how to split audio between speakers and headphones

And like all circuitry, it has some degree of hiss and even some digital processing artifacts. It doesn't work as well at removing speech or other rapidly changing sounds.īecause this is an electronic process, noise cancellation circuitry requires a battery to function. It works best on steady low-frequency noise below 1000Hz or so-for example, the drone of aircraft engines, or the hum of a ventilation system. Some of the real noise is cancelled out by the mirror image inverse noise. That noise signal is fed into an electronic circuit that analyzes it and creates a mirror image of the noise, then adds the noise back into the music signal. In each earcup, there's a microphone that samples the ambient noise near the ear. Noise cancellation is an electronic process. Noise-cancelling earphones are superior to Sound Isolating™ earphones.įalse. One isn't better than the other they are simply different.

That's one of the reasons that they're popular in professional applications: they can provide what some users feel is a more natural sound. Music listeners use them in quiet environments-at their desks or in their homes-to achieve a listening experience that some describe as 'in the world around me' as opposed to 'in my head.' They're looking for an open, airy, spatial feel that isn't as isolating as closed-back headphones. Open-back headphones allow sound to pass through the ear cups. The biggest difference between open-back and closed-back or semi-closed-back headphones is isolation. The 'right' way to listen to or hear music is completely dependent on the preferences of the listener. Open-back headphones are strictly for mastering and mixing.įalse. Sound is a very personal thing. Loud sounds (high SPLs) won't necessarily damage the product, but excessively high electrical signals can.Įxposure to sounds above 85 decibels (SPL) can cause permanent damage to your hearing, so please listen at safe volumes.ģ. The amount of electrical signal required to damage the product is higher than the distortion point. That's the point where the product stops increasing in volume and becomes more distorted. Earphones and headphones can be damaged by loud sounds.įalse. A headphone or earphone can put out dangerous sound pressure levels (SPLs) before hitting its breakdown volume.

That is not only well out of the range of human hearing, but also says nothing about what happens between those two frequencies. Our ears are most sensitive between 100Hz and 10kHz, so the relative amount of energy that a headphone produces throughout this range is much more important than what happens ≤20Hz or ≥20kHz. A frequency range is supposed to state the lowest and highest frequency produced by a headphone. The normal range of human hearing is approximately 20Hz to 20kHz. Some specs go WAY past that- like 5Hz to 50kHz- which is incredibly misleading. The earphones and headphones with the widest frequency range sound best.įalse.

How to split audio between speakers and headphones