What Are Headphones?

Date First Published: 26th August 2023

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Hardware

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Easy

Difficulty Level: 3/10

CONTENTS

How Do Headphones Work?
Parts Of Headphones
Types Of Headphones
History

Learn about what headphones are in this article.

Headphones are an output device worn in or around the ears that connect to the speaker port of a computer, laptop, smartphone, MP3 player, or by Bluetooth. They allow one person to listen to audio without disturbing other people. This is unlike speakers, which generate sound in the open air that can be heard by anyone nearby.

How Do Headphones Work?

Like speakers, headphones work by converting electromagnetic waves into sound waves. The speakers receive a digital audio signal from a computer and convert it into an analogue signal. The analogue electronic waves are then amplified into sound waves that can be heard by the listener. Since sound waves are always produced in analogue form, digital speakers need to convert the digital input into an analogue signal before generating the sound waves.

However, headphones generate different output than speakers. Instead of generating enough amplitude for the sound to be heard from nearby, headphones only need to generate the sound waves a few millimetres to the ears. This means that headphone components are much smaller than speaker components and the close proximity to the ears can make the volume very loud.

Parts Of Headphones

The main parts of headphones are:

Speakers - These provide sound to each ear. Usually, higher-quality headphones provide a more clear sound to the listener.
Cushions - These are soft pads made out of foam that cover the speaker box of each headphone. These cushions help reduce outside noise, prevent them from sliding around, and help comfort when wearing them for long periods of time.
Headband - A piece of plastic that is usually cushioned and runs across the top of the head to hold the headphones in place.
Cable - A long wire that runs from one side of the headphones to a computer or other device. It transfers audio from the computer to the headphone speakers.

Types Of Headphones

The main types of headphones are:

In-ear - These are smaller headphones that fit into the ear canal and contain rubber ends to block out noise and help comfort.
Earbuds - These are a type of earphones that rest inside the edge of the ear.
On-ear - These rest on the ear, but don't surround the whole ear.
Over-ear - These surround the whole ears.
Noise-cancelling - These block out unwanted sounds using active noise control. They contain a microphone that detects external sounds and sends the opposite waveform to the ears. These types of headphones are useful in noisy environments.

History

By the 1880s, soon after the invention of the telephone, telephone switchboard operators began to use head apparatuses to mount the telephone receiver. The receiver was mounted on the head by a clamp which held it next to the ear. The switchboard operator's hands were freed by the head mount, allowing them to quickly connect the wires of the telephone callers and receivers. A "headphone" is the singular noun for the head-mounted telephone receiver. Unlike modern headphones, these head-mounted phone receivers only had one earpiece.

By the 1890s, a listening device with two earpieces, which was not mounted on the head, was developed by the British company Electrophone. The device created a listening system through the phone lines that allowed the customer to connect to live feeds of performances at theatres and opera houses across London. Subscribers to the service could listen to the performance using a pair of massive earphones that connected below the chin and were held by a long rod.