Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

If you attend in-person classes at Colorado State University on a regular basis, witnessing students listening to music on their commutes to and from class is extremely common. Seeing that CSU is a fairly large campus containing nearly 4,800 acres, it makes perfect sense that people implement music into their daily lives to make the little moments more enjoyable.

The way each commuter chooses to listen to their music varies. There are many different types of headphones and speakers to choose from that students use to enhance their audio experience. Although, if you are one of those people who listen to music on campus with a blaring speaker, please stop. It is very annoying.

Headphones seem to be the undisputed, most popular and polite way to listen to music in public. With that said, a lot can go into the process of choosing the right pair of headphones to suit one’s individual needs. Color, connectivity, quality, in-ear, over-ear, brand, style, affordability and how loud you can get them without the noise leaking out to the person next to you are just a few things to consider when choosing the ideal headphones.   

That said, nothing pales in comparison to which headphone style and brand is currently trending and seen most often among peers on campus and beyond. 

“Over-ear headphones offer flat-out better quality. You will hear less ambient sound, which is pleasant in noisy environments like public transportation or the classroom and office. Additionally, over-the-ear headphones don’t press on your ears or inner ears, making them more comfortable and easier to wear for longer periods of time.” 

Trends come and go. Remember skinny jeans? They were once all the rave, and now it appears the baggier the denim, the better. With headphones, it is no different. In-ear headphones were once the go-to option, but now, over-ear headphones are taking the throne in terms of popularity. 

Here at CSU especially, it seems over-the-ear headphones are in and here to stay for the foreseeable future. AirPods and other in-ear headphones are still a popular, strong choice, but over-the-ear headphones are appearing more and more frequently on the heads of students on campus. But why?

Is it no longer enjoying the feeling of in-ear headphones? Is it the quality? Or just plain trendiness and what everyone else is wearing? It seems to be a solid mixture of all the above. 

For starters, over-ear headphones offer flat-out better quality. You will hear less ambient sound, which is pleasant in noisy environments like public transportation or the classroom and office. Additionally, over-the-ear headphones don’t press on your ears or inner ears, making them more comfortable and easier to wear for longer periods of time. 

Most importantly and above all else, over-the-ear headphones are trending due to Apple’s newest AirPods Max headphone release, which offers quality sound and several different colors to show off and stand out on campus. The various color choices paired with quality audio technology leave little opportunity for competitors to keep up.  

Apple has been the front-runner for headphones ever since they got in the game, at least in terms of trendiness. Every time a new Apple product is released, it immediately becomes the most popular in its field, and the headphone release has proven that fad once again. 

In fact, one Statista study asked over 4,000 American adults about their personal headphones, and 34.4% said they use Apple products, followed by 15.3% who said they use Beats by Dre headphones, a company owned by Apple.

So it is quite clear why over-the-ear headphones — especially those made by Apple — are trending right now and the superior choice for listening to music. They are better quality, more comfortable, bolder and just so happen to be Apple’s latest product release. 

Who’s to tell when over-the-ear headphones will go out of style again? For now, why not fit in while enjoying a supreme music listening experience and pop them on before it’s too late? That is, if you really want to fit in with the trends.

Reach Callum Burke at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @burkec0621.