Headphones 101

[Tone2TheBone]

Ok class...another one for you. When you get ready to listen to your favorite late night jam or the latest late night video on youtube and you're forced to put on your trusty headphones...does it matter to you which side goes where? Do you just put them on however you happen to pick them up or do you check to see which side is R and which side is L and put them on accordingly? Ah was just wonderin'....

[R_of_G]

It depends on whether I am using my headphones or ear-buds. With the headphones I still put them on correctly 99% of the time because the cord is on the one side and I know which side it is so it comes naturally to put them on that way. If, by chance, I put them on the other way it doesn't make any real difference. Now, with the ear buds, it makes a difference. They are designed to go in the correct ear. Sure, you can make them fit on either side, but not comfortably.

[peachhead***]

I always figured they were marked L and R for a reason, so I put them on that way if I can help it.

[Gil Janus]

I always figured they were marked L and R for a reason, so I put them on that way if I can help it.

+1

It's like shoes, except for the ears : :

Gil

[Algonquin]

I like to have the buds or headphones in the correct ear... always. The sound was mixed down a certain way, and I'm always checking to see if I've got the left and right on correctly.

What would happen if you played a Beatles song backwards with the earphones inverted?... See what i mean... you're headed for trouble if you do it any other way!

[Tone2TheBone]

To clarify on my original post I just happened to put on a set of headphones to watch a video of Uncle Ted and it didn't occur to me to include ear buds but yes of course please include these in your response as they are probably most used nowadays anyway. : Before listening to what the Nuge had to say I made sure I had R and L in the right place as I am very careful about doing this. Earbuds are handled in the same manner. It probably doesn't matter to most but to me it kinda does.

[Ch0jin]

Coming from a background of competitive online FPS gaming (as in for $$) you make real sure you have your cans on the right way. You don't need to be hearing footsteps to your right, then turn right only to be shot in the back of the head because you were actually hearing sounds to the left.

Never really an issue though as I've been using sennheiser headphones with mic for ages and you can't really put them on wrong (or the boom goes the wrong way)

[Spudman***]

My studio phones can go either way depending on the situation. If I'm listening only then it doesn't matter which side is on which ear. If I'm mixing then that is a different situation. I prefer to have left-right match my pans instead of being reversed.

Depending on the playing/recording situation I'll sometimes switch ears just to move the cord to a different less annoying place.

[SuperSwede]

Since my wonderful Beyerdynamics phones decided to go to headphone heaven I picked up a pair of Koss Porta Pros... not great sounding but their design makes it impossible to use them the wrong way.

[oldguy]

One of the kids lost mine.

[Kazz]

I just bought myself and the Mrs a set of Sennheiser CXL400' noise cancelling earbuds they were originally $79.99 when they first came out. Newegg had them the other day for $19.99 scooped 2 sets and man the difference noise cancelling makes...I wore them at work the other day and it was so relaxing being able to kill the office chatter.

I made sure to have Louie on the left and Ralph on the right :-)

[WackyT]

I put L on L and R on R always.

[tot_Ou_tard]

L on the nose, R on the back of the head.

[sunvalleylaw]

L on the nose, R on the back of the head.

Left ear bud down the back of my shirt collar, right ear bud up my right nostril. :








Nah, I am pretty predictable. I put things on as they are marked. Except when I put my underwear on my head.

[ShortBuSX]

I usually put the left in mah left and the right in mah right.

BUT I have a tip that may improve your enjoyment of your ear buds that few people know bout. When I did lawn work many years back I found that if you insert the ear bud in sideways you get a better seal inside your ear and the music sound better, richer, fuller and louder.
Sideways is a lil hard to describe, so I will try and explain....instead of putting it flat towards your ear(with wires hanging downwards) put them in with what used to be the top in your ear with the speaker facing that lil nubbin of your ear so it looks like the wires are coming right out of your ears...does this make sense? Cause its kinda hard to explain without showing you...but it works fantasticlly!

Another tip, when buying earbuds...look at the specs on the package, they will give you a range of frequencies that they perform at...find earbuds with the lowest hz available...sometimes you can find them as low as 12hz or even 10hz...I know the human ear isnt supposed to hear bass frequencies that low, but you are getting a better quality earbud by looking for that.
20hz earbuds are low quality.

[Ch0jin]

Another tip, when buying earbuds...look at the specs on the package, they will give you a range of frequencies that they perform at...find earbuds with the lowest hz available...sometimes you can find them as low as 12hz or even 10hz...I know the human ear isnt supposed to hear bass frequencies that low, but you are getting a better quality earbud by looking for that.
20hz earbuds are low quality.

Interesting.

You're right in saying the human ear can't hear below 20Hz (or above 20KHz), but I'm a bit dubious about the advice to select headphones based on their lowest stated frequency. My thinking is that any manufacturer making claims of 12Hz from "in ear" style headphones is being misleading and should be avoided. Just like any Hi-Fi amplifier that is rated in PMPO rather than RMS.

As I understand it, frequencies below 20Hz are "felt" rather than "heard" and whilst in ear headphones could possibly vibrate your skull enough to "feel" <20Hz frequencies, I have big doubts.

Enclosed headphones are another story however and because of their design I'd believe they could vibrate your skull at frequencies lower than 20Hz.

The Sennheiser HD 380 Pro monitors claim an incredible 8Hz-27KHz, but of course, these are not in-ear headphones (and frankly, I'm still skeptical)

Of course the next thing is to consider what you are pugged into. Unless your amplifier has a frequency response that drops into the sub 20Hz area your are obviously not going to hear those freq's in your headphones. I'd suspect that includes every portable media player and a large percentage of low to mid level hi-fi amps with the exception of those with a dedicated sub channel, and even then, I point to your source. Was it mastered with the intent to include such low frequencies? If it was mastered for vinyl records I'm thinking no it wasn't.

Anyway, interested in others opinions on this

[Algonquin]

Hey Teach... am I wearing them right?

[street music]

I try to match those L_R to L-R.

[bigoldron]

This kid knows how to wear them!