When people ask you what your "big three" are, they might be asking about your sun, moon and rising astrological signs. But when I ask my friends the same question, I'm not trying to determine their horoscope. Instead, I'm curious what their headphones and earbuds collection looks like.
After more than a decade working as a technology journalist, I'm in the fortunate position of having what most people would consider to be too much tech in my house. I make a real effort to keep it to a minimum and try not to accumulate any unnecessary gadgets. But with headphones, I've come to the conclusion that everyone needs at least three pairs. No matter how hard I've tried, I can't pare this number.
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First, there are the everyday earbuds. These are the ones that can slide into your smallest bag or your pocket and travel everywhere with you -- on your commute, on your errands and on shopping trips.
Second, there are the over-ear, luxury headphones. These need to have that heady combo of great noise cancellation, audio quality and battery life, combined with a level of comfort that means you could easily wear them for an entire long-haul travel day.
Finally, if you're serious about fitness, you need dedicated workout headphones. Could you wear either of the above pairs to go on a long run? Sure, and plenty of people do. But for the sake of longevity and your sanity, having a sweat-proof, durable pair of headphones that won't budge may save your sanity in the short term and save you money in the long run.
If you're trying to make one pair of headphones work in every scenario, you might feel frustrated that none are able to truly deliver the experience you want across the board. This is where my theory comes into play. It really doesn't matter which headphones you choose for each of these purposes, but I do believe they are distinct categories with little crossover.
And what are my big three? They may not be the same as your,s but these are the headphones I absolutely can't live without right now.
My everyday earbuds: OnePlus Buds 3
The OnePlus Buds 3 are always in my pocket or my bag. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
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