Head-mounted speakers. Headphones have a strap that rests on top of the head, positioning a pair of speakers over both ears. For listening to music or monitoring live performances and audio tracks, both left and right channels are required. When used with the telephone, a microphone is attached, and only one speaker is required (see headset).
Some of the Best Sound
Not only are headphones used by people who want to listen to music without disturbing others, but they have been used for years by critical audiophiles. Headphones can provide an extraordinary listening experience that is far more affordable than room speakers. Quality headphones can sound as good or better than room speakers costing tens of thousands of dollars because it takes a lot less power to drive headphones than it does regular speakers. Most important, headphones create a sealed listening chamber. Although necessary to get the best sound from floor speakers, people rarely configure their hi-fi systems to match their room acoustics. With headphones, there is little or no setup. See earbuds, earphones, virtual headphones and headset.
A Venerable Model
One of the most successful stereo headphones in the business, Grado Labs' SR60s came out in 1994 and were still going strong in 2007, when this picture was taken. Grado Laboratories (www.gradolabs.com) is a small, committed company in Brooklyn, New York that celebrated its 50th year in 2003.
One of the Best
Introduced in 2006, the GS1000 from Grado Labs (www.gradolabs.com) is the only set of headphones that uses mahogany wood speaker housings. Considered by reviewers and audiophiles to be one of the finest headphones ever made for long listening sessions, the GS1000 can even make an iPod sound like a theater hall.
Some of the Best Sound
Not only are headphones used by people who want to listen to music without disturbing others, but they have been used for years by critical audiophiles. Headphones can provide an extraordinary listening experience that is far more affordable than room speakers. Quality headphones can sound as good or better than room speakers costing tens of thousands of dollars because it takes a lot less power to drive headphones than it does regular speakers. Most important, headphones create a sealed listening chamber. Although necessary to get the best sound from floor speakers, people rarely configure their hi-fi systems to match their room acoustics. With headphones, there is little or no setup. See earbuds, earphones, virtual headphones and headset.
A Venerable Model
One of the most successful stereo headphones in the business, Grado Labs' SR60s came out in 1994 and were still going strong in 2007, when this picture was taken. Grado Laboratories (www.gradolabs.com) is a small, committed company in Brooklyn, New York that celebrated its 50th year in 2003.
One of the Best
Introduced in 2006, the GS1000 from Grado Labs (www.gradolabs.com) is the only set of headphones that uses mahogany wood speaker housings. Considered by reviewers and audiophiles to be one of the finest headphones ever made for long listening sessions, the GS1000 can even make an iPod sound like a theater hall.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- MyGuitar for iPhone 1.0 (Mobile)
- With MyGuitar for iPhone you will be able to play songs in no time. Turn on the distortion or shredder mode and make your rock dreams come true. Play along privately with your headphones or plug your device into a system and make some noise. It features acoustic and electric...
- Software downloads 2009-11-24
- DFX Audio Enhancer for Winamp 9.210 (Windows)
- Give your digital music files more vibrancy with DFX audio enhancement for Winamp. DFX enhances your music listening experience by improving the sound quality of MP3, Internet radio, Windows Media and other music files. Renew stereo depth, add 3D surround sound, restore sound clarity, boost your audio levels, and produce...
- Software downloads 2009-11-24
- DFX Audio Enhancer for Windows Media Player 9.210 (Windows)
- Give your digital music files more vibrancy with DFX audio enhancement for Windows Media Player. DFX enhances your music listening experience by improving the sound quality of MP3, Internet radio, Windows Media and other music files. Renew stereo depth, add 3D surround sound, restore sound clarity, boost your audio levels,...
- Software downloads 2009-11-24
- Dell Inspiron i1470-3282CRD
- Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Holiday Roundup, which covers specific fixed configurations of popular systems found in retail stores.At what cost to battery life? That's the question we're left asking Dell after testing its Inspiron 1470-3282, a $729 laptop sold at Best...
- Product reviews 2009-11-21
- Turtle Beach Ear Force X41 - headset
- Wireless headphones have been around for a while, but it's only been in the past few years that quality has gotten high enough for discerning listeners to consider using them. Many manufacturers, for instance, have turned to infrared IR technology for wireless signal transmission, which powered the Turtle Beach X4...
- Product reviews 2009-11-20
- HP Envy 15-1050nr
- A big brother to HP's 13-inch Envy 13, this upscale 15-inch model crams more computing power into a midsize laptop than anyone outside of Alienware's m15x. And while that system is a 10-pound monster, the Envy 15 manages to be both slim and reasonably lightweight, partially by ditching the internal...
- Product reviews 2009-11-19
- Toshiba Satellite E105-S1802
- Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Holiday Roundup, which covers specific fixed configurations of popular systems found in retail stores.Toshiba's latest Blue Label laptop from Best Buy, the Satellite E105-S1802, is an exact replica of the company's earlier Satellite E105-S1602 model with one...
