In-Ear Headphones

In-ear headphones — isolation, bass and ANC

In-ear headphones have silicone tips (eartips) that enter and seal the ear canal — passive isolation dampens the surroundings even without ANC. Deeper insertion means stronger bass and better sound separation.

In-ear vs earbuds — key differences

• Isolation — in-ear headphones passively reduce ambient noise by 15-25 dB, earbuds provide virtually none
• Bass — sealing the ear canal = deeper low tones
• ANC — active noise cancellation available only in in-ear models (requires isolation to work)
• Comfort — rubber tips may become uncomfortable after 2-3 hours. Solution: swap them for memory foam tips

What to look out for

• Included tips — minimum 3 sizes (S/M/L). Poorly fitted tip = weak isolation and falling out
• ANC — if you commute by public transport or work in a noisy office
• Codecs — aptX and LDAC for better sound quality (check compatibility with your phone)
• Battery life — 5-8h standalone + 25-35h with charging case

Brands at homescreen.pl: Baseus (Bowie, Eli), QCY (T20, HT07), Usams, Dudao, BlitzWolf, Havit, Haylou, Joyroom, Ugreen (HiTune). From PLN 25 for budget models to PLN 200 for models with ANC and LDAC.

Prefer comfort without rubber tips? Earbuds. Biggest sound? Over-ear. Sport? Open-ear.