It is easy to make a lot of mistakes when you’re shopping for headphones and microphones.
The biggest problem is that people don’t know the difference between microphone and headphone amplifiers.
The 3 types of headphone amplifiers
There are three different types of headphone amplifiers:
- Tube
- Preamp
- Solid-state
Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.
In this article, I’ll explain the differences between the three types of headphones and microphones.
First, let’s look at tube amplifiers.
Tube head phones usually have the buffering problem mentioned above.
A buffered headphone is one in which the sound is saved by a mechanism that is similar to a valve used in electronic musical keyboards.
Some tube headphones use tubes that are relatively small.
These smaller tubes are used because they eliminate the need for feedback.
This means that there’s no “wobble” when the audio passes over the tube.
Because of this, tube audio amplifiers have a better power quality than solid-state units.
And although solid-state tubes are more expensive, they have less distortions than their tube counterparts.
The difference between microphones and headphones
A microphone is simply a way to get the sound from one source (your ear) to another (the speakers).
You can also use a microphone to alter the sound from one source to another (for instance, your voice can be higher or lower as opposed to talking normally).
As far as microphones go, there’s a lot more variety than you might think.
If you want to change the way the sound sounds from your ears are transmitted to the speakers, then you probably want a microphone.
On the other hand, a microphone is just a mechanism that allows you to capture the sound you hear in a different manner.
The difference between a headset microphone and headphones is that the latter captures the sound without the aid of a speaker.
Headsets on the other hand capture the sound directly and translate it into electrical signals that your computer can use.
Common types of microphones
One of the most common types is called a diaphragm microphone.
Other commonly used types are called capsules, cardioid microphones, omnidirectional microphones and piezoelectric microphones.
The difference between these microphone types lies primarily in their mechanism and in how they handle sound.
For example, a cardioid microphone takes in the sound from each speaker and “bends” the sound waves to come out as one signal.
Headphones using this kind of microphone produce a smoother tone and are known for their quality.
Another common type is a capsule microphone, which uses an electric capsule to achieve the desired effect.
This capsule captures all the reflections and noise within the sound wave and distributes it in such a way that the resulting sound is consistent.
Some headphones have a recording feature
There’s still another main difference when it comes to the two types of microphones.
Since the transmission of sound waves requires an amplifier to accomplish the task, headphone users need a much larger signal amplifier than their microphone users do.
This is why headphones often come with a preinstalled sound card that requires an active amplifier for it to operate properly.
So, that brings us to the next question.
Is there any difference between microphone and headphone sound quality?
And the answer to this is yes.
What do the different types of microphone offer?
Dynamic microphones are usually found in a studio setting.
They work by capturing the “alive” sound of the surrounding environment and by amplifying it.
Because they are capturing the sound of the surroundings, dynamic microphones tend to wash out certain sounds.
However, if the studio is being used for other purposes, they can be used effectively.
Condenser microphones are the third type of microphone, we’re going to look at.
These are best used in recording situations where there isn’t a great deal of ambient noise.
However, they tend to produce a tinny or distorted sound, which makes for a dull and lifeless recording.
In order to counteract this, a condenser microphone should be used in conjunction with dynamic mics.
Can headphones be used as a microphone?
This is one of the more popular technological advances in audio electronics.
Many of us are now able to listen to our favorite music from any position, and do so without having to hold or carry around speakers, microphones, or any other equipment.
Not only is this great for situations where there aren’t any other options, but it’s also ideal for those of us with busy lives that can’t get enough of our favorite hobbies, or activities.
Headphones have come a long way in recent years
They have gone from being basic around-the-ear pieces to highly advanced devices that can be worn to enhance your listening experience.
In this day and age, they can be used to enhance nearly any sound, including speech.
The advancement of this technology is amazing, and it’s changing the way we hear and experience music.
There are several reasons why you might be interested in this technology.
The advantages of headphones
To begin with, if you want to increase the quality of your audio, headphones offer you that ability.
With a typical headset or earbud, you’re limited to just your own noise.
That’s fine if you don’t need any better quality sound than you already have.
But, with the advancements in the latest headsets, some of them offer up to 16-sounding speakers so that the audio is much more balanced and well-rounded.
How about if you need to record audio remotely?
This is another example of why can headphones be used as a microphone.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re recording an interview with somebody else.
