Over-Ear vs. On-Ear Headphones: What's the Difference and What Should You Buy?

When shopping for caller headphones, 1 of nan first decisions you'll brushwood is whether to get over-ear aliases on-ear models. Both types person pros and cons, making them amended suited for different listening needs and environments. This broad guideline will explicate nan cardinal differences betwixt over-ear and on-ear headphones truthful you tin find nan champion prime for your needs and budget.

What Are Over-Ear and On-Ear Headphones?

First, let's intelligibly specify nan position "over-ear" and "on-ear" headphones truthful there's nary confusion:

• Over-ear headphones, besides known arsenic around-ear aliases circumaural headphones, person padding that wholly encloses your full ear. The earpads cup your ears and shape a seal astir them for a closed, immersive listening experience. Many see over-ear headphones nan champion for audiophiles.
• On-ear headphones, besides known arsenic supra-aural headphones, person smaller pads that remainder connected your ears alternatively of surrounding them. They don't create a tight seal, and immoderate extracurricular sound still leaks in.

Now we've covered what over-ear and on-ear headphones are, let's look astatine what sets them apart, positive their strengths and weaknesses. Incidentally, galore of nan upcoming position besides characteristic successful our jargon-busting headphone position guide.

Comfort and Fit

One of nan astir important factors erstwhile choosing betwixt over-ear and on-ear headphones is comfort, arsenic you'll apt beryllium wearing them for extended periods.

Over-ear headphones are renowned for being highly comfortable. The large, plush earpads afloat enclose your ears successful soft padding, avoiding unit points. The weight is besides distributed complete a larger aboveground area. Wearing over-ear headphones for respective hours astatine a clip is easy for astir group to do without fatigue.

On-ear headphones remainder straight connected nan ears, which tin consciousness uncomfortable aft a while. Rather than distributing weight complete your full ear, each nan weight is concentrated straight connected nan ear. People pinch larger ears whitethorn besides consciousness pinching from on-ear headphones. On-ear headphones are tolerable for portable usage while commuting aliases traveling, but agelong listening sessions whitethorn require short breaks.

Image Credit: Paul Antil/MakeUseOf

If comfortableness is your apical priority, over-ear headphones are nan safest choice, but effort connected a brace of on-ear headphones if imaginable to corroborate they don't pinch your ears excessively much.

Noise Isolation

Noise isolation refers to a headphone's expertise to artifact extracurricular sounds from bleeding in. This allows you to immerse yourself successful your euphony aliases audio without distraction.

Over-ear headphones connection superior sound isolation compared to on-ear models. Very small outer sound tin seep successful erstwhile you screen your full receptor pinch a tight seal. This makes them perfect for usage while walking aliases anyplace successful a noisy environment. It besides improves nan perceived value of nan audio.

On-ear headphones remainder lightly connected apical of your ear, letting successful overmuch much extracurricular noise. The looser fresh and deficiency of enclosure intends you'll perceive conversations, engines, and different ambient noises while listening. For commuting and portable use, a mean magnitude of sound isolation tin beryllium beneficial for consciousness and safety. But for location listening, over-ear headphones present a vastly much immersive experience.

Active Noise Cancelation

Both over-ear and on-ear headphones person progressive sound cancelation (ANC). The value of nan ANC varies betwixt over-ear and on-ear, chiefly based connected nan value of nan seal astir your ear.

As you mightiness expect, over-ear headphones connection amended ANC value because nan larger earcups tin screen much of your ear, offering a better, much unafraid seal blocking retired much noise. That's not to opportunity that on-ear headphones cannot person bully ANC, arsenic nan receptor seal isn't nan only facet affecting its quality. The number of outer microphones connected some sets of headphones straight affects ANC quality, truthful beryllium judge to cheque this number nary matter nan type of headphones you prefer.

If you're successful nan area for caller noise-canceling cans, you mightiness want to cheque retired the champion inexpensive ANC headphones.

Sound Quality

In summation to comfortableness and sound isolation, nan sound value tends to disagree betwixt over-ear and on-ear headphone models.

Over-ear headphones are capable to supply expansive, high-fidelity sound that immerses you. The large, enclosed earcups let for bigger driver components. High-end over-ear models often usage ample drivers betwixt 40-70mm tin of big, elaborate sound pinch sparkling highs and heavy bass.

On-ear headphones nutrient a much "in your head" sound since nan drivers are truthful adjacent to your ears. While nan sound tin still beryllium rather good, particularly astatine mid-high volumes, on-ear models nutrient little room-filling audio compared to over-ear. Bass besides tends to beryllium weaker without nan encapsulated creation (again owed to passive sound leakage) and larger drivers.

If sound value for location listening is nan priority, over-ear headphones present a superior audio acquisition successful astir cases. The only objection whitethorn beryllium open-back over-ear headphones designed for a natural, freely sound astatine nan disbursal of sound isolation. If you perceive successful noisy places, a bully brace of closed-back over-ear headphones provides nan champion of some worlds.

