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Sound Unleashed: Your Guide to Setting Up New Headphones

You’ve just bought yourself wonderful new headphones and can’t wait to begin to enjoy it. First, congratulations on your purchase. However, to ensure that you get the very best out of it, there are a few things you should know and possibly, do.

Headphones have long transcended the basic ear cans that were simply small speakers for the ear. Today, we have products that feature the best of technological advancements, delivering previously unthinkable outputs. In most cases though, you can only get the best from your headphones if you use it properly. Thankfully, this is what we will be focusing on in this guide.

Unboxing and Initial Inspection

Having taken possession of your new baby, there’s the temptation to quickly rip through the packaging to get to the good stuff. However, you should temper your excitement so you can unbox it the right way.

Unboxing Airpods e1699230010693

It’s always important to carefully open the packages for any new gear you receive. There are a number of reasons why this is important and we will list a few:

  1. Should you need to return the product due to a defect or any other reason, the manufacture will demand that it be returned in its original packaging. If, however, you’ve already destroyed it, you will no longer be able to return it.
  2. Carefully unboxing any gear makes it easier for you to see all the different pieces included in the package. If you tear the packaging up and fling them everywhere, you may just fling away an important piece along with the rest of the packaging.

These two reasons should be enough to show you why you should be careful while unpacking any new gear you purchase.

To unbox your new headphones, we recommend these steps:

  1. Take note of all the items that should be included in the package before you begin to open it.
  2. Carefully unwrap the packaging, taking care not to damage the main package.
  3. Remove the content of the package one after the other, matching them against the list of items you noted in step 1 above.
  4. Carefully check for any additional items that the manufacturer may have included as a bonus gift. Pay particular attention to your owner’s certificate with your products serial number. This will be important if your manufacturer requires that you register the product to qualify for support and other owner benefits.
  5. Inspect the item for defects. If you notice any defects at this point, careful repack everything, ready to return it, unless you decide that you don’t mind the defects.
  6. With all the items laid out and accounted for, pick up the user manual/guide and begin to study it.

The User Manual

This is one item in packages that a lot of folks don’t pay close attention to. While we understand that some manuals leave a lot to be desired, it is always a good practice to go through it or at least refer to it as you set your new headphones up.

The user manual is the manufacturer’s guide to you, the user, and should therefore not be discarded. Many users have encountered avoidable issues just because they felt they could figure things out without the manual. This is even more critical with the speed at which technology is advancing these days.

Treat the manual as an essential document and ensure that you keep it in a safe place. You never know when you will have a need to reference it.

Setting Up Your New Headphones

Setting up new headphones

Okay, let’s now get down to the main business of the day. Setting up your headphone for use is not a one-size-fits-all guide. How you will setup your headphone will depend on the type it is.

Given the above, we will quickly look at the most common types of headphones and then discuss how to set each of them up. To make it easier to address, we will loosely classify them into 4 groups.

Ear Buds and IEMs (In Ear Monitors)

These are now common, with most mobile phone users preferring its compact design to the bulkier variations. Ear buds, like Apple’s airpods, are usually wireless, connecting to the media source via Bluetooth. These are usually used for recreational listening rather than professional applications.

To setup up the ear bud, you should ensure that you know its name because that is how you will identify it from the list of available Bluetooth devices on your media source. Make sure that your media source is Bluetooth enabled and the Bluetooth function turned on.

Search for your ear bud’s name on the list of available Bluetooth devices on your media device and pair the two. In many cases, the left and right ear buds will connect automatically once one is successfully paired and connected to the media source.

IEMs on the other hand are often wired and used for monitoring sound in noisy environments. This is why they are mostly used by musicians on stage and broadcasters while live on set.

You can actually use the IEM by simply plugging the 1/8 (jack) TRS plug into the playing device. In some other cases, you may need a headphone amplifier to help boost the volume of the audio, especially if the media source has a line level audio output.

On Ear and Over Ear Headphones (Open Back & Closed Back)

Most of these kinds of headphones do not require any special setup. All you need to do is plug it into your media source and put the cups, on or over your ears. You just need to pay attention to which is the left of right speaker. This will be addressed a bit later in this article.

If your new headphones have any other special functions, then you will need to carefully follow the instructions in the user manual. This will help you get the most from them.

Noise Canceling Headphones

Noise cancelling headphones use a special technology to cancel external noise by trying to replicate the same frequencies so they cancel out. With headphones like these, you would have to switch on this ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) function. When you do not need it, you power it off.

How exactly you will do this will differ from product to product. This is why you should pay close attention to the user manual that comes with your headphone. In many cases, you can toggle this function on and off by holding or tapping on the power button. Read the manual to be sure.

Understand that the ANC function drains battery power and so leaving it on for extended periods will mean that your headphone’s battery will run down faster. You should therefore turn it on, only when you need that function.

Bluetooth Headphones

We’ve already explained a few things about setting up Bluetooth headphones. In addition to the points raised above, we will add that you should ensure that the battery is charged before you start using it.

Many new designs of ear buds will usually come on once you open the case. But for models that have special power On/Off buttons, full headphones included, you may need to hold down this button for a few seconds to put it in Bluetooth mode. You’ll usually know that it’s ready to pair when the light starts blinking. This blinking usually stops once it has successfully connected to a media source.

