Earphone Solutions Blog

Get the full music experience with earphones

Here at Earphone Solutions, we’re always on the lookout for the best earphones to ensure that you get the listening experience that you’ve always dreamed of. Whether you’re a runner, a student, or into meditation, you’ll be able to find the perfect headphones right here. But what about the music? We know that you’ve all got different music tastes—but some songs just sound so much better with earphones than they do over regular speakers. You can really get the full effect of stereo sound when the music is flowing directly into your ears through some of our quality earphones.

When bands go into the studio to record music, each instrument is recorded individually, and the tracks all get manipulated by the engineers. This is where the magic really happens, if you ask us. The engineers control which speaker (or speakers) will play each part. Some sounds will only come out of the left speaker, some out of the right, and some out of both. Stereo production is truly its own unique art form, and this art form is best appreciated with earphones. With that in mind, we thought we’d give you a quick rundown of some of our favorite “earphone tunes.”

Put on your earphones and listen to these cool tracks

• “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd. Pink Floyd really put a lot of thought into making sure their music had some excellent layers to it. You can really experience that on this track—but it’s all around the Pink Floyd discography. Long story short, Pink Floyd sounds great on earphones.
• “2112 Overture” by Rush. The same can really be said about Rush. There was so much progressive attention paid to the different channels and sounds that it can really only be appreciated through quality earphones.
• “Moving in Stereo” by The Cars. With a title like “Moving in Stereo,” would you expect anything less?
• “Crash Into Me” by the Dave Matthews Band. While we can all agree that DMB is best enjoyed live, listening to their music on your earphones is certainly a close second.

What are your favorite earphone songs?

Amp up your creativity with music in the office

Have you looked around modern office buildings these days? More and more often, workers are spending their days listening to their favorite tunes while they go about their business. For the younger generation, wearing headphones on the job is a great way to focus and tackle the tasks at hand. In some organizations, a good pair of earphones might be just as common as a box of pencils or a stack of sticky notes!

If you ask us, we’re all for it. Here at Earphone Solutions, we have a variety of high quality earphones that are designed to keep you comfortable and happy while you’re working. Many workplace headphone advocates believe that listening to music can help with concentration by blocking out distractions. Still others use their earphones as a sort of “do not disturb” sign while working away in their cubicles.

In fact, it’s been said that music can contribute to productivity. Listening to music can boost the level of dopamine in the brain; and that can help workers focus. So we say, wear those headphones!

Our top workplace headphones

Since you’ll be wearing them for a while, comfort is key when it comes to headphones in the workplace.

• The Shure SE535 metallic bronze headphones are comfortable, and they offer the sound quality that you’re looking for.
• Westone 2 Dual Driver earphones can really help you get your work done.
• Shure SE215 clear earphones offer extreme comfort with flush fit—and they’ll also fit nicely into your budget.

Tips for using your headphones in the workplace

No matter what your music is or how great your earphones are, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you’re using your earphones in the workplace.

• Keep your music at a moderate level, so you won’t disturb anyone else.
• When you’re speaking with someone, remove the headphones.
• To ensure that you don’t miss your phone ringing, put a visual alert on your office phone.

Spring brings with it a calming sense of renewal, where we all seem to really and truly have an extra “spring in our step” and an easy smile on our lips. We know that one of the benefits of choosing high-end earphones, like our Shure SE535 Earphones, is the ability to block out the sounds of our often-stressful reality, and focus on bringing about calm to ourselves through the tunes we’re listening to. This Spring, focus on adding a sense of calm to your life, no matter how loud you love to rock out to your earbuds!

#1: Block Out Stressors.

You might not be able to avoid everything that is unpleasant in your life, but you can take a step towards avoiding those overhead tunes in the office that just aren’t your taste, the loud voices of co-workers on the phone, or other people’s conversations as you commute back and forth via public transportation. Noise reducing earphones, like our Westone 4 Earphones, fit securely in your ear and have features that actually impede outside sound from interfering with your listening.

#2: Get Active.

It’s pretty ironic that getting into fast-moving activities like running, aerobics, yoga, cycling, and other fitness activities can actually calm you. Exercise truly does get the blood pumping and increases endorphins, which can bring about a sense of positivity and calmness. Get those sneakers on and get active!

#3: Bring Focus Back.

