Headphones are an important must-have for any music lover. Although quality ones are expensive, people love them because of their ability to reproduce sound accurately when listening to music on the phone or computer. You also get an immersive music experience while on the go since they are portable.
One common question that most people ask is whether headphones are input or output devices. Well, in this article, you are going to find an in-depth answer to this question. We will also take time to discuss headphones and the way they function.
Let’s get right into it.
What kind of device is a headphone?
By definition, input devices give instructions to the computer while output devices receive data from the computer. Therefore, headphones fit into the category of output devices because they function as speakers.
What parts make up a headphone and how do they work to give off sound?
Headphones are similar to loudspeakers; the only difference, however, is that headphones consist of tiny speakers designed to move the air inside your ears to produce sound. The drivers also block out ambient sound for accurate sound reproduction.
These gadgets come in different sizes and shapes. But basically, headphones consist of two miniature speakers connected to a strap to receive electrical signals from your computer or music device. The two speakers use magnetism to transform electrical signals or energy to sound.
When the listener connects the headphones to the computer’s speaker or lines out ports, an electrical signal passes through the strap when you play any audio. The electrical energy reaches the magnet that has a magnet wound around it.
The electromagnet converts the audio signal into analog energy, which vibrates the diaphragm. Subsequent vibrations interact with the air surrounding your ears to produce sound.
High-quality earphones will produce low, mid, and high frequencies, which result in high-quality sound that the user enjoys.
Is a headphone a transducer?
Transducers are devices that convert energy from one form to another. In this case, digital signals (or electrical energy) are converted to mechanical energy, which is sound waves.
Hence, it’s appropriate for you to refer to headphones as transducers, regardless of the make or size, since they carry various transducer characteristics.
What is audio input vs. output?
Your computer cannot produce sound on its own since it stores the audio in a digital file, which is in machine-readable form (0s and 1s). This is where an audio output, including loudspeakers and headphones, comes in handy.
These devices (audio output) connect to the computer or electronic device via an audio output, which sends electrical data to the device’s input. Other types of audio output include sound cards and onboard audio.
On the other side, people use an audio input device to send digital audio signals to a computer. The computer can then process the data, use it as an instruction, or store it as a recording. Common examples of such devices include MIDI keyboards and microphones.
Can a headphone speaker be used as an input device like a microphone?
If you want to record and don’t have a microphone, you can use your headphones as an alternative. How is this so? You may ask.
The science is simple.
Headphones and microphones are similar in their fundamental designs, even though they may have different functionalities. Since the speakers in the earpiece convert digital energy to mechanical energy, and microphones convert mechanical energy to digital energy, the trick here is to change the direction of the signals.
Once you connect your headphone to the microphone’s port, you will be able to hear your voice when you speak through the earpiece. Audio experts say that even though turning your headphone into a microphone is possible, the sound it produces may not be as accurate as when you are using a real microphone. Nonetheless, you can use the EQ controls to tweak the sound.
Please note that some headphones come with tiny microphones; however, you may have to refer to them as headsets.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Is a Bluetooth headphone an output device?
Bluetooth headphones have become a popular option for music lovers because of their portability, improved sound quality, among other benefits. They are similar to conventional headphones in terms of functionality; it’s just that they don’t use cables to connect to a music device or computer.
Therefore, your Bluetooth headphone is an output device.
Interesting reads:
Is A Speaker An Input Or Output Device?
Is A Microphone An Input Or Output Device?
Is A headset An Input Or Output Device?
Conclusion
There you have it, guys.
From the article, you can see that headphones are fundamentally output devices. We hope that, by now, you are clear about that, and there shouldn’t be any confusion from now henceforth. Thank you once again for reading our article until the end.