Is over-ear more comfortable than on ear?
Results: Over-ear headphones are typically the most comfortable design. They are easy to wear, usually well-padded and do not apply as much tension to your head as on-ear models.
The difference between over-ear and on-ear headphones
Because the ear cups are a lot larger than with on-ear headphones, it's less easy to take with you in your jacket or bag. Over-ear headphones don't press on your ears, so they're more comfortable to wear during a longer listening session.
Over-Ear Headphones: Which One is Better? There's no wrong choice, but if you value battery life and portability, on-ear headphones are probably the better choice. If you want slightly better audio quality, active noise cancellation, and don't mind heavier headphones, you should get an over-ear pair.
Whether it's on-ear or over-ear, the headphones will need to rest on the top of your head. If they don't have a proper or soft cushion, the crown of your head can become uncomfortable very quickly. Why should I avoid on-ear headphones? On-ear headphones are typically the worst of both worlds.
To make your headphones more comfortable, take some foam or other padding and stuff it under the ear pad, all the way around. This should increase the thickness of the pad, creating more space inside the cup for your ears. I used backer rod, though you could also try something a little more plush, such as cotton balls.
Headphones worn over or around the ear can cause pressure damage to the outside part of your ear, called the pinna. Bending or squeezing the delicate cartilage of the pinna under headphones can cause pain, and you run the risk of causing a skin abrasion that could get infected.
According to the researchers, children understand and remember what is being said much better when they listen with their right ear. Sounds entering the right ear are processed by the left side of the brain, which controls speech, language development, and portions of memory.
Left ear dominant (LED)
The left ear is generally more sensitive in picking up sound frequency modulations, such as music and singing. The left ear is rarely the dominant one.
On-ear headphones – Cons
There are some disadvantages to this design, though. On-ear headphones might pack a punch if you compare them against regular earbuds, but because they don't seal in your ears completely, the quality might be just OK, and in terms of sound isolation, they tend to leak a lot.
- Best Overall, Over-ear: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless at Amazon. ...
- Best Overall, Earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at Amazon. ...
- Best Budget, Over-ear: Anker Soundcore Life Q35 Wireless at Amazon. ...
- Best Budget, Earbuds: ...
- Easiest Set-up, Over-ear: ...
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- Best Settings, Over-ear: ...
- Best Settings, Earbuds:
Why do people wear over-ear headphones?
Over-ear headphones are for people who want to totally immerse themselves in their listening or don't like the feeling of earbuds in their ears. The larger drivers, compared with those in earbuds, generally allow over-ear pairs to produce better sound than comparably priced in-ear models.
Tighten the band until the ear cups are resting on your ears, but the band is tight enough on your head to keep them from moving around. Ideally, the ear cups should not be applying much pressure on your ears at all, though it's difficult to avoid by the very nature of the design.
Cushioning and Headbands
Thicker ones are more comfortable, but they could put a bit of a squeeze around your ears. For on-ear headphones, the amount of cushioning is directionally proportional to comfort. Either way, it takes wearing the headphones to know. The cushioning material makes a difference, too.
Earbuds that fit snugly and snuff out external sounds, over-ear headphones that seal around your ear, and any listening device with noise canceling technology are all good options. The best thing to do is to be mindful of the noise around you, Dr. Portnuff said, and how it's affecting the sound reaching your ears.
“As a rule of thumb, you should only use MP3 devices at levels up to 60% of maximum volume for a total of 60 minutes a day,” says Dr. Foy. “The louder the volume, the shorter your duration should be. At maximum volume, you should listen for only about five minutes a day.”
Over-the-ear headphones are a much better choice than earbuds. Not only do you not have to worry about funneling sound directly into your eardrums, but most over-the-ear headphones are also, as a general rule, more comfortable to wear than earbuds.
Because of how the brain's neural network is organized, the left half of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the left ear is more directly connected to the right side of the brain.
- Applause.
- Baby laughing.
- Thunder.
- Water flowing.
Sleep position
Rest with your head on two or more pillows, so your affected ear is higher than the rest of your body. Or if your left ear has an infection, sleep on your right side. Less pressure equals less ear pain. It could be effective, though a few inches may not make a big difference in pressure measurement.
The conclusion that might be drawn from this study is that the left ear (right hemisphere) is more involved in emotional processing than the right ear (left hemisphere), especially for right-handed people.
Why do I prefer my right ear?
A well-known asymmetry in humans is the right ear dominance for listening to verbal stimuli, which is thought to reflect the brain's left hemisphere superiority for processing verbal information. This preference for hearing with the right ear is also found in rats, Japanese macaques, harpy eagles, sea lions and dogs.
Over-the-ear headphones are a much better choice. Not only do you not have to worry about funneling sound directly into your eardrums, but most over-the-ear headphones are also, as a general rule, more comfortable to wear than earbuds.
On-ear headphones are lighter than their over-ear counterparts and that can make all the difference during a workout. The lightweight materials used to manufacture them also mean that they're easier to carry to and from the gym. They have an open sound making on-ear headphones safer for working out in.
Over-ear headphones are for people who want to totally immerse themselves in their listening or don't like the feeling of earbuds in their ears. The larger drivers, compared with those in earbuds, generally allow over-ear pairs to produce better sound than comparably priced in-ear models.
Headphones worn over or around the ear can cause pressure damage to the outside part of your ear, called the pinna. Bending or squeezing the delicate cartilage of the pinna under headphones can cause pain, and you run the risk of causing a skin abrasion that could get infected.
“I'd be cautious of how loud your volume is and how they fit,” advises Dr. Pavlovich Ruff. “I normally don't recommend wearing headphones to bed, but if you have over-the-ear headphones or the headband style, that's better for you than in-ear styles. Using an external speaker would be best.”
| Product | Comfort | Release Year |
|---|---|---|
| EarFun Air Pro 3 True Wireless | 7.5 | 2023 |
| Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Truly Wireless | 7.5 | 2021 |
| Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless | 7.5 | 2021 |
| Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless | 7.5 | 2022 |
Most over-ear headphones aren't designed to fit securely enough to stay in place while training and make you sweat more than usual. Regularly working out with them could also result in issues not covered by the manufacturer's warranty, so take extra care if you decide to use them while working out or running.
On-ear headphones – Cons
There are some disadvantages to this design, though. On-ear headphones might pack a punch if you compare them against regular earbuds, but because they don't seal in your ears completely, the quality might be just OK, and in terms of sound isolation, they tend to leak a lot.
| Rating | Back design | |
|---|---|---|
| HIFIMAN Edition XS Best planar-magnetic | 4.4 | Open-back |
| Bose QuietComfort 45 Comfiest Bose | 4.6 | Closed-back |
| Treblab Z7 Pro | 4.0 | Closed-back |
| Meze 99 Classics Most unique | 4.6 | Closed-back |
Do over-ear headphones cause earwax?
A build-up of ear wax is also likely if you wear earphones frequently – they stop the wax from coming out of the ear canals naturally and can cause a wax blockage. If your ears become blocked, you are more likely to develop an ear infection.