You can’t actually be right there in front of the person and have their attention, so you need to record using headphones – a hands-free option that eliminates the need for a microphone.
The use of headphones as a microphone has also been demonstrated in studies.
One group had a group of volunteers read a script.
Then, all the while they were being monitored via a video camera.
At the end, the researchers noted how accurate the volunteer’s pronunciations were when asked to read a script.
When the same group tried to do the same thing without the use of headphones, their accuracy fell far below the level of the audio recording.
This proves that the audio quality of a recording is much more important than its ability to be heard by the listener.
What are stage microphones?
Do you ever notice that there are always two microphones on stage at concerts, and sometimes even at other times?
These are called stage microphones and commonly used by sound engineers to obtain the best quality in their recordings.
Headphones are basically small microphones that are worn in the ears.
This means that it captures the sound waves, rather than just transmitting them.
These kinds of microphones can pick up a lot of sound vibrations and transmit them to the speakers for playback.
The last point I will mention is that many headphones come with an input jack that can be used as an audio input source.
Some headphones have very tiny audio jacks that are difficult for you to see.
Others simply make use of a traditional RCA input jack.
Either way, these headphones can be used as input sources to allow other audio devices to be connected.
Headphones have the ability to be used as mics
Now that you have read this brief article, hopefully you have learned a bit more about the subject of can headphones be used as a microphone.
Headphones are great because they eliminate the background sounds from the environment which makes it easier to hear the human voice.
In addition, headphones can pick up sounds from elsewhere and transmit them to the speakers or recording monitor for playback.
Finally, headphones can provide a cardioid option with cardioid microphones being better at picking up low frequency sounds.
All in all, I would suggest using headphones when you are performing as they can eliminate a lot of problems.
How to use headphones and mic at the same time?
How to use headphones and mic in the same machine is a question that bewilders most of the people.
Headphones and microphones are two different things and thus cannot be used in one machine.
Headphones are meant to receive the sound from the source and provide the sound.
Microphone is there to provide the audio input to any device.
It is obvious that one cannot use headphones and mic at the same time.
However, you can use it as a virtual mixing or recording instrument.
Why do we need both microphones and headphones?
Are they not used for the same purpose?
The answer is yes and no.
A microphone is needed for capturing audio and a headphone is required to hear that sound.
A microphone captures the sound and transmits it to the headphones, which enables the user to hear that sound.
There are many types of audio recording devices
These can be plug ins, tape machines, record and play cassette tapes, phonograph, digital and computer based recording software.
Each type of audio recording device has some advantages and disadvantages.
The disadvantage of using electronic-based software is that if your computer crashes, the audio file is not saved and you have to start from the installation of the software again.
This can be a tedious process and it is not safe to save your valuable work.
You have to connect the headphones to the microphone
After this, you can transfer the recorded audio to your computer.
The advantage of this method is that you do not need to use any hardware or software to transfer the sound.
The disadvantage of this method is that the quality of sound is lower than when you use the microphone and speakers together.
If you are planning to use headphones and mic in the same room, it is recommended to use stereo headphones.
If you do not have this kind of headphone, you should invest in a good one.
The design of the headphones should fit your ears
If your headphones are not comfortable to wear, the sound will not be as crisp and accurate.
You should only transfer the recorded audio to your personal computer when you are done with it.
When you want to edit the sounds, you should disconnect the headphones and play them back in your favorite music player.
This is important because the volume of the software could be very high depending on the quality of the recording.
It is recommended to use headphones and mic to capture the sound of an interview instead of microphones directly connected to the computer.
What is the job of a microphone?
Mics tend to pick up static and background noises which affects the quality of the recorded sound.
Transferring the sound to your computer with headphones and it could also be helpful if you want to edit out parts of the recording that are unnecessary.
The software that you use to edit should also support multiple audio tracks.
Editing software for recording should have a feature wherein you can edit different tracks at the same time.
Conclusion
When working on a project that requires audio recording and you are using headphones, you should turn the volume down while recording.
This is because headphones will pick up any sound within the range of the speakers.
The volume of the headphones should be lower than the microphone to avoid feedback that will affect the sound quality of the recording.
The quality of the headphones and microphone should also be compared if you are on a budget.
There are several brands available today in the market so comparing the features and prices would not be hard.
