Sound leakage is a serious issue that I’ve encountered in several on-ear and over-ear headphones I’ve used over the ears.
Once, I had a customer in my shop who was adamant about getting a headphone that does not leak sound. It was a serious deal breaker for him.
The reality is that over-ear headphones leak sound, and it’s hard to eliminate. Luckily, there are different ways you can reduce it.
How to Stop Sound Leaking from Headphones: Quick Answer
Listening to music at a lower volume is the easiest way to stop sound leaking from headphones. Else, a headphone amplifier (for wired headphones) will offer highly detailed sound at a lower volume. Thus, you don’t need to increase the volume to hear your music better.
Alternatively, get active noise-canceling headphones if you don’t want to deal with wired headphones. The ANC feature drowns out external noise so you can listen to your favorite music at a lower volume.
What Causes Sound Leakage from Headphones?
Sound leakage happens when the sound is loud enough that it escapes from your headphones and heard by people sitting near you.
Since an over-ear headphone’s drivers are big (40-50mm), they can get very loud and leak sound through at higher volumes.
It is common among most on-ear and over-ear headphones once you increase the volume over a certain level.
Sound leakage is mostly evident in a quiet environment; thus, you don’t need to worry about it during traveling or in a public space.
1. Listen at a lower volume
I generally advise my customers to listen to music on their headphones at a lower volume to prevent ear damage in the long run. It is also one of the most effective ways to stop sound leakage from headphones.
Since headphones have bigger drivers than earbuds, at higher volume, the drivers get loud enough to leak noise from the earcups.
In my experience, you won’t hear excess sound from headphones in a noisy environment like a gym or a train station. However, it is more audible in a quiet environment, like a library.
2. Use thicker earpads
I’ve tested hundreds of headphones throughout the years and I’ve noticed that most headphone manufacturers use average-quality earpads for their headphones to save money.
These earpads aren’t bad but have lighter padding and allow more sound to escape into the environment.
I’ve found that low-cost headphones are the biggest culprit and lead to easy audio escape even at a lower volume. Low-cost headphone manufacturers use average-quality earpads and low-density plastic earcups, which keeps the costs low.
You can tackle this issue with aftermarket earpads from Brainwavz. The Brainwavz earpads have thicker padding, which absorbs excess sound and reduces the amount of noise that escapes from the earcups.
A few Brainwavz earpads also come with velour padding, which is incredibly comfortable compared to faux leather earpads.
When I first wore velour earpads, it felt like wearing clouds over my ears. In my experience, the velour earpads prevent sound escape much better and are comfortable to use for a long time.
Interesting note: I tried the Brainwavz velour earpads with my Sony WH1000-XM4 ANC headphones. With this simple change, the noise canceling performance improved by 2X than the standard earpads.
3. Use a headphone amplifier
A headphone amplifier is a must for wired headphones because it improves the overall audio performance while listening to music and watching movies.
A headphone amplifier enhances sound signals and improves the overall audio quality. It receives digital audio signals from your smartphone/desktop through the USB port, converts them to analog signals, and sends them to your headphones.
Trust me, the music sounds much better and more detailed with a headphone amplifier than your smartphone’s 3.5mm jack.
Hence, even at a lower volume, you can hear your music much better, including the finer details in a song, without the need to increase the volume.
4. Use Active Noise Canceling headphones
The first time I listened to Bose’s headphones with ANC, I was shocked by how silent the surroundings felt. It was kind of a disorienting experience initially, but it’s easy to get used to it.
To drown out the ambient noise, many of us listen to music at a higher volume on our headphones, which leads to sound leakage.
However, active noise-canceling headphones instantly block most of the ambient noise with the touch of a button. Thanks to this, you can comfortably listen to music at a lower volume.
You can find good-quality ANC headphones for as low as $100. However, if you want to get the best ANC experience, I recommend getting top-tier ANC headphones from Sony or Bose.
5. Ensure Proper Fit
If over-ear headphones don’t fit your ears properly, they can leak sound.
Usually, two major reasons cause poor headphone fit.
The first is poor headband adjustment. The headband has a height adjustment feature on both earcups. If you don’t adjust the headband correctly, it may lead to sound leakage.
The second reason is poor-quality earpads. I’ve mentioned above that headphone manufacturers save money by using average-quality earpads. These earpads don’t have enough cushioning, which allows sound to escape from the headphones.
The situation becomes worse if the earpads are worn out and the faux leather padding is fading, which results in excess sound leakage.
Alternatives to Loud Headphones
Want to save yourself from the embarrassment of others hearing what you hear? Here are two alternatives that you can try:
1. Use Headphones with Smaller Drivers
If you like the comfort of headphones but don’t want your co-passengers to hear what you’re listening to. In that case, I highly recommend getting headphones with smaller drivers.
Over-ear headphones usually come with 40-50mm drivers; however, a few have 30mm drivers, like the Sony WH-CH710N.
Headphones with smaller drivers are quieter with less chance of audio spillage.
2. In-ear Headphones
I prefer in-ear headphones (earbuds) during travel thanks to their pocketable size.
Earbuds sit within your ear canal and the tiny drivers (6-12mm) are less likely to leak sound.
Like me, you can use TWS earbuds during your commute or office work. They’re relatively cheap, lightweight, and extremely convenient to carry than headphones.
Frequently Asked Question
How can I check if my headphones leak sound?
You can check sound leakage by wearing your headphones and playing music at a regular volume, and then have a friend listen to it from a short distance. Else, you can also use a microphone, hit record, and check if it picks up any sound from the headphones.
Is sound leak normal for headphones?
Yes, sound leakage is very normal in headphones because they have larger drivers (40-50mm), and at a loud volume others can hear what you’re listening to.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you learn a little about how to prevent sound leakage from headphones.
Sure, there are a few other ways to reduce a headphone’s sound leaks, but you cannot completely eliminate them.
Have any questions? Please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.