Portability

One area wherever on-ear headphones radiance is their fantabulous portability for usage connected nan go. They typically measurement little and person thin, compact earcups that often fold up moreover smaller. Fitting them into a backpack aliases moreover a enarthrosis bag/purse is nary problem.

Most over-ear headphones are importantly bulkier, moreover if they tin still fold aliases swivel nan earcups inward to prevention space. If you scheme to recreation often pinch your headphones aliases usage them while commuting, nan portable creation of on-ear headphones makes them easier to flip successful your container and deterioration comfortably connected a train aliases plane. Their unfastened creation besides allows you to stay alert of your surroundings.

For genuine portability and travel-friendly use, on-ear headphones are nan winner. But immoderate group still for illustration to usage ample over-ear models connected planes aliases nationalist transit since they isolate sound better. It comes down to your circumstantial needs and comfort.

Durability and Build Quality

Both over-ear and on-ear headphones travel successful a wide scope of build quality, from entry-level models pinch all-plastic building to premium headphones featuring metal, leather, and reinforced components.

That said, connected average, over-ear headphones thin to usage thicker, much durable plastics successful their creation to clasp up their larger size and weight. The moving parts for illustration hinges and headbands person to withstand much force, truthful manufacturers reenforce them appropriately. This leads to a much resilient, longer-lasting merchandise successful astir cases.

With lightweight on-ear headphones, manufacturers often opt for thinner, cheaper-feeling materials to meet little prices. Plastics tin creak and threat complete clip pinch unsmooth use.

So, while highly durable on-ear headphones exist, generally, over-ear headphones are built to past longer nether punishing mundane use. Pay attraction to nan materials utilized and reinforcements astatine accent points erstwhile evaluating headphones if longevity is important to you.

Price and Value

Due to their materials, analyzable engineering, and large, powerful drivers, over-ear headphones costs much to manufacture than on-ear models. These costs get passed onto consumers done higher unit prices.

While affordable on-ear headphones tin beryllium recovered for nether $50, over-ear models seldom dip beneath $80-100, moreover astatine nan debased end. Comparable mid-range models spot an moreover bigger value gap, pinch bully on-ears disposable astir $100-150 and over-ears costing $150-250. At nan high-end, over-ear headphones really jump successful value owed to premium materials and audiophile-grade components.

However, nan improvements successful sound, comfort, and sound isolation warrant nan accrued costs of over-ear headphones for galore buyers. It comes down to listening preferences and fund considerations. If you perceive astatine location primarily, over-ear headphones present a superior acquisition for nan money. For portable usage and those connected a tight budget, on-ear headphones connection immense worth and whitethorn meet your needs.

Over-Ear vs. On-Ear Price Comparisons

Here are immoderate examples of costs comparisons betwixt over-ear and on-ear headphones to exemplify nan emblematic value differences:

Entry-Level Models:

• On-ear: Koss PortaPro ($49)
• Over-ear: Sony MDR-7506 ($99)

Mid-Range Models:

• On-ear: Grado SR80e ($99)
• Over-ear: Bose QuietComfort 35 II ($299)

High-End Models:

• On-ear: Bowers & Wilkins PX7 ($399)
• Over-ear: Sennheiser HD 800 S ($1,699)

The Koss PortaPro and Grado SR80e are examples of inexpensive but highly acclaimed on-ear headphones nether $100. The Sony MDR-7506 and Bose QC35 II show nan jump successful value to $100+ for value over-ear headphones pinch larger drivers and much precocious engineering.

Finally, nan comparison betwixt nan Bowers & Wilkins PX7 on-ear and Sennheiser HD 800 S over-ear illustrates nan immense value spread astatine nan high-end. While $400 gets you a top-tier on-ear model, over-ear headphones tin costs good complete $1,000 for premium audiophile value for illustration nan HD 800 S.

Over-Ear vs. On-Ear Headphones: Which Should You Choose?

When choosing betwixt over-ear and on-ear headphones, see wherever and really you scheme to usage them. Over-ear headphones excel astatine location aliases successful nan workplace for captious listening acknowledgment to their expansive, high-fidelity sound aliases erstwhile commuting for nan other sound cancellation and seal astir nan ear. However, On-ear headphones are besides bully for recreation if you don't mind reducing sound isolation successful speech for a smaller footprint and headphones that are possibly easier to recreation with.

Think astir your needs for comfort, sound quality, sound isolation, portability, and budget. Pricier, over-ear headphones present superior comfortableness and audio capacity wide but don't disregard value on-ear models, particularly if you worth their lightweight portability for your lifestyle. With an knowing of nan pros and cons outlined here, you tin determine which type of headphones champion fits your listening preferences.