Headphones: A Developers Best Friend

by Adam

August 22, '08

I don’t know about you but I personally work a lot better when I’m listening to music. I don’t know what it is but I can concentrate a lot easier and work a lot quicker when I’m listneing to my favourite tunes. The problem with most devevelopment jobs is that, unless you work from home, you’re constantly around co-workers and it would be rude to blast your music.

That is why it’s important to invest in a decent pair of headphones. Here are a few things you should look for when picking out your headphones:

  • Comfortable Ear Pads

    • Because you’re going to be wearing these headphones for long periods of time, you’re going to want something that fits comfortably on your head. Now, if you prefer in-ear buds than you don’t need to worry about this.

    Its always a good idea to try on the headphones before you buy them. That way you get an idea of what they’ll feel like and whether or not you’ll be able to wear them for hours upon hours.

  • Long Cord

    • If your computer is tucked away from your desk like mine is, you’re going to want a fairly long cord. Most headphones come with at least a meter long cord and you can always buy extensions if its not long enoguh. You don’t want to have an overly long cord though because it can get in the way and get annoying very quick.

  • Noise-Cancelling

    • Noice-cancelling headphones are great and the prices are coming down a lot, but they may not be right for your workplace. If you constantly have co-workers talking to you, having noise-cancelling headphones can be rude because you won’t hear them talk. I would advise not getting a pair because you won’t be able to hear people around you.

Here are a few tips on being polite while wearing your headphones:

  1. Only wear the headphones over one ear
  2. Play your music at a comfortable level to yourself and your co-workers
  3. Always take off your headphones when a co-worker talks to you

Those are just a few tips on buying and wearing headphones at work, but what are your thoughts? Do you wear headphones at work? If you do, what kind do you have? Feel free to drop us a line down below in our comment section

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5 comments

  1. 1 08.22.08
    9:34 am

    Just want to say that besides the fact that earbuds can be damaging to your hearing (google it), to hear the music over the din of the office, you have to crack those suckers. Usually meaning the people around you can hear your music too.

    If you have to switch between headphones/speakers/audio devices, I’d recommend a a cable extension that makes it from your computer to your keyboard area so you can swap between headphones and speakers.

    If you’re like me and have a Zune/iPod/MP3 player that you use for your music instead of the computer, the extension makes it easy to swap where the music is coming from and where its going.

    My recommendation for a moderately priced set of headphones are a set from Panasonic. They look good, they’re comfortable (ie. you can wear them 8+ hours a day and they don’t make your ears hurt), and above all they have a good sound.

    Panasonic RP-HTX7 - Check them out

  2. 2 08.25.08
    11:51 am

    I agree with Alex, earbuds can be damaging to your hearing and I don’t know of any that will be comfortable for long sessions.

    I use my headphones when I’m on the go with my mp3 player, on communter train or on bus/subway. Otherwise, I’ll be using them with my laptop, early in the morning or late at night, when speakers are too loud considering the time.

    I prefer lightweight headphones and my personnal choice is the Sennheiser PX100. They are very light, comfortable for many hours, sound amazing and best of all, they are foldable, come with a case to protect them and carry them around!

    http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=005206

  3. 3 08.26.08
    9:55 am

    A case/folding would have been useful for the headphones I bought. Right now I have a set of earbuds that I use for portability, and two sets of the RP-HTX7’s (one at home, one at work). I don’t travel with my laptop a whole lot so it’s not too big of an issue for me, but it’s important to consider how portable the headphones are when shopping around.

  4. 4 08.28.08
    9:41 am

    Definitely would have to agree with the long cord. Sometimes I will be typing and then get all tangled up with the cord, pain in the balls. It might be time to invest in some nicer headphones.

  5. 5 09.04.08
    8:03 pm

    I like the foldable Sennheiser headphones as well. Except, I’ve got the PX-200s as I find the leather on my ear a bit more comfortable.

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