We’re constantly doing three things at once, meaning we focus on…none of them. Spend at least ten minutes each day focusing on just one activity. It could be as simple as enjoying a cup of tea with no distractions, or going to your local cinema and catching the newest flick. The focus should be on indulging yourself, and believe me – even the smallest of indulgences can make a world of difference!

#4: Plan a Vacation.

Studies have shown that the actual planning of a vacation is often just as rewarding as the vacation itself when it comes to reducing stress. Whether the vacation is a weeklong trip to island paradise, a weekend trip to a local beach, or simply a day off from work, take at least two weeks to plan the trip (or day off!) and think about all the fun activities you’ll partake in. Don’t forget to pack those Audeo PFE232 Earphones, of course!

Take back control of your life this Spring. The weather is getting warm, and even if life goes on as busy as it ever is, you’re taking control over feeling relaxed, no matter how many meetings are scheduled on your calendar. Listening to music you love is a great way to boost your mood – what are your Springtime picks to ease the mind and calm stress?

Let’s face it, we all lead busy lives, what with working at least eight hours each day, spending time with friends and family, and somehow finding time to do the activities we love. Leave the hard work of selecting the best earphones for different activities and interests to us, and go see The Hunger Games or another interest you enjoy! Here’s the start of our “best earphones for your lifestyle” blog post series to help you get right down to the ideal earphones you need to listen to your music the way it was meant to be heard.

Best Earphones For Running

The keys to excellent earphones for running come down to their ability to provide you with crisp sound to carry you through every step of your run, while staying comfortably within the ear. Say goodbye to the frustrating feeling of your earphones falling out!

Our Editor’s Choice picks:

• Shure SE535 Metallic Bronze In Ear Headphones
• Shure SE425 Chrome Earphones w/ Removable Cables
• Westone 4 Earphones

Earphones are an important investment, and we aim to take the guesswork out of earphone shopping via our “best earphones” for your lifestyle blog post series, so you can choose the best earphones for your lifestyle, and choose right the first time! Want the latest and greatest? Who doesn’t! Knock yourself out over our 2012 Best Earphones rankings, tested and rated by a panel of 12. Get back to doing the things you love while listening to the music you love – with the help of Earphone Solutions.

Ah, it’s our favorite time of the year again here at Earphone Solutions – our annual best earphones rankings! We’re not just in the earphones industry, we live and breathe all things music, and just like you, we want to test out what earphones will be the ones to transform that song we love from good to absolute concert-sound quality. Drum roll please, and the Best Earphones For 2012 go to…

The Crème de la Crème

Our best earphones for 2012 picks all produce exceptional sound quality, but there can be only one who takes the top spot – or so we thought! The Shure SE535 In Ear Earphones have consistently wowed our test participants and customers alike, but we’re proud to announce we had a three-way tie this year – Shure SE535 Earphones, Audeo PFE232 Earphones, and Westone 4R Earphones all secured our Editor’s Choice Award. These best earphones for 2012 are the reigning champions due to their dynamic sound quality, comfortable feel, and snug and secure fit inside the ear.

Deconstructing The Test

We don’t mess around when it comes to ranking the best earphones for 2012 – we gather 12 people, made up of Earphone Solutions staff members, friends, and family, with 8 males participating, and 4 females. We aim to make our rankings as unbiased as possible, and don’t reveal which earphone and earphone brand the tester is using until we’ve gathered all of their responses.

Each participant grades the earphones on the following criteria: sound clarity, sound quality, comfort, and ability to stay in the ear. We had each person listen to the following songs, allowing them to scroll through them at their leisure:

• Cello Concerto in A Minor
• Gymnopedie No.3
• Take Five (Dave Brubeck)
• It’s a Beautiful Day (U2)
• Paradise (Coldplay)
• Good Girl (Carrie Underwood)
• Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
• Feel So Close (Calvin Harris)
• Wild Ones (Flo Rida)
• What a Wonderful World ( Louis Armstrong)
• Shadow Days (John Mayer)
• Bully (Shinedown)

Our testers were excited to share their results, and we’re so proud to announce our Best Earphones For 2012! We’re certain you’ll be just as impressed as we are with the earphones that made the cut this year. Have you personally tested out any of these earphones yet? If so, share your experience by leaving a comment!