Note that this type of headphone is only good for recreational listening. You shouldn’t use it for professional listening because the audio quality transferred over it is usually compressed for easy transmission.

Using Your Headphones

In this section, we will be looking at a few guidelines that will help you get the best from your new headphones. This is a general guide that will help for most headphone types currently available.

Woman relaxing with Headphones scaled e1699232162706

So let’s get to it…

Health and Safety

It’s important that we begin with this, especially if you plan on using your headphones for extended periods of time. Let’s look at some of the simple guidelines that can help ensure your safe use of your new headphones:

  • If you must wear them for long hours, be sure that they are not so loud that you cannot hear sounds around you. Of course, this won’t be applicable if you have noise cancelling headphones. In that case, try to keep the SPL (Sound Pressure Level) at about 70dB.
  • If you want to listen at volumes higher than 70dB, do so for short periods at a time.
  • NEVER have your headphones at the loudest volume because this can cause instant damage to your ear drums.

If you are a producer, sound engineer, DJ, an audio professional or aspiring one, know that if you continue to expose your ears to loud volumes, your perception of sound will progressively get degraded. You will gradually lose perception for high frequency sounds and it will get worse as you grow older.

You can imagine a sound engineer or producer who cannot hear high frequencies. You most certainly don’t want to be that person.

Spatial Accuracy

Spatial accuracy is important if you wish to enjoy a true reproduction of the sound producer’s stereo or surround imaging. Every headphone has a left and right speaker and should be worn correctly for the correct sound representation.

By default, most corded professional headphones have a single cable running from the left speaker. So, if your headphone has a single cable, it’s most likely coming down the left speaker. This will automatically tell you which ear cup should be where.

For ear buds, look for the L and R symbols usually inscribed on the sides to indicate the left and right speakers. IEMs are easier to identify as they are often shaped to only fit the correct ear. So, the left earpiece will not fit the right ear perfectly and “vice versa.”

Care, Storage and Security of Your Headphones

Just as with the setup of your headphone, how you care for and store it will depend on the type of headphone you own. Let’s quickly look at a few care and storage tips for different types of headphones:

Headphones Stand scaled e1699232516456

Ear buds and IEMS

It’s important that you always return these types of earphones into the storage packages after use. This is especially critical of ear buds which can be easily misplaced, stepped on, dropped into liquids or just simply damaged because they were lying where they shouldn’t be.

For IEMS, since they are wired, the greatest dangers to them include damage to the main earpieces because they are small and mistakenly yanking and possibly breaking or pulling the wires. You should therefore place them in a protective pouch or case (which most of them come with). This will reduce the chances of you leaving them lying carelessly around.

On/Over the Ear Headphones

Regardless of the exact type of headphone it is, so long as it has a headband with two attached ear cups, ensure that you have hook on an elevated surface where you can hang it. Never leave it lying on the chair, on the bed or on the floor. If the head band gets broken, using it will become a major chore.

For the wired variation, be sure to carefully fold the wire before hanging it. You want to avoid any situation where the wires will become entangled with other objects. If you do not know that it is tangled, you can easily yank it, pulling the wire from the cups. This is the easiest way of gifting yourself with a headphone that only plays from one ear.

Bluetooth Headphones

A Bluetooth headphone uses batteries and will therefore require that you recharge the batteries often. As with all types of batteries, you do not want to constantly run them completely flat before recharging them. This will reduce its life span and capacity.

You should also not always leave it plugged in for charging. Just as running down the battery consistently is not good, over-charging the batteries is also a problem. While some modern devices may have automatic charging cut-off functions when the batteries are fully charged, it’s best to form the habit of disconnecting the battery when it’s full.

Securing Your Headphone

For most headphone types out there, the only way to secure them is to keep them safely in their pouches and be sure to keep them safe. However, for Apple Airpods, you can make use of the “Find My” app.

The “Find My” app can do two things:

  1. Notify you when you get separated from your connected Airpods
  2. Help you locate the Airpods if you misplace them

To find missing headphones that are not Airpods, you can only pray and hope. To give you any chance of finding and identifying them, you must have proof of the serial number. It will therefore be a smart move to take a picture of this serial number before you even begin to use the headphone. Ensure that you keep this picture in a safe place.

For Airpods, you have a better chance of finding and recovering them if they are missing using the “Find My” app. To ensure you can find your lost or missing Airpods using the “Find My” app, note the following:

  1. The “Find My” application must enabled ahead of time for you to be able locate any of your lost or missing Apple products.
  2. If you own Airpod models earlier than the 2nd generation Airpods Pro, then you can only find the Airpods itself and not the charging case. Only charging cases for the 2nd generation Airpods Pro and later can be found using the “Find My” app.
  3. For earlier models, the app will only find the Airpods if they are outside their charging case.
  4. The app won’t find the Airpods if their batteries have run down.

You can follow the steps detailed by Apple in this video:

How to find your lost AirPods

Find My App

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hapjol4iOE.

Conclusion

A headphone is usually not the most sophisticated gear an audiophile will own. However, at the rate technology is advancing, we are constantly seeing new products with increasing functionalities. It’s therefore important that you understand how to get the full benefits offered by whatever headphone you purchase.

We’ve tried to present you with the very basics that you will need to get you started. You can build on this and also look out for our guide and review of the exact headphones you own.

Scott Armstrong
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