How to choose headphones for your smartphone

There are several different styles of headphone to choose from, and they all have advantages and disadvantages. The first thing you need to consider is what you want to do with them. If you only want headphones for consuming media, you can skip looking for models with a mic. A mic is pretty handy to have if you think you’ll need to take a call while you’re listening to music on the bus, but good headphones with a mic are usually a little more expensive than good headphones without.

And we’re not going to talk about Bluetooth in this article. That’s another subject that deserves its own discussion, and we’ll have it. For now, we’re only talking about headphones that you plug into your phone or tablet or whatever else makes noises you want to hear.

• Earbuds: A lot of people love earbuds. They are small and easy to carry around, discreet, and can sound pretty good if you pick the right ones. As a bonus, most times they are a good bit cheaper than other types of headphones. Some of the drawbacks are issues staying in place if you’re moving around a lot, they can be uncomfortable and oftentimes they can’t deliver big loud bass.
• On-Ear headphones: These can be a good middle ground between earbuds and big over-ear DJ models. They can bring much bigger sound, there are plenty of affordable models, and they aren’t too big to fit into a bag or purse. They aren’t very discreet, so not the best choice if you don’t want anyone to know you’re on your phone.
• Over-Ear headphones: These are for people who want the most sound, and don’t even care how they look. They are big and bold, so hiding them is usually out of the question and you’ll need to lug them around. You can find over-ear headphones in open back models so you can have a little awareness of what’s going on around you, or closed back models that are almost noise-cancelling. In either case, over-ear headphones will deliver the biggest sound possible while on the go.

At the end of the Day, it comes down to preference.