While we tend to get many emails from people wondering about what headphones they should buy, there is one question that we also keep getting: the difference between earphones vs. earbuds.
Discover the best earphones and earbuds on the market.
The reality is that there are still many people who believe that these are both the same. However, this is far from the truth.
When you think about earbuds, you probably tend to think about the first pair you have ever bought. Remember the poor fitting, uncomfortable, and hard plastic pairs that usually popped out as soon as you moved your head slightly? Nowadays, you need to really look hard to find such a pair. The reality is that a lot has changed and both earphones and earbuds have changed a lot as well. They now allow you to benefit from a wide range of features.
So, let’s take a closer look at earphones and earbuds individually first, look at their pros and cons, and the see the earphones vs. earbuds main differences.
#1: Earphones:
Earphones feature a design that fits them inside your ear canal. In most cases, earphones come with different silicone tips to ensure that they can fit most ears without problems.
Earphones Pros:
- Portable: We believe that there isn’t a need to say that this is one of the main advantages of earphones. You can take them in your purse or pocket easily.
- Affordable: When you have a limited budget, you should definitely consider earphones.
- Audio Quality: While the audio quality of earphones just can’t be the same as when you are wearing over the ear headphones, the truth is that there are some earphones that are quite good in terms of the sound they deliver.
- Comfort: Since earphones sit on your ear canal, they tend to be comfortable.
- Noise Isolation: When you like to take your earphones with you all the time, you will like to know that they can isolate noise. After all, since they will fit directly into your ear canal, they create a kind of a seal.
Make sure to read our ultimate guide to buy good earphones.
Earphones Cons:
- Not Good To Take Everywhere: While earphones are portable, the truth is that when you like to walk on the street wearing them or you like to go to the gym, you may end up being uncomfortable. After all, they can sometimes slide out or leave you with that feeling of water in the ear.
- Audio Quality: While you should be ok with both treble and bass, the mid-range sound usually isn’t that good.
- Wires: Even though there are wire-free earphones, most earphones do come with a wire. One of the positive things is that you can easily hide the wire within your clothing. However, this may lead to some rug not only on your clothing but also on your skin. This is not only uncomfortable as the sound will move on directly to the headphones.
#2: Earbuds:
One of the things that you need to know about earbuds is that they’re not designed to fit inside your ear canal. After all, most earbuds models don’t have any kind of cushion and these would hurt your ears and ear canals.
One of the most common examples of earbuds that we can provide you is iPhone earbuds. Some earbuds come with a kind of a hook that helps to maintain them in place.
Discover the best earbuds for small ears.
Earbuds Pros:
- Comfort: Usually, earbuds tend to be extremely comfortable. Besides lightweight, they are also usually large. In addition, some of the best earbuds on the market include cushions, loops, and wingtips to ensure they can fit most ears.
- Sound Quality: In most cases, earbuds tend to deliver a good audio.
- Take Calls: Nowadays, it is rare to find earbuds that don’t allow you to take calls.
- Portable: You can take your earbuds with you everywhere you want. In addition, some earbuds include a necklace style cord to ensure that you never lose them.
Earbuds Cons:
- Noise Cancellation: Since earbuds don’t fit right into your ear canal, they aren’t able to eliminate the surrounding noises.
- Comfort: While we have also mentioned comfort as a pro, some earbuds are just made of plastic and deliver none. In fact, they can even hurt your ears. So, choose wisely.
Earphones Vs. Earbuds – Which One To Choose?
Ultimately, this is a personal decision. You need to think about why you need them and what you prefer. The truth is that there are people who just hate earphones because they need to rest inside your ear canal. Others don’t like earbuds because they keep listening to all the ambient noises. So, just think about your needs before you pick one.
