Contact Pressure (Headphones)

The wearing comfort of a set of headphones is determined not only by its weight but also by the force with which the earpieces are pressed onto the ears. This force is given in newtons (N), whereby 1 N corresponds to the compressive force that a mass of about 100 g exerts on a solid surface due to the effect of gravity. The DIN Standard 45500 Part 10 limits the maximum permissible contact force to 5 N. Values of between 1.3 and 4 N are common, although lower values apply for open headphones. Higher values can be found in the case of closed headphones. Here, a higher contact pressure is required in order to achieve sufficient sealing, which is important for the reproduction of low frequencies.