Audiophiles, rejoice. If you carefully selected your headphones for their audio properties – the extreme fidelity, the dazzling, bright highs, the deep, rich lows – then you are all too aware that they’re much more than just a functional accessory.
In fact, a good pair of headphones can become downright sentimental – if you’ve ever lost a beloved set unexpectedly, you might know what we mean. Of course, when picking out the pair that’s best for you, there’s always a catch: You can’t have it all. Except, maybe you can?
With the right accessories, you can turn your trusty pair of headphones into an all-in-one tool that really does it all. In fact, with our list of best headphone add-ons, even the most everyday buds or ‘phones can perform like rock stars.
Check out our recommendations for best headphone add-ons below to add a whole new level of versatility to your headset.
Go blue
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Bluetooth headphones are often pricey, and the more affordable ones can lack the audio quality you’re looking for in a good set. But with a simple Bluetooth transmitter, you can turn any pair of headphones wireless – you can listen to audio coming from a music player, TV, smartphone, tablet, or PC across the room.
The BlueAnt Ribbon offers not only superb audio quality and a compact design, but also offers a built-in microphone so you can take phone calls hands-free. Just plug your headphones in via the 3.5mm jack, and the BlueAnt will pair up with any Bluetooth-capable device in proximity.
If you’ve got a little more room in your budget, the TROND 2-in-1 Bluetooth transmitter and receiver offers even more – it can both send and receive Bluetooth signals, so you can deliver Bluetooth audio from any source to a Bluetooth headset. It can even deliver a Bluetooth signal to two devices simultaneously, so two people can listen to one audio source at the same time.
Amp it up
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If you want to really turn it up to 11, try out a headphone amp! A tiny device such as the FiiO A3 portable headphone amplifier can increase both the output and quality of even the most humdrum pair of headphones.
The FiiO A3 offers a sophisticated preamp that delivers incredible layering, mid range resolution, and high frequency extension. Don’t know what that means? That’s okay – it also has a powerful bass boost. Now that’s a language anyone can understand.
Split it
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Sure, it can be romantic to share a pair of earbuds with a partner – but what if you’re with a group of friends? You’ve probably seen a headphone splitter before: it’s simply an attachment that turns one jack into two.
But why stop there? The Belkin Rockstar multi-headphone splitter says “let’s keep going,” offering a staggering five-headphone output in a nifty star-shaped design. (RockStar, get it?)
If you’re just looking for a conventional two-headphone splitter so you can listen with a friend without compromising sound quality, the Belkin Y-shaped headphone splitter delivers an unobtrusive, functional solution that sounds great, in a classy, minimalist design.
Pick up your microphones
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It’s rare to find a great pair of hi-fi headphones that also comes equipped with a microphone. Whether you’re into gaming or are simply an audiophile who wants to be able to answer the phone mid-song, the Antlion Audio ModMic offers a modular solution that can turn any headset into a two-way speaker-microphone.
The ModMic 5 offers multiple microphone options so you can choose which works best for you based on your setting, but if you’re looking for a slightly more affordable high quality alternative, the ModMic 4, provides just a unidirectional mic and drops the option of the mute switch.
Ride the lightning
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Ever since Apple notoriously dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack from its iPhone models in favor of a dual-use lightning port, it has included an adapter in the box for those who still use conventional headphones. This is rumored to be ending soon, as Apple takes guts to a whole new level, and may be excluding the adapter from future shipments.
But this isn’t the only drawback to the new design. Users who do avail themselves of the lightning port adapter will find that they can’t listen to audio and charge their phones at the same time.
Not to worry – this good-looking iPhone Lightning Cable to Headphone Adapter offers the best of both worlds, allowing listeners to charge their phones while listening to their favorite jam. Now who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?
