A GLIMPSE OF INDIA’S RICH CULTURE AT THIS FEST
There’s a wide range of headphones in the market, but you need to know which type is best suited for you
One would think that buying a new set of headphones should be a simple enough task, right? Wrong.
Today, the audio market is exploding with options that range from in-ear headphones with a built-in microphone to Bluetooth ones with Active Noise Cancellation. So how does one look beyond the jargon to choose a pair that works best for them? Fret not. Our guide is here to save the day.
TYPES OF HEADPHONES
There are hundreds of headphone options available in stores and online. Which one should you go for? Simple, pick one that best serves your everyday needs. Once you have identified your headphone’s main goal, finding the right one shouldn’t be too difficult. To get you started, here are the major types that are available, along with their pros and cons.
IN-EAR HEADPHONE
Also known as earbuds or in-ears, they go into your actual ear canal. They are typically the headphones that come along with your phone or your MP3 player.
The biggest advantage is their size, and because they are small, they are easily portable. They are great at noise isolation and the perfect accessory for those who are working out.
But, at the same time, the sound quality they offer isn’t the greatest and untangling those wires all the time can get annoying.
ON-EAR HEADPHONE
These headphones sit on your
One of the most enriching culture fests in the country, Arth — A Culture Fest by ZEE, held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the Capital, recently took the audience on a unique journey. The festival, through its various panel discussions, workshops as well as live performances aimed to rediscover, reconnect and revisit India through the beauty of art, culture, literature, history, politics and society.
The first two days of the event saw engaging paneldiscussions and talks by some of the most prominent names from across India.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the likes of Subhash Chandra, chairman of the Essel Group and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Shreyasi Goenka, founder of Arth, Sudhir Chaudhary, CEO and editor-in-chief, ZEE Media, Swaroop Banerjee, COO and head of business, ZEE LIVE, and Vikram Sampath, festival director of Arth. ears while the band goes over your head or behind it.
Slightly larger than in-ear headphones, they too are relatively portable (though you won’t be able to stuff them in your pockets).
The sound quality is also a tad better and they often have larger battery capacity owing to the bigger size factor.
But since they sit on the ear, noise isolation isn’t their USP and they certainly aren’t as portable as in-ear headphones.
OVER-EAR HEADPHONE
The largest one in the lot, this is a product almost everyone is familiar with. They offer great sound quality, last a long time,
While addressing the youth at the event, Chandra said, “Our nation’s rich culture has all the solutions which are needed by mankind and the same is scientifically proven based on facts and figures. We must appreciate and value our rich traditions and legacy. I congratulate the entire team of ZEE LIVE for taking a strong step ahead in creating an interactive platform, enabling all of us to understand and cherish our culture.” Author Ashwin Sanghi also launched his book, Vishnu’s Vault, at the festival which was followed by a panel discussion on History and Mythology in Contemporary Narratives.
Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, who was also present at the event said, and are comfortable to wear since they offer best weight distribution and manufacturers typically add materials such as memory foam, leatherette and velour. Naturally, a large size means they aren’t easy to carry around. And they can be rather expensive to buy.
BLUETOOTH HEADPHONE
They’ve taken the audio market by storm in recent years and have emerged as a major factor to keep in mind while purchasing headphones.
One of their biggest advantages is the fact they obviously don’t need wires. The other is that lately, their sound quality has improved immensely. But yes, they have to be charged constantly (though
“India is the only country that has so many languages and dialects in each state and it is very important for all of us to safeguard them. It is very important to keep alive our culture. Arth — A Culture Fest is an attempt to educate the people, especially the youth, about the true “Arth” of our country. I urge the millennials to honour our ancient traditions, learn from it, and carry the values of our traditions ahead.” He further added, “When we talk about India’s culture, literature, music and traditions, news channels endorse the same for the future of the country. ZEE has already started this process, and I would like to thank them for organising such a meaningful event.”
The festival was brought case chargers have made that a tad bit easier for earbuds), need a decent signal and no interference to function to the best of their capacity, and there can be a compatibility issue when you use newer headphones with older phones or vice versa.
SPORTS HEADPHONES
These are supremely popular nowadays among fitness enthusiasts. The best ones are alive by performances of musical artist Bhai Manohar Singh, poet Kumar Vishwas, singers Shubha Mudgal and
It’s not enough to just know what kind of headphones you want. Its features have a huge role to play for you to get maximum use from the product. For that, you need to understand the jargons that one often hears in the audio world and make an informed choice accordingly.
Noise isolation: Typically found in in-ear headphones, it just means that the device lies between your ear canal and the sounds outside, thus blocking any noise from the surroundings.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): A product with ANC has tiny microphones in them that pick up outside sounds. Then, to cancel out that unwanted noise, the headphones produce the opposite sound wave. But its effectiveness varies from product to product, so do test the headphone before purchase.
Battery life: Should you opt for headphones that have Bluetooth or ANC capabilities, it is vital that its battery life be up to the mark. Or your headphone could just die on you, when you are in the middle of something important. usually wireless, sweatresistant and waterproof. They are ideal for those who need the accessory while running or biking. The ones with an open or semi-open design allow some sound to come in, so you can hear the traffic while on the move. This can, however, also be a deterrent since the device will not work well in extremely noisier environments.
Saradindu Mukherji, in conversation with Makarand Paranjape.
Whose Economy is it Anyway? with Meghnad Desai and Sanjeev Sanyal.
There Are Reasons To Be Happy: Mental Wellness in Today’s India with Shyam Bhat, Yogini Shambhavi in conversation with Vikram Sampath.
The Warp and Weft: The Grandeur of Indian Wear, by Shaina NC, Sundeep Bhutoria and Suvankar Sen in conversation with
Suram Nath, who enthralled the audience.
Collapsible ear cups: If you do decide to opt for on-ear or over-ear headphones, try to pick ones that fold. This is especially true if you plan to use them while you are outside the house. Collapsible ear cups are easier to store.
Water resistant: Your sweat during a workout or a run could potentially damage your headphones. So if you are going to use it in the gym or during any outdoor activity, ensure that it is waterresistant.
Built-in microphone/control module: If you will be using
Shefali Vaidya.
Men Whose Ideas Shaped India: Netaji, Swami Vivekananda & Savarkar by Anuj Dhar, Meghnad Desai, Makarand Paranjape and Vikram Sampath, in conversation with Shubhrastha.
Sahitya Se Cinema Tak: Literary Influence on Celluloid by Anant Vijay, Bhagwandas Morwal and Manoj Rajan Tripathi, in conversation with Arpit Vageria.
Happy For No Reason — Mandira Bedi in conversation with Satyadev Barman. the headphones when you commute, opt for one with a built-in microphone/control module. That way you will not have yourself pull out your phone to change the music track, answer calls, access Siri or Google Now.
Sealed and open headphones: While sealed headphones acoustically isolate your ears from your environment, open ones allow outside sound to be heard by the user. Bear in mind that an open design also means sound will be audible to anyone near the listener.
Durability: Unlike smartphones and tablets that become obsolete in as little as six months to a year, a good set of headphones can last you for as long as a decade. So invest in headphones that do not fall apart easily. Pay special attention to the earbuds or earpads since they are easily susceptible to wear and tear. Frequency response: Most headphones have a stated frequency response of around 20 to 20,000 Hz. This is same as the level of human hearing. So, unless you want to listen to a specific type of music only on your headphones, any headphone that offers this range is good enough.