Not everyone can afford costly high-end headphones, but you can use these tips to get the best possible audio quality out of your current pair.
In the world of movies, it's said that sound makes the experience half as good. Additionally, as many audiophiles will attest, a good set of headphones can make a world of difference. Although they are excellent, audiophile headphones are frequently very expensive.
Fortunately, there are some modifications you can make to enhance the sound of your current headphones. Let's go over seven of these practical tips that can be of assistance to you.
1. Find a quiet area.
Go to a quiet room as soon as possible to instantly improve your listening abilities. If you're somewhere with a lot of ambient noise, such as a bus stand, train station, or a park, it's naturally going to interfere with your music.
Although you can use active noise cancellation on your compatible TWS earbuds to reduce background noise, there is nothing that compares to a quiet environment free of interruptions. Additionally, since you won't need to activate ANC, your battery life will be extended and you can listen to music for longer.
Additionally, since there is no distracting noise, you can lower the volume as well. Many inexpensive headphones have a tendency to sound worse as the volume is increased. Therefore, lowering the volume a little bit might restore some of the texture and lost details in your music.
2. Use the appropriate earplugs or tips
Even if your headphones have excellent sound quality, you won't have the desired experience if they don't fit properly. Since the earpads on over-the-ear headphones cover your entire ear, they typically don't have this issue. However, if your headphones are uncomfortable, have them changed.
In-ear headphones, on the other hand, like TWS earbuds, in-ear monitors (IEMs), and conventional wired earphones frequently come with a variety of ear tips. Try on each size to see which one is the best fit for you; the ideal fit should be cosy and soundproof. You might want to experiment with ear tips made of foam, rubber, or hybrid materials rather than silicone.
3. Modify the EQ settings.
While some people like louder bass, others like a more balanced sound. These are known as sound signatures, and different headphones have different types of sound signatures that draw attention to particular elements of your music and give it a particular sound.
To hear your music the way the artist intended, high-end headphones, for example, are typically tuned to be more balanced, meaning all frequencies are equally represented. Due to the fact that most casual listeners find bass to be entertaining, cheap headphones typically have more bass (though it's not always of high quality).
Use an equaliser to adjust your headphones' sound signature if you don't like how they sound right out of the box. Audiophiles typically advise a flat or balanced sound signature, but you should feel free to experiment with the frequencies to find the ones that sound the best to you.
4. Use a separate DAC
All of these technological devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, have a built-in DAC (digital to audio converter) that converts digital audio signals into analogue ones so you can listen to your music. The issue is that these devices aren't made specifically to listen to music, so their DACs aren't always of the highest calibre.
In that case, a portable external DAC can significantly enhance your sound quality. Even dedicated audio players with an integrated DAC and amplifier are available. But keep in mind that they can be quite costly.
5. Alternate Bluetooth Codecs
For sound quality, we always advise against using wireless headphones. However, if you own the latter, it doesn't necessarily follow that your audio quality will be subpar.
The Bluetooth codec you use can have a significant impact on the audio quality of a wireless headset. A Bluetooth codec is a software program that enables wireless transmission between two devices—an audio player and an audio receiver. Simply put, it enables communication between your phone, laptop, and wireless headphones.
Different codecs have various uses. While others work to cut down on latency, some are adept at maintaining consistency. LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Lossless, and LHDC are all excellent options if you want the best audio quality (at the expense of more latency). All you need to do is alter the Bluetooth codec in your device's settings.
6. Make the headphones jack clean
Check the audio jack if you're using wired headphones to make sure it's clean. The signal is hampered and irritating hisses, hums, and other static noises are introduced by an unclean audio jack that is covered in dust and lint. Additionally, it might stop some functions depending on the type of headphone plug you use. It might even cause the headphones to completely stop working in one or both ears.
There are several ways to clean the headphone jack, but the quickest and simplest way is to blow air into the jack using a can of compressed air and a thin nozzle. The jack should be sealed when not in use with some anti-dust plugs; they're reasonably priced and can save you the hassle of having to clean the jack every month or two.
In conclusion
Everyone should have access to high-quality audio, but premium headphones are frequently quite expensive. Although there isn't a single quick fix, the aforementioned advice can undoubtedly help you have a better listening experience.
An external DAC will continue to be useful for many years for audiophiles who are willing to spend more money on additional gear to get better sound. Additionally, switching the Bluetooth codec and using an equaliser should produce a discernible difference for casual listeners.