Headphones (also known as earphones, earbuds, stereophones, headsets, or by the slang term cans) are a pair of tiny loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, with a way of holding them close to a user's ears and a means of connecting them to a stereophonic or monophonic, or binaural audio-frequency signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, etc. In the context of telecommunication, the term headset is used to describe a combination of headphone and microphone used for two-way communication, for example with a telephone.
Since the introduction of the Walkman and later the iPod and other MP3 players headphones have become a very popular way of listening to stereo, especially among the younger generation. This is despite the fact that headphones are not really suitable for stereo, which is a system designed specifically for loudspeaker reproduction and relying primarily on loudness differences between channels for spacial effect.
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