Theoretically, any headphone that has a mini-jack can be used with a smartphone. Theoretically. In real life, there are a few things to keep in mind:
London calling
Anyone listening to music or podcasts on their smartphones will hear incoming calls via a ring tone. If one wanted to accept the conversation, miserable fumbling is necessary, which was already sufficiently documented in various funny movies.
So, the first requirement for a smartphone headset is: you need a microphone and a phone control. In simpler models, this is a button that interrupts the music and accepts the conversation. Better models have that feature set integrated in a controller …
Skip
Pause, back and forth, turn the volume up and down. You do not want to grab your smartphone when you want to skip a track or change its volume, especially when doing sports. So please consider a headphone with a good remote control, offering buttons for music control, but also additional features such as activation of voice assistants like Siri or Alexa.
Universal
One smartphone headset for all your mobile phone models? Many manufacturers offer different versions for different devices! Again, you definitely should pay attention to it. As certain smartphone protocols vary, manufactures sometimes sell the same model but optimized for Apple iOS or Android, i.e. Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG and others.
Impedance
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind comes at the end. Smartphones supply their headphone jack output only with relatively little power. This means that a headphone needs to have a low impedance to work properly, typically around 20 to 80 ohms. Here at headphonecheck.com we measure the impedance and you can find this important spec in the sidebar of the respective review. The higher the impedance, the less volume a headphone have!
JBL's Live Pro+ TWS cable-free in-ears are tuned for bass and designed to provide flexible ambient noise control in daily life and when travelling. These headphones feature customisable noise cancellation as well as ambient and TalkThru modes. App connectivity also supports customised system and sound adjustments, as well as integration with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
With the RZ-B100W, Panasonic expands its True Wireless series and provides a more affordable EarBud version of the RZ-S500W and RZ-S300W. In terms of sound, we were particularly impressed by the RZ-S500W. Will Panasonic pull off the same coup with the RZ-B100W?
Bone conduction (actually quite precisely: bone conduction transducer, because bones don't usually make sound) is the rather creepy term for the – pleasing to music lovers – a phenomenon that sound vibrations can be perceived not only with the eardrum but also with transmission through the body (to the cochlea).
The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC differ from the Epic Air ANC primarily in their more ergonomic and thus more comfortable design, including improved playing time. Technically, they are blessed with the same luxurious features, such as active noise cancellation, sound management via EQ and app pairing for individual customisation of all functions.
With the ComfoBuds Pro, 1more are targeting price-conscious users who are looking for well-equipped true-wireless headphones with noise-cancelling. Here, we see what that looks like in practice and how it sounds.
The dominance of Apple's AirPods has one unquestionable benefit: it forces other manufacturers to be inventive and try out innovative concepts to compete with the omnipresent AirPods. The T5 II from Klipsch, tested here, are just such a case and are aimed specifically at water (and dust) loving hi-fi enthusiasts. Fully dust- and splash-proof, these True Wireless in-ears aim to be there for all those activities where Apple's fancy white earphones would be out of place.
Like Ankers Soundcore Life Q30, the Life Q35 are also equipped with a transparency mode and three noise-cancellation profiles for outdoor or indoor use as well as for travelling. Flexible sound adjustment via an app is also available, and here the Chinese manufacturer relies on LDAC technology, a particularly high-resolution audio codec, for its new flagship wireless over-ears.
The Vox VGH AC30 are headphones with an integrated guitar amplifier. Yes, there is such a thing! Just put on the headphones, plug the connecting cable directly into the guitar, and you're done! Rock out, no matter where and no matter when - what guitarist wouldn't want that?
BT740iQZ - A somewhat unwieldy name for what are actually quite elegant headphones that the designers at Koss have come up with for their new Bluetooth model. With active noise-cancelling (ANC), integrated media control and hands-free function, as well as long battery life, these new over-ear headphones are designed to be a convenient audio accessory for all situations.
The dynamic true-wireless Melomania 1 headphones from Cambridge Audio have been provided with a successor. The new model, Melomania 1+, uses the same dynamic drivers and identical housing that led to an impressive overall rating for their predecessor. New features added for the same price are the possibility of app control, which should result in higher ease of use, the so-called "High Performance Mode" for improved sound quality and USB-C connections on the charging case.