- Product reviews 2009-11-16
- Colorful headphones from Audio-Technica
- Audio-Technica aims a slew of stylish, portable headphones at female listeners. by CNET News.com
- Image galleries 2009-11-16
- iFrogz Ear Pollution Timbre earphones - light
- Editors' note: The Timbre earphones without the mic have been updated to reflect a slightly higher score because they do not suffer from the cut-out and static issues that the persisted with some MP3 players when using the version with the mic.Speakers made for home audio setups are encased in...
- Product reviews 2009-11-13
- iFrogz Ear Pollution Timbre earphones - dark
- Editors' note: The Timbre earphones without the mic have been updated to reflect a slightly higher score because they do not suffer from the cut-out and static issues that the persisted with some MP3 players when using the version with the mic.Speakers made for home audio setups are encased in...
- Product reviews 2009-11-13
- Pocket Sounds for iPhone 1.3 (Mobile)
- Pocket Sounds for iPhone, put simply, is a collection of sounds sounds that fits in your pocket. This app contains six pages, with eight sounds on each. The first five pages are shorter sounds of things like animals, cars and other sounds like that. The last page contains eight high...
- Software downloads 2009-11-13
- DFX Audio Enhancer for J. River Media Center 9.208 (Windows)
- Give your digital music files more vibrancy with DFX audio enhancement for J. River Media Center. DFX enhances your music listening experience by improving the sound quality of MP3, Internet radio, Windows Media and other music files. Renew stereo depth, add 3D surround sound, restore sound clarity, boost your audio...
- Software downloads 2009-11-12
- DFX Audio Enhancer for RealPlayer 9.208 (Windows)
- Give your digital music files more vibrancy with DFX audio enhancement for RealPlayer. DFX enhances your music listening experience by improving the sound quality of MP3, Internet radio, Windows Media and other music files. Renew stereo depth, add 3D surround sound, restore sound clarity, boost your audio levels, and produce...
- Software downloads 2009-11-12
- DFX Audio Enhancer for Musicmatch Jukebox 9.208 (Windows)
- Give your digital music files more vibrancy with DFX audio enhancement for Musicmatch. DFX enhances your music listening experience by improving the sound quality of MP3, Internet radio, Windows Media and other music files. Renew stereo depth, add 3D surround sound, restore sound clarity, boost your audio levels, and produce...
- Software downloads 2009-11-12
- Dell Inspiron i545s-1476N
- The $480 Inspiron 545s-1476 is the third Dell desktop we've reviewed with the company's current slim tower chassis, and we can't say our opinion has changed since the last time we saw it. We're still satisfied with its design, but we remain disappointed with the features Dell seems to have...
- Product reviews 2009-11-06
- AKG K 518 LE headphones--photos
- The AKG K 518 LE headphones are a good value for eclectic listeners who want a portable earphone that needn't be stuck into the ear. by CNET News.com
- Image galleries 2009-11-04
- Review: tapSTICK gives you back control of your iPod shuffle
- Apple recently launched a new iPod shuffle, but made a major design change that limits you from using your own personal headphones. They moved the basic controls from the device to the headset so you have to use the Apple headphones or buy some made specifically for the iPod shuffle...
- Blog posts 2009-11-03
- Analyst: Big on Motorola, Android; no love for RIM, Palm
- To Stay in Business,eventually they will turn to Android.The SAME WAY did HTC and MOTOROLA.and IT will not Take Long!RE: Analyst: Big on Motorola, Android; no love for RIM, PalmRIM forever!droid is cool, but read the comments on the original article.this guy is probably waaaay off.IT Analysts are kind of...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-02
- Skullcandy Icon 2 headphones--photos
- Skullcandy Icon 2 headphones are a decent option for teens who prefer on-ear models with a splash of style and a built-in mic for music phone compatibility. by CNET News.com
- Image galleries 2009-10-30
- Samsung Caliber (U.S. Cellular)
- We've seen plenty of Samsung touch-screen handsets come our way, but not many of them make it to U.S. Cellular, a regional carrier based in Chicago. The only one so far has been the Samsung Delve, which made it to the carrier's lineup late last year. Now another one has...
- Product reviews 2009-10-29
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Keep Up With The Latest In Document Management with The DocuMentor.
-
Doc delivers the scoop on today's enterprise content management, printer maintenance, and all other issues related to document management. It's the DocuMentor Blog.
- Learn more >>
- Save time with automated shipping solutions
-
The Business Essentials Guide provides you useful tools and templates to help grow your business and save you time with automated shipping solutions.
- Visit the UPS Business Essentials Guide
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.
- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
Meet Doc
-
-
Here to help you with your Document Management Needs
- Check out Doc’s Blog on ZDNet
- Help your company, help the earth I want to share with you the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator, which allows you to gauge your organization's environmental impact.
- Which is Greener: Paper or Digital? The Answer May Surprise You Anything we can do to reduce paper consumption is good. But what about the impact of digital waste?
-
Produced by
ZDNet and -
