5 different types of earphones: Which one is best for you?

Earphones don’t just come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit all ears, they also offer a variety of connectivity options, designs, and even audio quality depending on your needs.

Do you want the convenience of wireless earbuds but with more battery life? How important is mic quality? Would you sacrifice convenience for quality? There are tons of questions to ask, and we’re here to answer all of them.

5 types of earphones

1. In-ear monitors (IEM) vs earbuds

2. Wired vs TWS vs neckband

3. Noise cancelling: Passive vs Active

4. Hi-Fi vs standard earphones

5. Single/multi-driver

1. In-ear monitors (IEM) vs earbuds

While both sit within the ear, in-ear monitors – the most popular type of earphones – extend into the ear canal via various flexible ear tip designs. Earbuds, on the other hand, sit in the outer ear and do not completely seal your ear canal.

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IEMs tend to offer better sound quality as they form a better seal within the ear. This seal ensures that no sound leaks out or in, and enhances the bass. Users will also experience some degree of passive noise isolation owing to that seal. Lastly, IEMs are more stable when inserted in the ear, making them more suited for active lifestyles or for those who travel a lot.

Earbuds don’t have any significant advantages over IEMs other than the fact that they can fit in ears that can’t hold IEMs. Additionally, the choice of IEMs and earbuds will ultimately come down to personal preference as fit and the aural experience can vary from person to person.

2. Wired vs TWS vs neckband

IEMs and earbuds are available in wired, TWS (true wireless) or in neckband configurations. Wired sets usually connect to your phone or other device via USB-C, Apple Lightning, or via a 2.5/3.5 mm headphone jack.

The wired connection can be inconvenient but offers three significant advantages over wireless variants. Namely:

1. Superior audio and recording quality owing to the higher bandwidth of the wired interface

2. Lower price as no additional electronics and batteries are required

3. Little to no audio latency, making them ideal for fast-paced mobile gaming

TWS or true wireless sets are the most popular variety today. These are “truly” wireless in which all connections are wireless. This includes the connection between the left and right earphones, as well as between the phone and earphones. These are very convenient to use and boast of decent sound quality.

However, they do suffer from low battery life (about five hours per charge, depending on the model) and low mic quality (as the mic is far from the mouth and wireless bandwidth tends to be low). They’re also easier to lose.

Neckbands are a form of wireless earphones where the left and right earphones are connected via a band or cable that loops around the neck – hence the name, and they connect wirelessly to your mobile device.

These devices tend to offer far better battery life (since there’s room for a larger battery), aren’t as easy to lose, and tend to be cheaper than TWS as fewer electronics are involved.

3. Noise cancelling: Passive vs Active

Noise cancelling is important to a lot of people, especially if they travel regularly or work in a noisy environment. Active noise cancelling or ANC is where the earphones use a mic and various processing techniques to listen to outside sounds and actively block them by sending a mirrored audio signal into your ear.

You can think of passive noise cancelling as what happens when you stuff your fingers inside your ears. Some physical object – the foam or silicone tips of IEMs, in this case – blocks outside noise.

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ANC tends to be far more effective than passive measures, but is also more expensive to implement, draws more power thereby reducing battery life, and can ruin audio quality when not implemented correctly. ANC is still the preferred option as the technology has matured significantly over the years.

4. Audio quality: Hi-Fi vs standard earphones

Hi-Fi or high-fidelity earphones are those that are specifically designed for maximum audio quality. These tend to be wired IEMs owing to the benefits of both the higher bandwidth of a wired signal and the tighter seal that IEMs make. These earphones tend to be tuned for neutral audio, attempting to deliver the audio exactly as it was mastered.

Normal earphones – which are most earphone – sound great but are not as precisely tuned as Hi-Fi sets. The audio tends to be tuned towards what people prefer rather than what audio engineers prefer. This is fine for most people.

5. Single/multi-driver

Another feature that’s increasingly common in earphones these days is multi-driver technology. Traditional earphones feature only one driver – the part that moves the air to create pressure waves and generate sound in your ear – while some offer multiple drivers. Each of these drivers is designed to specialise in a particular area, such as bass, mid-range, and treble.

In theory, the sound quality from these sets is superior to that of regular earphones, but again, only in theory. Don’t buy a dual- or triple-driver set just because the manufacturer claims it sounds better. If possible, try the set for yourself before making a decision.

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Remember, your audio preferences and experiences are intensely personal and nobody else can tell you what you like. Use this guide to help yourself find the right earphone type for you, but do try to get some hands-on time with various sets to understand what works for you.