Headphone Advice from A Podcaster

Not a podcaster? No worries! This isn’t a “best headphones for podcasting review”. This is more of a “what style of headphones is right for you” review! Earbuds, earphones, noise-canceling…yada yada. People expect that us podcasters are experts in the field though, so I thought I’d give you my “expert” opinions.

I’ve used a lot of different types of headphones in my day as I’m sure many of us who existed pre Air Pods have. I’ve also come to the conclusion that there isn’t a unicorn pair for everything (for me anyway) and my Jane of All Trades antics. I’m going to cut to the chase now and tell you what I use and why. Maybe a single pair will work for you and you’ll find your match here. Or, you won’t feel so bad about having a few pairs floating around like myself!

The Trendy Style

I know some of you may be team wired headphones, so we’ll start with my over-the-ear pair, as this pair does have aux cord capability. This style is definitely not for everyone and I mostly use them for recording or when traveling via plane. I went through a short phase a few years back of trying to be a trendy gym girlie wearing the big ass headphones while working out. I quickly found out ears sweat too and I sweat enough so, not the environment for me. Also, they fall off your head if you got a bobbly one like me!

I took a break from this style for a while until I started podcasting. I also like the option when traveling because earbuds fall out of my ears so easily and it’s really awkward looking for the escaped bud in a snug plane.

There are lots of good options out there, as I mentioned this is less of a “buy this brand” review and more of a “this style is for you” blog. I have the Skull Candy Crusher Evo. They are really comfortable on the ear and don’t feel like there is any weird pressure points. The biggest downfall is they are not noise-canceling. I will admit this was a decision I made purely on style. This Burton collab was calling to me!!! I couldn’t pass them up, so I ignored the non ANC fact and bought them. I don’t regret it, but I realllllyyyy wish they were ANC!!

Key Features:

• 40 Hours of Battery + Rapid Charge: 10 min = 4 hrs
• USB C charging
• AUX cable
• Controls on the headphones for volume
• Auto ConnectBluetooth® v5.0
• Flat-Folding & Collapsible Design
• Built-in Tile™ Finding Technology
• Skullcandy App Compatibility for personalized sound

Recommended For:

Those who have a hard time finding earbuds that stay in or aren’t doing high intensity activity (come after me, gym girlies, I said it). Though over the ear does block out a fair amount of sound, I would 100% recommend a noise canceling pair though, especially for travel. If you love bass, these deliver great sound!

To Hear, Or Not To Hear

Next up, the Jaybird Vista 2 earbuds. These are what you think of as a traditional wireless earbud. They come with 3 different sizes of ear gels so you can hopefully find a great fit! Personally, even with the smallest gels, they still pop out of my ears.

I do prefer using them in the gym however being that they are noise canceling. I do have to be mindful of what I’m doing though so one doesn’t go bouncing along the treadmill (luckily, I hate running, especially inside).

They have a tech called, SurroundSense, which allows you to double tap the bud and switch from ANC to this mode and let ambient sound in. This can be helpful in situations where you want to hear what’s going on around you like when road running or cycling. These mode feels some what echo-y to me though, and I never use it.

Key Features:

• 24-hour battery life (Play Time: 8 Hrs (give or take) + 16 Hrs in the case)
• Charging Time: 2 Hrs
• Quick Charge: 5 min = 1 hour play time
• Active Noise Cancellation
• SurroundSense – let ambient sound in when you need/want
• Personalized sound and “find my buds” ability with the Jaybird app
• Earthproof Durability – IP68 & military-spec ratings for protection against dust, water, sweat, and drops. (Wireless charging case is rated IP54).

Recommended For:

Those who want the option for ANC or enjoy a true wireless earbud fit. I switch between these or my over the hear headphones when traveling since they are ANC. I also prefer to use these when I am working in a noisy environment like a coffeeshop and need to concentrate, queue the Spotify Focus Flow playlist.

Open to Feedback

Finally, we have the Shokz OpenFit earbuds. I am absolutely obsessed with these. These are an “open ear” design so they don’t sit in your ear canal. Which means they are not noise-canceling, so if that’s a non-negotiable for you, these will be out. I love these because I can have them on and pay attention to what’s going on around me. I also forget they are there because they don’t sit in my ear.

I wear them anytime I don’t need/want ANC. Biking, walking the dogs, working from home when I’m not home alone, you name it. They fit nicely under hats too, which I wear a lot of! Biggest flaw, they don’t have buttons. They are purely touch and I find the touch controls extremely finicky and annoying, thus I tend to use my phone to stop/play and volume. Not ideal if your phone is tucked away, say while biking.

Key Features

• Battery life: 7 hours (charging case extends the earbuds to 28 hrs)
• Charging Time: 1Hr
• Quick Charge: 5 min = 1 hour play time
• Multipoint pariing: easily switch from one device to another
• IP54 water-resistance rating
• EQ customization through the Shokz app

Recommended For:

Folks who don’t need ANC. They are also great for those of use who don’t like things in their ears. It did take a bit for me to get used to wearing these and they hurt a little when on for long periods of time at first. But after awhile that went away and I honestly forget I have them on sometimes.

So, what’s right for you?

Take all these features into account and think about what you’ll need or use your headphones for most. I envy people who can survive with one pair, but as you’ll gather from most of my reviews, that’s not really the case for me with anything! Maybe I am a little high maintenance after all 😉