Nathaniel Baldwin invented the first pair of headphones in 1910. Before her discovery, earpieces were the only listening devices for electrical audio signals. Later on, amplifiers were developed.
Headphones are made primarily to keep them close to our ears.
Headset vs headphones, what is better? What sets them apart or makes them alike? All these questions must have popped up into your mind before purchasing a new audio device for your phone.
So, today, I’m here to enlighten you on the significant differences between a headset and a headphone, along with some notable similarities. I’ll try to clarify all the misunderstandings and get an idea of them individually.
What’s the Difference Between a Headset and a Headphone?
A headset refers to a device with an integrated microphone, while a device with no connected microphone is a headphone.
Microphones set them apart. A headset helps you speak with the use of a microphone. In contrast, a headphone lacks this facility.
There are many distinguishing features between the two! A pair of headphones have two drivers integrated with a headband worn over our heads and close to our ears.
They are called earphones, earbuds, or mini-loud speakers that are made to be worn on the head.
On the other hand, a headset contains a microphone and headphones! It’s a headset with a microphone attached. The BassHeads 100 in-Ear Wired Headphones with Mic is a suitable type of headset.
What Are the Various Types of Headphones?
There are three major types of headphones:
- Over-ear headphones
- On-ear headphones
- In-ear headphones
Over-ear headphones
These headphones are primarily structured with earbuds that rest directly on your ears.
They have light pressure because of the small size of the ear cups. They are also known as “circumaural.” They sit on top of the head and around our ear cartilage.
Over-ear headphones have better sound isolation because they fit tightly around our ear cartilage. These headphones occupy a lot of space which makes them less portable.
On-ear headphones
On-ear headphones have smaller earpads that rest directly on your ear pods. They are known as “supra-aural” headphones.
Their grip on your head is quite tight and makes you quite uncomfortable. They have a limited sound stage bound to your ear canal only. Although they are easy to carry, they are less comfortable than over-ear headphones.
In-ear headphones
They are a widely used type of earphone because of their light weight and portability. In-ear headphones are the fastest-growing type of headphones because of their ease of use, requiring no technical expertise or professional or semi-professional usage.
In-ear headphones are called “canal phones” since they fit deeper in your canal than regular headphones. All in all, they are a comfortable fit, providing you with sound isolation, clarity, and sharpness.
Use of Headsets
A headset serves as both a listening device and a communication device. It’s used commercially by military pilots, tank operators, console personnel, helicopter pilots, etc. They are named after how they are used.
Headsets are recommended for customers who genuinely want to use a microphone. It aids in providing a better professional, gaming, and technical experience.
One can listen to music and talk simultaneously while using the headset. It has a microphone, either attached, removable, foldable, or mobile. The two main types of headsets are single-ear pieces and double-ear pieces.
Although headsets are not used so often, especially outdoors, people find it awkward to carry a large earpiece with a microphone everywhere.
There are various designs for headsets, too. The over-ear design is the most popular and widely used. Unfortunately, headsets do not offer the highest sound quality.
They have lower sound quality than a headphone. It’s because the functions divide the supremacy of one.
A headset is a necessary tool for office workers to utilize in their work, especially those who work in contact centers for customer service and as receptionists.
A $90 headset will always sound lower than $50 headphones since its total costs consider both the microphone and the headset’s general structure. Overall, it is preferable for gaming setups that require speaking and listening simultaneously.
Headphone Vs Headset: Which One Has Better Sound Quality?
A headphone has better sound quality than a headset.
The high-end headphones sound much sharper and textured than gaming headsets. Few headsets are competitive with low-mid-range audiophile headphones in terms of sound quality.
It’s because headphones only need to focus on providing the highest possible sound quality. At the same time, headsets must focus on providing decent sound quality and audible speech.
Thus, headphones only cost twice as much as headsets because of their sound quality and listening experience. Plus, the overall quality is better than low-budget headphones.
What’s More Convenient: Headphones or a Headset?
Headsets with detachable microphones are more convenient than headphones.
Some headsets have permanently linked microphones, while others have a detachable microphone. It makes it easier to decide if you need a pair of headphones or a phone when traveling.
Headphones can be burdensome, as you’ll have to carry two pieces of technology. Although many innovations have been made to ordinary headphones, they have better sound quality and built-in microphones, making them portable and convenient.
As a result, you can choose between the two depending on your needs. Headphones are the most suitable option for listening to music with excellent sound quality. While headsets are helpful if you have to work from home or you run a gaming center,
Nowadays, because of their small sizes and luggage-friendly options, earbuds have made outings much easier. With medium quality, you can speak and listen at the same time.
Here’s a quick summary of the differences between headphones and headsets:
| Headsets | Headphones | |
| Description | They are headphones with built-in microphones that allow the user to speak. | A headphone is an earphone without a microphone designed to be placed closer to the human ear. |
| Characteristics | Circumaural headphones that are full-sized. Supra-aural headphones provide direct contact with the ear canal and in-ear headphones with the best listening experience. | Professional set-up headsets, Telephones headsets, mobile headsets, and gaming-headsets |
| Types | Single-piece, Double piece headset Directional & Noise cancellation headset | On ear headphones Over-ear headphones In-ear headphones |
| Functions | Speaking while listening to music | Listening to music only |
What Differentiates Headphones from Headsets in terms of Their Use?
Consumers can use wireless headphones for personal use, Bluetooth headsets for smartphones, and gaming headsets for monaural, stereophonic, and voice chat when playing multiplayer online games. The main uses of media headphones for noise isolation or noise cancellation are in music, films, and travel.
There may also be compatibility and supplementary functionality with some headsets used for commercial and military purposes. Despite their steeply angled design, these microphone-attached headphones are still referred to as headphones.
For a better understanding of their difference, watch the video below:
Final Thoughts
I’ve discussed some significant differences between the headphones and headset in detail:
- Headsets are headphones with a microphone attached to them. It provides listening and speaking facilities at the same time.
- They must be placed close to the ears for maximum listening capacity.
- Headphones offer greater sound quality and a better listening experience because of their single-core function, while headsets have lower sound quality as multi-purpose devices.
- Most people prefer headphones for personal use, while headsets are likely to be used for professional and gaming purposes.
- There are major differences in price and performance too. Hence, you can choose either one of them depending on your usage.
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