Let's discuss dynamic driver headphones and, what are the different types of Headphone drivers you should know about if you want to choose the best headphones for you.
Choosing the right headphones isn't easy when you have tons of options. Being an audiophile, you care very much about the sound quality and overall listening experience.
Many audiophiles already know which driver type is best for them. But for those who don't know much about the technical aspects of headphones, we started a series to cover crucial aspects of headphones which give you a good idea of choosing the right audio gear.
This article covers different types of headphone drivers & detailed information about dynamic driver headphones. We are also going to cover some of the best Dynamic driver headphones. Let's answer the most basic question.
Image credit: linsoul.com Dynamic driver
What is a headphone driver?
The driver is the most important part of headphones which converts electrical energy into sound. This driver unit has three important parts.
- Voice coil
- Diaphragm
- Magnet
Magnet: Magnet is a crucial component that produces magnetic field. This magnetic field moves the voice coil back and forth. This back-and-forth movement causes the movement of the diaphragm. Diaphragm causes the movement of air which ultimately produce the sound we hear.
There are two types of magnets mostly used in Dynamic headphone drivers.
- Neodymium Magnet
- Ferrite Magnet
Neodymium is one of the strongest types of magnets available. This magnet is a combination of Neodymium, Iron, and Boron. The combination of these three metals develops a stronger magnetic field that causes the headphone drivers to produce sound. Neodymium drivers have some advantages. That's why they are so popular in the audio world.
Advantages of Neodymium Magnets
- Neodymium magnet is smaller & lighter. That's why they prefer for earbuds & Headphones.
- Neodymium magnet produces more energy than Ferrite, Cobalt, Aluminium, and some other types of magnet
- Neodymium consumes less power and produces more sound output and sensitivity
- Neodymium is cost-effective that makes earphones and headphones affordable
We discussed the benefits of Neodymium magnets and why the magnet is used in headphones. This is a further explanation for those curious people to know more about the working of magnets in headphones.
To understand the working of magnets and headphones, we must know electromagnetic induction. The voltage across the conductor produces a magnetic field around the conductor.
When we pass the audio signal through the conductive coil magnetic field is produced around it. When this coil place near the magnet, the two magnetic fields in these components attracts and repels each other.
We have already discussed how the speaker works. The headphone is nothing but the speakers placed on the ears.
So, When you are reading this explanation about dynamic headphone drivers, some basic questions may come to your mind.
Apart from dynamic or moving coil drivers, which are the other driver types that use Magnet? Planar Magnetic driver and balanced armature driver also use a magnet in them.
So, we included the names of a couple of drivers, and your mind may start comparing these three types of magnetic drivers. you may think about Which driver type is better for headphones? Let's compare them one by one.
Planar magnetic driver
How does Planar magnetic driver works?
Planar magnetic drivers also consist of magnets, But instead of a single magnet it has magnets on either sides of the diaphragm ,which vibrates between these two magnets.
Many ask which one is a better driver, Dynamic or Planar magnetic. The simple answer to those people who are confused between Planar magnetic and the dynamic driver is, It depends on your preferences.
Planar magnetic driver headphones are better for you if
- You want Low Harmonic distortion
- You want an even distribution of magnetic force
- you want an accurate and crystal-clear sound
- You are ready to spend more money
- You want overall better sound quality
You should avoid Planar magnetic headphones if
- You want a durable headphones
- You want to buy a headphones for casual listening
- You don't want to spend more money
- You want a compact and portable gears
When you compare Planar magnetic and dynamic drivers, you must also know the pros and cons of dynamic drivers.
Dynamic drivers are the most popular and easy to manufacture kind of drivers. Almost 8 out of 10 headphones in the market are dynamic driver headphones. Here is the list of advantages and the reasons why they are so popular.
Advantages of Dynamic driver headphones
- Dynamic driver headphones are cheaper
- Dynamic headphones are available in premium as well as cheaper segments. They are widely available
- Dynamic headphones are durable than Planar magnetic headphones
- Dynamic drivers are power efficient. They produce more sound output with less power consumption
Is dynamic driver good for gaming?
Our next piece of content is for Gamers who are confused about choosing between planar magnetic and dynamic driver headphones. For a great gaming experience, you need an accurate and wide sound stage, deep bass response, and immersive sound.
All of these qualities you can get better with Planar Magnetic driver. The planar magnetic driver is the better option if you want good gaming headphones.
Balanced armature driver
Balanced armature driver
Balanced armature driver is another type of driver becoming popular these days. It has an Armature wrapped by the coil. This Armature is hung between the two magnets.
When current pass through coil, magnetic force in the Armature is genrated. Change in the magnetic force causes the movement of diaphragm between the two magnets.
This motion of a diaphragm produces sound. The main advantage of BA drivers is their small size. In-ear monitor specially used BA driver. Due to the tiny size, more drivers can be used in IEM.
working principle of BA driver
We have seen 5-6 BA drivers used in many IEMs. BA driver delivers more crystal clear sound compared to dynamic drivers. But they are complicated to use, Hence more expensive than Dynamic driver headphones.
Balanced armature driver has their advantages. They are more efficient than Dynamic drivers. That means they can produce louder sounds with consumption of less electricity.
Apart from the Dynamic driver, the Planar magnetic driver, and the Balanced Armature driver, there are four other driver types.
- Electrostatic driver
- Piezoelectric driver
- Bone conduction driver
- Hybrid Drivers
We will talk in detail about these three rarely-used drivers in a later articles. Let's know about the working principle and the reason why these three are rarely used, headphone drivers.
Electrostatic Drivers
If you want to understand the working of an Electrostatic driver, You must know about the principle of static electricity. Static electricity is the opposite of current electricity.
In current electricity, Electric charge flows through an electrical conductor and transmits electrical energy. In static electricity, charges are at rest and accumulate on the surface of an insulator.
Let's move towards the working of an Electrostatic driver. Static electricity is applied to the diaphragm located between two conductive plates.
When the current is applied through these plates diaphragm moves due to attraction and repulsion that moves air and produces sound. Electrostatic drivers are rarely used because of their complex mechanism. But they produce much better and more accurate sound than dynamic driver headphones.
Piezoelectric driver
Piezoelectric drivers work by applying a voltage to materials like crystals or ceramics. These drivers are very sensitive but rarely used.
Piezoelectric material is difficult to shape. It turns into higher cost and they can deliver poor sound quality if fine-tuning isn't done properly which requires high skill.
Bone conduction Driver
Bone conduction drivers transmit the sound through the vibrations of the Bones of the head and Jaw. They don't work like typical sound drivers. Bone conduction drivers transmit the sound directly to the inner ears.
Though Bone conduction driver headphones aren't that great in sound quality, they are a boon for those who can't hear due to damaged eardrums.
Hybrid drivers
They are a combination of dynamic and Balanced armature drivers. Hybrid drivers can produce deep bass-like dynamic drivers and high frequency sound like balanced armature drivers. This driver is used to manufacture high-end headphones and costs more.
Conclusion
When you search for headphones, you have so many questions in your mind. You google, "which type of headphone driver is best This simple question raises more questions.
But, the most crucial question is, What is your requirement? Why do you searching a headphones? If Sound quality is your primary need, the Planar magnetic driver is better for you.
If you want Durable headphones for rough uses and traveling, you can't go for Planar magnetic driver Because they are very delicate. As we said, each driver has their pros and cons, Your priority decides which one is better for you.
But one thing is for sure Dynamic drivers are the most flexible and user-friendly drivers of all. They are affordable, widely available, easy to construct, and durable. So that you can find them in small-size earbuds as well as in big size over-ear headphones too.