Most people spend hours a week wearing headphones. It can be hard to know what to get for the holidays with so many options on the market.
I am a professor of music technology and a professional musician. The intersection of scientific, artistic, and subjective human elements of sound is the subject of my work. It's important to consider all three aspects when choosing the right headphones.
What is sound like?
In physics, sound is made of air waves that are high and low-pressure. The sound waves have cycles.
The pitch of the sound is determined by the number of cycles that occur per second. Higher frequencies mean higher pitches. A sound goes through 500 cycles of low pressure and high pressure in a second.
The maximum pressure of a wave determines the sound's loudness. The louder the sound, the higher the pressure.
Our ears interpret sound as high and low pressure, which is why headphones create it.
The ear of a human.
Human ears are very sensitive. The average person can hear a wide range of pitches. How does the ear work?
The air in your ear causes your middle ear bones to vibrate. These mechanical vibrations can be heard in your ear. Your brain interprets those electrical signals as sound.
Human hearing does not respond to all frequencies the same.
If a bird and a rumble have the same sound, you would think the bird is quieter. The human ear is more sensitive to the middle frequencies. Evolutionary factors are thought to be behind this.
Hearing sensitivity is simply how people hear and most people don't know that. Human perception is different from pure physics.
How do headphones work?
Small earbuds as well as larger ones are just small speakers. The speaker converts the electrical signals from your phone, record player, or computer into air waves.
The speakers are made of four components: a magnet, a wire coil, a diaphragm and a suspension.
When a wire is wrapped around a magnet, the magnetic field around it changes proportionally.
When a song is played in headphones, the signal from the electrical signal changes the current and moves the magnet.
The air is pushed and compressed by the magnet, which creates high pressure and low pressure. This is the music you listen to.
The speaker would convert the electrical signals into sound. The real world has limitations. The size of the magnet and the material of the diaphragm are things that prevent a speaker from perfectly matching its output to its input. Some frequencies are louder or softer than the original.
There are infinite ways to distort the signal, even if no headphones can recreate it.
Two headphones that cost the same amount can sound and feel different because they distort things in different ways.
Engineers have to consider how human hearing distorts sound and the physical limitations of a speaker when building headphones.
The complexity of ears and speakers isn't the only thing that makes for a good pair of headphones.
What kind of distortion someone will prefer depends on a number of factors. It's a question of personal taste when it comes to headphones.
Some people prefer bass-heavy headphones for hip-hop music, while others prefer less distortion for classical music.
There are other things to consider, such as music or recreational listening.
The hearing impaired can hear frequencies from 1,000 to 5,000 Hz, which helps to make speech more understandable.
Most people agree that the results aren't going to sound very good if you play a hip-hop song through headphones.
It is important to make sure the headphones you choose match how you are going to use them.
The science of headphone design, artistry of the content creators, and the human experience all intersect to form the perception of good headphones.
One way to know when headphones are good is to choose a good song and put a pair on. A good pair of headphones can give you the chance to be transformed by sound.
IUPUI has an assistant professor of music and arts technology.
The Conversation's article is a Creative Commons licensed one. The original article can be found here.
