Do Binaural Beats Work Without Headphones (Science Says…)

Are you one of the thousands of people listening to binaural beats due to their incredible health and cognitive benefits? But do binaural beats work without headphones? Studies reveal they can support better sleep, enhance cognitive function, boost meditative states and develop memory and retention.

Nonetheless, you might be wondering exactly how you should listen to binaural beats. Do you need to use headphones like you would if you were listening to music? 

Do Binaural Beats Work Without Headphones?

For binaural beats to work, you must use headphones or earphones because the tone plays two separate frequencies in each ear. Then the brain creates a third tone with the mathematical difference. This difference in tones makes the binaural beat in hertz and require headphones for this to work. 

To understand why headphones are mandatory for listening to binaural beats, you need to learn how the method of brainwave entrainment works. Not all brainwave entrainment therapy requires headphones or earphones, but binaural beats do.

Binaural beats work by playing two beats of different frequencies, with one going into each ear. The brain interprets this beat at the difference between the two frequencies, which creates a third tone described as the binaural beat.

This binaural beat can only be processed if the two tones are directly and exclusively delivered to each ear. You don’t want other background sounds interfering or for your left ear to pick up the tone being played to the right ear. Therefore, using stereo headphones or earphones is vital to ensure that each ear hears only one of the tones and allows the binaural beat to be correctly processed.

As much as headphones are essential for listening to binaural beats, it’s also vital that you select good quality binaural beats by trusted creators to benefit from the mindset shift that you are trying to produce. Therefore, when choosing binaural beats, make sure they are in the frequency range you desire and have high-grade sound quality. 

Some YouTube videos lose their sound quality because the binaural beats music has been copied and pasted from somewhere else, diminishing the quality and frequency of the binaural beats.

Don’t Want To Use Headphones with Binaural Beats?

If you are listening to isochronic tones, then you won’t need to use headphones. Isochronic tones are often used alongside binaural beats in brainwave entrainment, and because they use sound pulses rather than different sound waves in your ears, they don’t need the use of headphones. 

If you’re someone who struggles with using headphones, then you could try out isochronic brainwave entrainment. You could listen to this through a surround sound system. However, there isn’t as much research on isochronic tones compared to binaural beats, and it has been found that you won’t reap the same level of benefits.

But to learn everything you need to know about isochronic tones and why they don’t deliver at low frequencies, check out this article.

Should You Use Headphones When Listening To Binaural Beats While Sleeping?

Just like listening to binaural beats in the day, you will need to use headphones when listening to them while falling asleep as well. However, you might choose to use a different type of headphones for your binaural beats at night. 

Comfort is even more important here, and you want headphones that you aren’t going to notice while trying to sleep. You don’t want to wake up with a sore head or ears from the headphones. Furthermore, waking up in the middle of the night with the headphone cord around your neck could be dangerous. Try out a couple of different styles until you find the one most comfortable for you.

Although, the headphones must be stereo. They don’t have to be expensive, but having a good quality pair of headphones will help optimise your brainwave entrainment and ensure that you benefit from all the fantastic effects binaural beats can have.

I like to use a headband style earphone because it’s intended for side sleepers. It doesn’t irritate your ears, and the headband is designed to cover your eyes to block out any light. Here is my exact headband (Amazon Link). 

What Headphones Are Best For Binaural Beats?

Now you recognise that you need headphones for binaural beats, but which ones are the best to use? There are some fundamental features your headphones need to have. You don’t need to break the bank to find the best headphones out there. There are some great ones that will do the job perfectly and will fit within a budget. 

The main thing when picking headphones is to ensure that they are stereo headphones. This is important because with stereo headphones, whatever is being played through one ear can be different from what is played through the other, depending on how the audio is produced. This is vital for listening to binaural beats. 

The idea of finding stereo headphones might sound very technical and challenging, but most new, up-to-date headphones are stereo headphones.

You want to make sure that the headphones you choose have a broad frequency range. They need to have a frequency range of about 20Hz to 25KHz at the very least. This is important as different binaural beat recordings will use different frequencies, and you want to be able to get the full benefit from whatever recording you use. 

Furthermore, it will allow the desired brainwaves to be correctly synchronised. You will also want your headphones to be noise-cancelling so that you can listen to binaural beats without disruption.

My Top 5 Headphones For Listening To Binaural Beats

1. Bose QuietComfort 35 Series (Amazon Link)
2. Sleep Headband With Built-in Headphone (Amazon Link)
3. Wireless Earbuds (Amazon Link)
4. Sony Wireless Headphones (Amazon Link)
5. Junwolf In Ear Headphones for iPhone 12, HiFi Stereo Earphones for iPhone 7, Wired Earbuds with Mic and Volume Control Compatible with iPhone 12 Pro Max/12 Mini/SE/11/XS Max/X/XR/8 Plus/7” target=”_blank”>Standard Earphones (Amazon Link)

Overhead Vs. In-Ear Headphones For Binaural Beats

In-ear headphones are excellent to use, and many people tend to prefer this type if they are listening to binaural beats while travelling. They are lightweight and easy to use. However, some people find in-ear headphones somewhat uncomfortable, and you might find they are more likely to fall out of your ear. If this is something that would bother you, then it is probably best for you to opt for over-the-head headphones that cover your entire ear.

Another reason why overhead headphones can be better is that they often have higher sound quality. This is because they allow a greater sense of depth and space to the tones, which is better than being funnelled down your ear canal, which happens when using earbuds.

Furthermore, overhead headphones are much better at cancelling noise and stopping background music from interfering with your beats. However, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, you can get in-ear noise-cancelling headphones.

Finally, overhead headphones can be better because they usually have padding around the headband and ears, and tend to be adjustable, which means they will most likely be a lot more comfortable than earbuds. While overhead headphones are generally considered the better option, if you still want to use earbuds instead, there are some things you should ensure they have. 

As mentioned above, you should make sure the earbuds are noise-cancelling. With this, the earbuds’ microphone will be able to detect low-frequency ambient sounds and will then generate a phase-inverted sound that will allow the two differing beats to cancel each other out.

You should also opt for customisable earbuds that can mould to your ear shape and are adjustable so that they will be nice and comfortable. While earbuds can work well for binaural beats, getting ones that will do the job properly will most likely cost you more than it would if you were buying overhead headphones.

Overall, the answer to what type of headphones is best for binaural beats is entirely down to your personal preference. So naturally, the ideal headphones for you will be the ones you feel most comfortable wearing. 

Do Binaural Beats Work Without Headphones Summary

Now you know the answer do binaural beats work without headphones? You need to wear headphone if you are going to benefit from binaural beats because they play two different frequencies in each ear and you mind creates a third tone which is the frequency you desire. If you don’t like headphone then maybe isochronic tones are the way forwards.