The Disadvantages of Using Bass Headphones

Everyone loves a heavy bass, especially if the sound fills a room and moves everything, including furniture. Concert halls around the world were designed to capture the raw sounds of percussion, strings, and trumpets in complete harmony. Modern headphone design tries to duplicate that sound and funnel it into just two ears. A neat trick if it could really be done, but there are some trade-offs. Using bass headphones may not be one of them.

The idea of ​​capturing the lows has gotten a boost from gamers who like room-shaking bangs and explosions; but there may still be some problems.

low to low

Most wireless headphones that use noise-canceling technology block out the bass better than the highs. But if the bass is amplified with a strong bass, then the overall effect becomes heavy. Continued use will provide the user with less and less satisfaction.

Distortion

Any time you change the original electronically, distortion becomes a factor. The original instruments in concert and the master created by the engineers are first generation when played through loudspeakers. If the recording is then sent through headphones, the same distortion occurs. With bass headphones the tops are lost and that pure sound is now something else.

Hearing loss

Of course, the most obvious problem with any kind of headphones, earplugs, or amplified speakers is that the cumulative effect of high volume can impair hearing even in the largest of ears. The human hearing range is between 15 Hz and 20,000 Hz; anything below or beyond is beyond our reach. Deliberately boosting the bass can contribute to loss in the low end.

Use is the key

If you only have one pair of wired or wireless headphones, it may not be wise to use one bass headphone for everything. The recordings or sounds you use them for, be it vocals, sound effects, or acoustic guitar riffs, each require a frequency range. If the frequency is modified to suit bass headphones, then the use of sound effects for gamers or the treble in a string quartet will no doubt be out of the question.

So the key is to buy separate headphones for special use and a general pair for everything else. Narrow down the field by reviewing the specs before trying a pair. It’s the same professional audio technical engineer you use to sort through the myriad of options.