What is the best set of hearing devices? Earbuds and Headphones have had a large rise in popularity in society. Due to the advancements in technology making them more portable and functional for on-the-go audio consumption such as podcasts, audiobooks, and music. Most people have had a pair of one or the other or maybe both.
We asked people around the school to see everyone’s opinion on this topic. Logan Cox said that he prefers headphones as they were more sturdy and easier to find if you lost them. Michael Chambers said he preferred wired earbuds as it can give better audio quality. We also asked Joel Santos who said he liked his earbuds better being the Apple Airpods. Jared Adams said Earbuds are better.
Depending on the situation one or the other might be better. If you are looking for a quick and portable solution wireless earbuds may be the way to go. Because of their small figure they can be easily put in the ear fro on the go listening or for studying (Gokhman and Ajmera). If you are relaxing at home on your computer you may want to use a pair of headphones. For the best quality audio you would want a pair of headphones (Andronico). Since headphones are bulkier they can take longer to connect to the listening device.
Both have their downsides for health according to the Hearing Health Foundation. Both products now can mostly go above 100db (decibels) which can cause hearing damage permanently in just a couple of minutes. This can be prevented by having the volume be only at around 50 to 60 percent the maximum amount (“Keep Listening | Headphone & Earbud Safety — Hearing Health Foundation”).
Earbuds also have the risk of causing ear infections if not cleaned properly. If dirt or bacteria get onto the surface of an earbud it can go into the ear causing irritations and possible ear infections. Headphones if used for a prolonged time can cause a temporary “dent” on the user’s hair. These dents are temporary and will go away after a couple of hours but it can look very odd on a person. This can easily be prevented by just loosening headphones to go a little bit above your head where it isn’t pushing on the top of your head.
The choice of headphones or earbuds are entirely up to how you want to listen to audio. If you just want something quick you would want earbuds but if you want the best audio quality you would want a pair of headphones.
