The Differences of Earphones, Headphones,Headset and Earbuds

Headphones  are ear coverings attached to a headband that fit over a person’s head and emit sounds from outside of the ear. Headphones were heavy and clunky when they were first designed, but over time they became slim and compact.

Earphones, on the other hand, are designed to fit directly into the ear. They are small and unobtrusive. With the invention of the iPod earphones have become an accessory in their own right. Some earphones are minimalist and designed to be unseen by the public while others are decorated with rhinestones and bright colors so that they can be noticed by everyone.

Just like earphones differ from headphones there are three subcategories of earphones that offer different benefits and features to consumers. Anyone who has used one of the ubiquitous iPhones or iPods from Apple is familiar with earbuds. Standard earbuds fit inside the ear but remain outside of the ear canal. They are small in size and very lightweight. Since they fit inside the ear there is less sound leakage than earphones that fit slightly outside of the ear. In general a person standing near to a user who is wearing earbuds might be able to hear some sound coming from the earphones, but they won’t be able to make out words. Earbuds  can sometimes be uncomfortable when a user wears them for extended periods of time.

Headset, A headset is a hardware device that connects to a telephone or computer that allow the user to talk and listen while keeping their hands free. Headsets are commonly used in technical support and customer service centers and allows the employee to talk to a customer while typing information into a computer. The picture shows a USB headset from Logitech with a microphone, which is primarily used by online coline computer gamers to communicate with on another while they play.

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