How Do Headphones Work?

In this ice age, it’s quite common to see people wearing headphones while swimming, commuting, cycling, studying, working, trekking, and other activities. They have now become one of our basic needs in our daily lives. But have you ever thought about how these miniature loudspeakers work? Anyway, in this article, we have covered all the aspects related to headphones including their working, advantages, disadvantages, and how to care for them.

When it comes to headphones, many electronic manufacturing companies are launching headphones in various models, sizes, shapes, fit types of headphones, features, and brands with varying price tags into the market these days. Let’s delve into the article to explore more. 

How do Headphones Work?

Headphones are tiny speakers that produce sound by vibrating air with an electromagnet. 

Anyways before getting in-depth, it’s very important to know the components that go into headphones to find out how they work. Try discovering any broken headphones (or) take headphones and dismantle them carefully so that the inner components are preserved.

These are all the things that make up your headphones.

Now getting back to the working process of headphones, here it is.

• In conceptual terms, headphones function similarly to speakers and the opposite of microphones. They convert electrical energy into sound by vibrating the air, which generates sound.
• The digital audio signals are stored in the device as 0s and 1s.
• This digital data is converted into electrical signals via the DAC when you press the play button.
• Finally, the electrical signals are sent via your headphones’ wires and into the headphones themselves.
• Once the electrical signals travel through the cables and into your headphones, it reaches the driver unit.

[Note: If you’re not sure about the type of driver employed in your headphones, consider as dynamic. This is because nearly all headphones use dynamic drivers.]

• The driver unit essentially consists of three parts to work, including a permanent magnet, electromagnetic coils, and a diaphragm.
• The electrical signals are now sent to the electromagnet, which rapidly alters its polarity depending on the pattern sent or the sounds being reproduced.
• Once the polarity of the electromagnet changes, it is repelled and attracted to the permanent magnet swiftly, causing it to vibrate.
• The electromagnet is linked to the diaphragm, the air surrounding the diaphragm starts to vibrate and produces sound as soon as the electromagnet vibrates.
• And that’s it, this is the way how the sound is generated and transmitted within your headphones.

How do Bluetooth Headphones Work?

There isn’t much of a difference between standard wired headphones and wireless (or) Bluetooth headphones. Their working process is almost the same. Essentially, Bluetooth headphones employ wireless technology to receive audio signals from an audio device. Moreover, most Bluetooth headphones come with intelligent features like voice control, playback, and information exchange through the Piconet network. 

Here are the key steps involved in understanding how they work.

• Firstly, establish a Piconet network with your audio device. In order to enjoy music over your Bluetooth headphones, you must pair and synchronize your audio device with the headset.
• Once after pairing, the audio signals are sent to the headphones via Bluetooth (or) wireless connectivity.
• The headphones will receive these audio signals via an integrated Bluetooth receiver.
• After receiving the audio signals they must be converted into analog form. Here emerges the main difference between standard headphones and Bluetooth ones.
• Usually, the standard headphones use DAC which is present either in your phone (or) computer to convert digital audio signals to analog signals.
• Whereas, Bluetooth headphones have an integrated DAC for converting the digital audio data i.e. 0s and 1s into analog audio signals. The digital data is sent through a Bluetooth radio to a chip in your headphones.
• Now the converted analog audio signals are sent to a headphone amplifier to bring the signal to a voltage level that can effectively drive the drivers.
• The headphone driver unit then converts the analog audio signals into sound which we hear in headphones.

How to Maintain Headphones?

Your effort does not end with purchasing your favorite headphones; it is important to properly maintain them in order to get the most out of them.

• Always make sure that the headphones are clean and tidy, clean them with a dry and soft cloth to remove dirt and dust.
• Typically, some headphones have wires which can be tangled easily, untangle them carefully since the wiring may get damaged (or) broken. 
• Don’t use any sharp objects like needles (or) pins to clean the dust within the earcup holes. Try using blunt pointed objects. 
• Don’t use headphones for an extended time, as this results in the formation of sweat and moisture which might enter into the earbuds damaging the internal components.
• Charge the Bluetooth headphones and earbuds on a regular basis since draining the entire battery may affect on the lifecycle. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, this is how the headphones work. We hope by now you got a clear picture of the working process of your headphones. There is a lot of science and an astonishing amount of engineering that goes into these little devices, right from the creation of the driver that generates sound waves to the complex circuitry that amplifies and controls the output. Of course, it’s true that every fit type will come with its own benefits and downsides, irrespective of all these it is clear that they have become more than just a simple accessory for listening to music.

As technology advances it will be interesting to see how headphones advance and harness the power of sound in coming years. However, it is a fact that the sound quality is greatly impacted by the headphones you choose. Pick the right one and enjoy your playlist.

Headphones – FAQs