calls. Although sticking with the earphones that can be found inside the box of your device may not be a bad idea, have you ever come to that crossroads where you wanted to have a better listening experience? Have you asked yourself, “Which one is for me, headphones or earphones?” If you’re currently crossing the bridge on what to get, I’ve listed down the PROs and CONs of both audio gears.

What’s the difference between Headphones and Earphones anyway? After all, they both deliver music to the listener. To untrained ears, it’s okay, and that may be the case, but to others, there are a lot of factors that they consider before they decide on what to get. Headphones are worn over the ears, which cover them, enclosing it with drivers assembled together with pads for added comfort. Earphones, on the other hand, are inserted into your ear canal and are typically less expensive than headphones since it has smaller drivers.

In terms of price, headphones will always be more expensive than earphones. They are packed with dynamic drivers that are usually between 20mm to 50mm in diameter, while earphones are equipped with an average of 8mm to 15mm dynamic drivers. The material, build, and power of headphones will always be a great selling point on why you should be choosing a good pair of cans over earphones.

For portability, earphones are easy to carry around, fits in your pocket, and delivers the necessary sound that you need. This fits the lifestyle of people who are always on-the-go, able to bring the audio gear anytime and anywhere. Headphones, as powerful as they are, are too big, bulky, and heavy. This is something that you have to consider if you’ll buy them and always be on the run to your next appointment. Some people don’t mind wearing it around their necks as part of their look, but it can be a hassle given the sweat that it would be collecting.

It is undeniable that for sound quality, headphones reign supreme over earphones as it delivers rich sounds that lets you enjoy fuller high, mid, and low tones. It easily lets you enjoy hi-res audio and hear all the sounds in a piece of music. As for earphones, there may be some that lets you enjoy the same level of sound quality, but you would need to spend more than you would usually do for regular ones, so this might be a challenge for most.

Lastly, for noise leakage, which is different from noise cancellation, earphones bring home the bacon. Over the ear headphones won’t completely seal around your ear, leading to disturbing the person next to you as they would hear whatever you’re listening to, especially in loud volume. Earphones are the exact opposite. They fit into your ear canal, so little to no noise leakage happens. This lets you have your privacy with your calls, tunes, and even your video streaming.

To sum it up, if you want the best audio experience, have a bigger budget, and don’t mind the bulkiness, headphones are for you. But if you have a smaller budget and in need of something portable and discreet, then you should get earphones. However, if you want the best of both worlds, we recommend getting headphones for home use and earphones for outdoors.

If you’ve considered getting earphones, I suggest that you check out our list of Truly Wireless earphones where you might find something perfect for you below PHP 5k but if that doesn’t seem like your style, try checking headphones out as well. We’ve also compiled a list of the most expensive headphones for this year if you’re interested.