6 Things to Keep in Mind Before Buying Wireless Headphones

Going wireless is the rage these days as it involves less clutter and more convenience. That is why people are shifting to the use of wireless networking and wireless charging to name a few.

Even headphones have become wireless and Bluetooth powered headsets are the straightforward ones that go cutting the cord off the headphones.

If you are looking to purchase wireless headphones, there are a few points that you should know about these products so that you avoid any pitfalls that exist in choosing the same.

Get to know the types of wireless headphones

Wireless headphones are classified into three major types that can be split into two categories such as the ones that need a separate transmitter and those that do not require one. The first category includes headphones that are infra-red and radio frequency.

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Infra-red is used scarcely now, but the headphones that make use of the same are made by manufacturers like Sennheiser that has come up with IS410. It is the best to use with TV, but it needs an unobstructed line of sight between the transmitter and headphones. This means that there is no limit on both the angle and distance while using these headphones.

The radio frequency is quite powerful and the same is used by Sony MDRRF985RK headphones that can work up to a range of 150 feet. The interesting part is that the signals can pass even through the walls.

The Bluetooth headphones do not use a transmitter and the most used form of wireless headphones. It requires Bluetooth technology and it has a range of 32 feet.

Sound quality is good in latest Bluetooth versions

The biggest concern on using the Bluetooth headphones is the poor sound quality. The reason is Bluetooth is not intended to stream high-quality music. The old Bluetooth versions compressed audio heavily that produce harsh sound. The A2DP Bluetooth technology started improving the same.

With the evolution of Bluetooth 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0 versions, the aptX codec came that could render CD-like performance. The same is used in many products. Latency is another issue of using the Bluetooth headphones that might be noticeable while watching videos. This issue is the lowest with the Bluetooth 4.0 version.

Battery life is important

The wireless headphones need their own power supply and it will come either as standard disposable batteries or inbuilt rechargeable battery. The headphones that need a wireless transmitter can use the transmitter as a charging dock.

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The battery life of Bluetooth headphones will be around 8 to 12 hours. There are expensive pairs of headphones such as Sony DR-BTN200 that can give 40 hours of battery life. Keep in mind that battery life and volume are related. More battery power will be used up if you listen to loud music.

NFC is important

All you need to do to connect the Bluetooth headphones is to pair them with a smartphone, tablet or laptop. This is done using inbuilt Bluetooth on your device. The passcode should be entered and it will mostly be 0000.

The NFC technology can be used with NFC-enabled Android smartphones. This way, the passcode is not needed for the initial setup and the process of reconnecting is speedy.

Remote in the earpieces

The wired headphones sport a remote on the cable to control the music and answer and reject calls. But, this is not the case with the wireless headphones. Almost all sets will have a few basic controls and the microphone on one of the earpieces.

Before purchasing wireless headphones, you need to check the accessibility of these controls. It looks like the button and layout are determined by the aesthetics and so the practical usage of the same should be analyzed.

Usability is important

The wireless headphones usually come in three styles such as in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear. The over-ear and on-ear headphones will function and look like the wired headphones. The in-ear headphones are a bit different. Purchase the right headphones after analyzing the desired size and style.

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Notably, all the makers are launching a complete range of Bluetooth headphones at different price points and quality ranges. Wireless headphones are perfect options for those who want future ready headphones. It is common to see improvements in battery life, sound quality, form factor and convenience to use.