Do Binaural Beats Work Without Headphones?

 

Are you trying to improve your state of mind with binaural beats?

If so, then you may be wondering whether binaural beats work without headphones.

When answering this question, it will help to understand what binaural beats actually are...

What are binaural beats?

If you play a specific sound wave through one ear and a slightly different sound wave through the other ear then your brain wave activity will start to match the difference between the two. This process is known as brainwave entrainment.

Do you need headphones for binaural beats?

 The short answer is, yes.

For binaural beats to work, you need to use headphones because the sounds being played in one ear must be different to the sounds being played in the other.

Isochronic tones (which often get compared with binaural beats), on the other hand, don’t require the use of headphones.

This is because isochronic tones use pulses of sound as opposed to playing different sound waves in each ear. While isochronic tones work well for some people, there isn’t the same depth and credibility of science to back them up, like there is with binaural beats.

Best binaural beats headphones

When it comes to headphones, everyone is different. Some people prefer to use in-the-ear headphones, which tend to be more lightweight and easygoing. On the other hand, many find these type of headphones “intruding” and uncomfortable. If this is the case then you're better of using headphones that cover the whole ear.

So, what matters the most when it comes to headphones and binaural beats?

You need to find what headphones are most comfortable for you. If you like to listen to high-quality binaural beats meditation music then get the best headphones that fit your budget.

Cheap headphones for binaural beats

Do you need to spend hundreds of dollars to ensure you have the best sound quality when listening to binaural beats?

Absolutely not. 

While a high-quality pair of headphones can enhance the experience for some people, cheaper headphones will work just fine, as long as they’re stereo headphones.

What do we mean by stereo headphones?

Well, unless you bought your headphones over twenty ago, they’re almost certain to be stereo headphones. This means that what gets played through the left ear can be different from what’s played through the right ear, based on how the audio has been produced.

This is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for binaural beats. Otherwise, they simply won’t work.

Best headphones for binaural beats sleep

When you go to sleep at night, you need to be comfortable, that’s why the best headphones for binaural beats, while you sleep, maybe completely different from what you use during the day.

Therefore, the best headphones for sleep are ones that you won’t notice when you’re trying to get to sleep and ones that don’t make you feel uncomfortable or sore when you wake up. 

So, do you need headphones for binaural beats?

Yes, absolutely. If you’re listening to one of our high-quality binaural beats recordings and expecting them to truly enhance your state of wellbeing, please use headphones.

If you're new to binaural beats and want to give them a try, then grab your headphones and listen to this alpha waves track on Spotify and see how relaxed you can become: