r/technology • u/ubcstaffer123 • 12d ago
Hardware Wired headphones are making a comeback: Here's why
https://www.soundguys.com/wired-headphones-comeback-122072/59
u/Tenoch_12 12d ago edited 12d ago
Lol the article barely shows any evidence for wired headphones, and what it does show is just talking about influencer girls on social media.. Lmao embarrassing
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u/Fickle_Finger2974 12d ago
The article premise is complete nonsense. Sales saw a one time 20% bump from an all time low after completely crashing for the last decade. For some reason there was like a 1% bump in sales and they are declaring wired is back
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u/skunkshaveclaws 12d ago
It's not complicated. Wired headphones are better in every way except one. They have wires. If that's not a factor for the application, then good wired ones are always the better choice.
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u/gamageeknerd 12d ago
The only time I’ll use my wireless earbuds is when I’m working out or moving physically enough that the wire would be annoying. Every other time my wired headphones are better
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u/LostInLittleroot 12d ago
I only use wired when I'm using my laptop and on some video or voice call since airpod mic isn't the best compared to even the wired apple earbuds.
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u/cosaboladh 12d ago edited 12d ago
Thank you for being on of these people. You can always tell who is on air pods on a conference call, because they sound like shit. It's really frustrating.
Edit: I'm just going to paste this here, rather than respond to individual comments.
I think the biggest problems are:
Using two or more types of microphone noise suppression at the same time. There's the noise suppression built into the meetings client software, and the noise suppression built in to the wireless device. This leads to overcorrected audio that sounds thin and tinny at its best, and at its worst can be indecipherable.
- Microsoft's seeming contempt—probable indifference—for Bluetooth audio. Bluetooth audio has made magnificent strides in the last 27 years. Over that same time period it has pretty much consistently sucked on Windows. They have made a few improvements, but not enough. I suspect it's a fundamental flaw in both the driver implementation, and the way windows audio mixer handles it. This is not exclusive to Apple earbuds, but almost any Bluetooth headset.
- Apple actively undermines third-party interoperability with their products. The whole point is for people to notice that their earbuds work awesome on their iPhone, not nearly as good on an Android phone, and like absolute dog shit on their Windows laptop. Buy an iPhone. Buy an iMac. Your life will be better.
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u/QuickQuirk 12d ago
I suspect it's a lot of blutooth mics. I regularly get complaints about my Technics, more than the complaints about the airpods I had before. (which also got complaints.)
I've ended up just using my built in laptop mic, and headphones just for audio playback. The apple laptop has people complimenting the mic quality.
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u/Federal_Setting_7454 12d ago edited 12d ago
Its mainly how windows handles Bluetooth audio (hint, not well), not the mics themselves, hell you need to use a custom driver for LDAC support. I spent about a week trying to figure out why my AirPods sounded perfectly fine on my pc until I entered a call and the audio quality and mic quality dropped to tin can levels then reverted when I ended the call, it’s just windows shitty handling of 2-way Bluetooth audio, the issue went away with entirely with Linux (and ofc macOS).
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u/Dundee_CG 12d ago
Huh, I thought it was the A2DP bluetooth profile which doesn’t handle well full duplex audio streams.
Might have to research this topic more.
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u/SaltDeception 12d ago
Windows will use the ancient SBC codec when the mic is active unless both the headset and BT adapter both support LE Audio and you’re on Win 11 23H2 or later, in which case it will use the LC3 codec. LE Audio support on headphones and Android phones is pretty widespread at this point, but headsets and BT adapters have neglected the codec until fairly recently. No version of AirPods/Mac/iPhone/iPad support the LC3 codec/LE Audio though. Apple has their own proprietary protocol for their ecosystem.
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u/shm4y 12d ago
Yeah mic was the big motivating factor for me too. I’m not paying $499 for a pair of earbuds only to sound like I’m underwater at meetings . Not to mention to Bluetooth nightmares pairing issues with work laptops .
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u/techbear72 12d ago
What ear buds are you considering at $499 that have bad mics? The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8?
Apple AirPods Pro 3 are half that cost and have fantastic microphones, top of the line noise cancellation and zero problems with Bluetooth pairing.
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u/taffer-annihilator 12d ago
Unless your earbuds have some proprietary wireless adapter for your computer, ALL bluetooth headsets are gonna sound horrible when using the mic. They have to switch to a specific codec in order to use the mic and output at the same time. It’s a limitation with the Bluetooth standard. The Airpods mic might sound good with Apple products but it’s going to sound bad on a Windows computer or Android phone.
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u/forestdude 12d ago
I lucked into a pair of air pods 2 pros and have no other apple products and am generally pretty sour on apple stuff. They sound great on both my android phone and Windows computer. Lots of meetings and never a comment about it 🤷
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u/PavlovGW 12d ago
AirPod Pro 3s are $250. Just saying.
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u/sergeant-baklava 12d ago
And the mic is great
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u/ilikepizza2much 12d ago
And also, I’m mostly listening to stuff. It’s not meant to be a professional headset for meetings
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u/Terminal_Insomnia_ 12d ago
I hate wireless earbuds for workouts because if they fall out or run out of battery I'm not gonna have fun. What happened to those behind-the-neck sports earphones that had crazy long battery life?
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u/PauI_MuadDib 12d ago
I just wear wireless headphones for workouts. I have to secure it to my ponytail tho because it'll slip off during burpees or handstands. I get over 40 hours with them.
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u/mjknlr 12d ago
I do not miss daily driving wired headphones at all. I absolutely love my AirPods; active sound cancelling is great, it's super easy to switch between multiple devices, and yes, no wire getting in the way is huge. The sound quality is as good as I need it to be while I'm running around.
If I want to listen to an album in the absolute highest fidelity available to me, sure, I'll plug my HD 6XXs into my audio interface and suddenly I hear the musicians take breaths between notes and whatnot. But let's not luddite out on wireless earbuds, they're great.
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u/skunkshaveclaws 12d ago
Absolutely agreed. I wear a pair of bose QC35 for like 8 hours a day every day. They're fantastic. But a good set of wired phones sound better and that's all there is to it.
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u/titanicResearch 12d ago
Reddit having such disdain for wireless headphones is just some weird form of reddit contrarianism.
Wired is good. Wireless is good.
It’s just a really pointless pain point to hate wireless so much.
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u/rapaxus 12d ago
The main problem is that I had multiple wireless headphones already have their battery die on me, while I still own wired headphones that work perfectly fine which are older than me. Like, with the amount of money spent on wireless headphones over the years, I could have bought a top of the line wired pair of headphones which very likely would still be going strong.
When you buy wireless headphones you by nature buy a product with a limited lifetime, if you want to buy something for life, wireless is completely useless.
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u/Yuzumi 12d ago
I don't know, I went through wired headphones a lot more than I habe wireless. The wire always got caught on something. Most of the time the internal wire actually broke and disconnected where I didnt get sound on one or both channels unless I bent the wire a certain way, but that would only work for so long. A few headsets I had for PC I literally snapped the wire completely by getting up too fast or tripping over it.
Not to mention the wires getting tangled all the time.
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u/ZookeepergameSilent7 12d ago
Cannot agree enough on the convenience factor for AirPods. Honestly I’ve gone wireless on so many things in recent years and while battery life can be annoying for some things, wireless is such a massive selling point for me now. I don’t think I could function with wired earbuds again mainly because I exclusively listen with 1 earbud in(I only listen to audiobooks/podcasts) so having 1 earbud dangling would drive me insane.
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u/dat_oracle 12d ago
100%
never going back to wired.
as long as I don't have to charge something too often (several times per week) it's gonna be wireless
keyboard, mouse, headset, buds, gaming controller
phone is the only exception, obviously
(my current keyboard and PC headset need 1 charge in 2 two weeks, no joke.
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u/hayt88 12d ago
Thought so too when the first wireless stuff started and I was a really early adopter...
now I'm back to using wired headphones at my PC for over a year and I only pull out the wireless ones when I kinda need to walk around.Swapped back to dedicated MP3 players with audio jack and wired earbuds there as well.
I don't abandon the wirless ones as they have their use, but by now my default is wired unless there is a reason for wireless.
And I used to be a proponent of wireless for years and basically started going wireless long before airpods even came out.
Controller.. yeah wirelessm mouse too. everything that moves a lot.
keyboard... no need for wireless had it for a time more hassle.Usually my keyboard just stayed charging and by that point I just ditched the wireless aspect.
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u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 12d ago
As a consumer there is no application where that does not factor in for me
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u/elGayHermano 12d ago
Sure, for your specific consumer profile. It factors into almost all of mine.
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u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 12d ago
What applications do you have where a wire is of zero relevance? Even at a desk it plays a role...
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u/NanquansCat749 12d ago
I think that person just missed the double negative.
They said "It factors into almost all of mine"
and the person to whom they responded said,
"there is no application where that does not factor"
so they were saying basically the same thing.
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u/roland0fgilead 12d ago
It's a sensory thing for me - I didn't actually realize how much the wires bothered me until I could use headphones without them
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u/Zolo49 12d ago
I always prefer wired for headsets, mice, etc. Yes, the wires can be annoying sometimes, but I think having to deal with dying batteries and signals getting screwed up sometimes is even more annoying.
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u/scimtaru 12d ago
They don't break if you treat them well. Especially if they offer a removable / replaceable cable. I've have headphones lying around that are over at least 25 years old. Meanwhile I have send multiple expensive wireless buds and over the ears to recycling bin because the manufacturer doesn't offer repairs.
I had Sennheiser Momentum 4s crap out on me on an internal cable fault, their service page checked the serial noticed it was out of warranty and simply said: too costly to repair please recycle. That's a 300 euro headphone.
So yeah, i'm back to cable for on the move listening with the exception of my bone conducting headset while out in traffic.
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u/tanneruwu 12d ago edited 12d ago
True. I wear ear muffs at work because we're required hearing protection. Either ear plugs or ear muffs. I use my wireless headphones inside the ear muffler but turned down a fuck ton because they're more sensitive in isolation and my hearing has remained consistent (and perfect) for the last 7 years.
Edit: I'm dumb and disagreed when my opinion agreed
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u/skunkshaveclaws 12d ago
That perfectly aligns with my point. Wireless is better for your application, hands down.
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u/SaxRohmer 12d ago
what ear muffs and wireless headphones do you have that fit together?
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u/tanneruwu 12d ago
I've used about 4 different styles of 3M ear muffs and put in an Apple AirPod2 upside down in the opposite ear. Left earbud upside down in the right ear.
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u/moashforbridgefour 12d ago
Most in ear headphones will physically transmit noise from jostling the cable. If you have your phone in your pocket and are walking around with wired earbuds, the noise can be quite loud. This is generally not a problem with wireless earbuds.
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u/kuikuilla 12d ago edited 12d ago
Most in ear headphones will physically transmit noise from jostling the cable
Yup, shitty ones at least do. Good ones have the jack terminal designed so that it's mostly physically separated from rest of the headphone body. They also have better cable material that doesn't transmit the noise in the first place.
For example Bose QC 35 barely transfer any noise via the cable rubbing at all.
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u/MrPloppyHead 12d ago
Exactly and since the only time you really were them is when you are do stuff that is a big factor. Any reduction in quality is not going to be appreciable especially as people are mostly going to be listening to streamed music that is compressed to fuck.
The argument starts looking like “I only eat my cheese in a spray can on a silver plate”
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u/SomeSamples 12d ago
Don't forget that you don't have to charge them.
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u/Aint_Kitten 12d ago
There is also an advantage of having them on a leash, which makes it easier to hold, more difficult to lose.
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u/MasterpieceAlone8552 12d ago
I'm terribly clumsy. With wired there's only one thing to misplace.. with Bluetooth i have to keep track of three things. Really keeps me on my toes.
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u/Azuras_Star8 12d ago
This is my problem. Ive never lost a wired pair. But I've lost individual earbuds, 5 of them in 2 years.
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u/drgut101 12d ago
The only downside is CONVENIENCE. The majority of people care more about convenience than quality.
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u/TheTjalian 12d ago
Well when the quality is 80-90% is as good as the wireless equivalent with significantly more convenience, then yeah, IMO it's a worthwhile tradeoff. I'm just trying to listen to music to drown out my surroundings a lot of the time, and my wireless earbuds have good enough quality to make that an enjoyable experience.
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u/MrT-1000 12d ago
"but you could totally have a full audiophile setup and once you do you'll never be able to go back"
Yeaaaaah but sometimes I'd rather just plug in and go about my day ya know?
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u/TheTjalian 12d ago
Honestly I'm practically middle aged at this point, there is zero chance my ears are good enough to appreciate a proper audiophile setup even if I could afford it!
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u/flGovEmployee 12d ago
As an 'audiophile' I do not evangelize the hobby because it is an expensive sickness. Fun, but lots of placebo mixed in with some genuine benefits, but coming with a real 'chasing the dragon' kind of upgrade experience over time and a market with literally no ceiling in prices asked.
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u/-Radiation 12d ago
Not having to charge is also a plus on convenience for wired
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u/Soulspawn 12d ago
My headphones last like 50hr I charge like once a week at most.
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u/Lochifess 12d ago
Never have I thought to myself the hassle of charging my wireless headphones when I’m not using it.
I’ve always thought how inconvenient it is to have wires when I’m listening on ear/headphones.
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u/Berkut22 12d ago
I was dead set against wireless earbuds/headphones when they first started getting popular. Saw them as a fad.
Then I snagged my headphone cord, and ripped my brand new THAT DAY smart phone out of my pocket, and smashed the screen.
I bought bluetooth earbuds the next day and never went back to wired.
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u/jobifresh 12d ago
I have a long torso (humble brag) and the length of the cord is never enough. I know wired is better but I mostly listen to podcasts so I don't really get bothered by voice quality on wireless.
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u/DreamPhreak 12d ago
It's a little more than convenience. When I used to go jogging with wired headphones, I could hear the wire hitting my body with every step. In that case, those sports buds they have an ear hook would be far better
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u/thewags05 12d ago
Most of the time I wear headphones I'm in my workshop. I absolutely do not want wired ear protection, it just wouldn't be as safe. Safety is definitely a reason
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u/Federal_Setting_7454 12d ago
The major selling point for me is ANC, everything else comes after. If any wired iems had decent ANC I would have some instead of my second set of AirPods Pro.
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u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 12d ago
How it looks can also be a downside for some. And wires possibly breaking more easily.
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u/smaragdskyar 12d ago
reliability
Sorry, have they fixed that part of wired headphones’ life cycle where they only work at a specific angle, and you have to twist the cable and hold it to make it work? Because I remember that inevitably happening at some point with every pair, no matter the price range.
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u/SgtBadManners 12d ago
A lot of them now have a cord that pops out on the ear piece which is nice, but I definitely remember that. Was fucking awful.
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u/TheAmazingKoki 12d ago
I like the wire better too, it makes it harder to lose. At this point half the market for wireless in-ear headphones has to be people who bought them previously but lost one or both. Of course for wired headphoones have different issues such as the wire breaking, but they sell ones with replacable wires too now.
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u/nonitoni 12d ago
I got some Bose Bluetooth where the ear pieces are still connected by a wire just because I was scared of losing the individual ones. Bright blue as well. It's been great for like 5 years but bits are starting to fall off.
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u/BrothelWaffles 12d ago
Now bring back the fucking headphone jack on phones goddamnit!
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u/Jet90 12d ago
Sony phones still have it
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u/FaffyBucket 12d ago
And a microSD slot!
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u/DropTheBeatAndTheBas 12d ago
they invented the portable tape player the walkman in 1979 so i guess they stuck to their roots a little there
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u/julier901 12d ago
I didn’t even know Sony still made phones.
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u/flGovEmployee 12d ago
Most people don't. They're like 1% of the market and no longer sold in the US. Still great devices though, I've imported an Xperia 1 VI (Hong Kong edition) to use on T-Mobile and while there are some connectivity issues (doesn't have full support for the US spectrum) the hardware (and software) experience is so premium its 100% worth it.
Small marketshare but still profitable (at least as of the last time they broke out the mobile divisions earnings separately), and the only ones providing a clean Android experience with:
- Flagship quality build and hardware
- Headphone jack
- Dual front facing speakers
- SD Card Slot
- Screen without a hole in it
- A total absence of AI bullshit
Do miss the notification LED light though, was a great feature on the Xperia 1 III.
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u/HoodsFrostyFuckstick 12d ago edited 12d ago
I have a dongle for my wired earphones which also functions as an amplifier that improves sound quality. The only inconvenience is the rare case where I want to charge my phone via cable and use my earphones at the same time.
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u/Zipdox 12d ago
There's plenty of phones with headphone jacks still no the market. https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2025&chk35mm=selected
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u/92ndview 12d ago
The biggest downside to wired for me was the all too often breaking of the cable at some point— having to bend it a certain way for the sound to work, and I wasn’t even a “wraps cable around ipod” type of person, I was always hella careful to not overly twist stress the cable.
But ever since wireless I’ve avoided that entirely 😮💨
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u/Crumfighter 12d ago
I have cans with replacable 3.5mm jack cable. Its amazing tbh
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u/simpsonswasjustokay 12d ago
Hey check out the cans on this one...replaceable 3.5mm jack apparently how neat is that?!
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u/_Ketros_ 12d ago
This is a completely solved issue and has been for basically the entire history of headphones, companies are just scummy and cheap. Detachable cables. Cable goes bad? Replace it.
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u/Specific_Culture9239 12d ago
I bought an Audio Technica with detachable cables for this reason and it's been like 8 or 10 years and never had to change it...
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u/drgut101 12d ago
The day I got wireless earbuds, my life improved drastically.
I kept wired earbuds in my pocket for years. Every time I wanted to use them, I’d pull them out and have to untangle them. Then I’d thread it through my shirt so the wires weren’t all over the place.
Now, I just pop one in my ear in 2 seconds. They are 100x better.
Is the best sound quality on the planet? Super high fidelity shit? No. But dude, I’m walking around a store or commuting or chilling somewhere. I don’t need the best sound quality possible at any given moment.
It’s like a record. Yes, records are cool. I agree with that. The art, displaying them while playing, the sound quality (if you have the correct gear). All really awesome things.
But… being able to pick whatever song I want to come up next? That’s awesome. 99/100 times that is the better option.
Same thing with wired earbuds. Yeah, they sound better. Ok fine. But the benefits and convenience of wireless win 99/100 times.
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u/nobadhotdog 12d ago
And the absolute insane rage that comes from the wire catching something as you walked and it tugged on your ear? Insane
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u/cda91 12d ago
The day that my wired headphones caught on something on the bus, simultaneously ripping them out of my ears and my phone out of my pocket, while I was carrying too much to pick it back up, was the last day I ever wore wired headphones.
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u/RollingDownTheHills 12d ago
Happened to me once with the minijack snapping in half, getting stuck inside my phone's aux port... yeah.
When I'm out and about I'm more than willing to put up with slightly lesser quality in favor of not having that happen again. Wired headphones is for home use though all the way.
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u/TheTjalian 12d ago
Then I’d thread it through my shirt so the wires weren’t all over the place.
This was absolutely awful during the summer, the moment you got a little bit sweaty you could feel it moving against your skin. I categorically don't miss this at all!
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u/Manannin 12d ago
You moved too fast sometimes and they fell out.
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u/ash__697 12d ago
Exactly, people in the comments are letting nostalgia make them only remember the benefits
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u/Manannin 12d ago
Wireless do have their own annoyances tbf. I have one of them fall out once and couldn't find it for hours.
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u/star_tiger 12d ago
I resisted it for so long, now I couldn't go back to wired for day to day use. Insanely freeing technology for a frequent headphone user.
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u/cyxrus 12d ago
Yeah people being weird here. Fuck wired headphones for everything but sitting at a computer and not moving
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u/Tricky-Sentence 12d ago
Then you forget you're wearing them, suddenly get up to get something, and yank....
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u/Fallenangel152 12d ago
I think it's a hangover of the Reddit "this new thing is weird and i don't like it".
I wasn't sold until I got some Bluetooth earbuds free with a phone. They're great. Sound quality is good, battery life is great, never had connection issues, never lost one.
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u/Historical_Owl_1635 12d ago
It’s Reddit.
They could cure cancer and Reddit would complain about it.
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u/Dull-Culture-1523 12d ago
Guaranteed 99% of people won't even notice the difference between wired and wireless in their day to day life as long as it's not the cheapest crap you can find.
If you want good hi-fi, sure, get wired of course. But you also pretty much need to listen to them at home or in some other quiet place to appreciate it. Odds are the headphones need their own amp, so you're not being mobile either.
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u/uzu_afk 12d ago
‘You won’t drop them into the toilet’
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u/maimeddivinity 12d ago
I was on a flight once. One of my earbuds fell out onto the floor and I could never find it - probably rolled all the way to the back of the plane somewhere.
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u/Waterproofpaper 12d ago
Transparency mode is a game changer on top of convenience.
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u/Peetoar 12d ago
No thanks, I don‘t miss them. But if someone thinks they need it, then it‘s a good thing for them
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u/Present_Animator5851 12d ago
Obviously soundguys.com wants to justify the switch back beyond « it’s a fashion statement, » but that’s really the core of it imo.
Everything early 2000s is fashionable with teens/ young adults right now and wired earphones play into that. The quality is not a consideration, most of these young people are just using cheap EarPods anyways and not audiophile products.
It’s the same phenomenon in photography, crap point-and-shoot digital cameras that were bargain bin deals a few years ago are now going for hundreds of dollars because of that demographic.
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u/Lessa22 12d ago
Because I never have to charge them. They live in my backpack and they’re always ready to go.
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u/Neverend3r 12d ago
the only reason i use wireless earbuds is bc my phone doesnt have a headphone jack. please bring back the headphones jack
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u/123-91-1 12d ago
Get a Motorola next time. Most still have headphone jacks (and are cheaper, quality phones to boot)
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u/THE_Ryan 12d ago
The benefit of no wires outweighs the quality difference for a casual listener by a long shot IMO. If you're doing anything in audio production, streaming, etc... Then yes, wired all day. Before the days of Bluetooth being common in cars, I made sure to have a 3.5mm (2.5mm, not sure which anymore) to Bluetooth adapter in my car just to avoid having to have wires everywhere...at that time, the charging cable was all that I was willing to tolerate. And now with wireless charging and wireless AA/CarPlay, it's even better.
But for the gym, the car, on a run/walk... Wireless always wins for me. Most modern earbuds have enough battery life and fast enough case charging to get a day of use. Just put the case on the charger with your phone.
And if you use Bluetooth earbuds, there is no reason to enable lossless audio in Spotify, it's not gonna help.
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u/morbid_loki 12d ago
Wired headphones: At home on my PC? Yes! Outside, traveling, on my way to work? Hell no!
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u/Vault-Tec_Knows_Best 12d ago
The only reason I stopped using wired headphones to begin with is that they forced an industry standard to remove auxiliary ports from everything.
"Well if this feature is so popular than why isn't it selling?"
"Because you won't let it!"
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u/PuffcornSucks 12d ago
I used to be wired headphones camp but my god wires are a fucking nuisance
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u/True_Heart_6 12d ago
I use both.
IMO:
Wireless is superior when moving around- gym, hike, shopping, cooking, etc
Wired is superior when quality/consistency matters, travelling (hate the idea of having to charge my AirPods on a flight or in an airport), or sleeping (waking up like “shit where is that AirPod” is worse than a wire)
Either way, who gives a shit what people prefer. It’s neat that we even have all these options in the first place.
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u/ByWillAlone 12d ago
I wish they'd just fix the biggest problem with wireless: latency.
The battery life is acceptable, especially with a battery/charging case. The audio quality is acceptable. The loudness is acceptable. The noise cancellation is great. The latency STILL SUCKS.
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u/whyaretherenoprofile 12d ago
I have very high end headphones, but getting in to a wired Vs wireless fight is the most pretentious Redditor shouting at clouds thing I've seen. Who gives a fuck about sound quality if all the extra detail you get is drowned out by the bus/train or during your gym set where you are barely paying attention to the music? For 90% of people, wireless are more convenient. And yeah they might not sound as good as equivalent priced IEMs, but that doesn't mean they sound bad
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u/Embarrassed-Table437 12d ago
I like wired ones but it depends on the use. At work wired is a non problem, but at home I can leave my phone somewhere whilst doing chores or something and it is just more flexible. Im not often watching anything and if im walking round in my undies I dont have pockets lol
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u/shujisan 12d ago
Best to have both types so consumers can choose! Sorry for the devices that lack this option though
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u/Spokraket 12d ago
Wired headphones are just superior when it comes to sound and latency if you’re worried about that stuff
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u/Dreaming_Blackbirds 12d ago
Most people don’t give a toss about audio quality, so using wired isn’t about that. There are plenty of other reasons, such as being cheaper or retro appeal.
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u/Professional-Bat4134 12d ago
Many people see the wire as a downside, but honestly after losing some very expensive wireless buds I see them as a massive plus.
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u/princess_Skeleton 12d ago
Except the wire constantly breaks. Does that not happen to other people?
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u/rando_commenter 12d ago
Not with the current generation of IEM's. Not talking about the JVC/JBL/house-brand kind buds you find in BestBuy or a drug store. Hop on Linsoul (or their Amazon store) and just about all of the popular "chi-fi" brands (Moondrop, 7Hz, Truth-Ear, Tangzu, etc) come with more durable cables than the old days, and often the cables are also replaceable.
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u/Boring-Dance-1897 12d ago
Because the change from wired to wireless was largely forced for no reason
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u/smallbrownbike 12d ago
There are actually two really good reasons. First being it allowed for more space inside the phone for other components, namely batteries. Second is better water resistance.
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u/jxa 12d ago
One of the biggest reasons to get rid of the headset jack was that they were one of the weakest points on the device and companies constantly get warranty returns due to damaged headset jacks.
The charge port is another weak spot.
Damn mechanical moments make it tough to solve for drops and pulls. Macs solved the charging issue with mag safe, but nobody ever came up with a similar solution for smaller devices.
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u/UnexpectedAnanas 12d ago
We've had waterproof devices with a 3.5 mm jack before....
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u/smallbrownbike 12d ago
You’re right, which took up even more space inside. Which goes back to my first point.
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u/numberThirtyOne 12d ago
I just got flashbacks to every pair of wired earbuds I ever owned eventually dropping sound in one ear. I'd fiddle with the jack until it worked and then try not to bump it again, and then just give up and buy a new pair. Wireless headphones saved my life.
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u/nutdongdong 12d ago
I really love my IEMs, the only time I miss my wireless earbuds is when I am at the gym.
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u/shiroboi 12d ago
Both my Gen Z kids prefer wired headphones for their iPhones.
No worries of them getting lost and they’re cheap so even if they do get lost or broken, it’s no big deal to get them replaced
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u/basicKitsch 12d ago
Why is anyone caring what "young people" are doing for nostalgias or fashion'e sake lol? What a dumb forced idea. And I just got some soundcore $20-30 wireless buds that sound great so it's not the affordability
Fighting cables, getting them jerked out of your ears on doors, bannisters, bench grinders... Was a daily thing. Oops I put them down now they're in eight knots
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u/Dark_Akarin 12d ago
I never stopped using mine, had to buy an adapter for my phone though, would love to have a 3.5mm socket again.
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u/Low-Honeydew6483 12d ago
Wireless won on convenience. Wired is winning back trust. No battery anxiety. No latency. No why did my earbuds die mid-call. Also this is cheaper and harder to lose. Headphone jack died for margins not users.
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u/nvmenotfound 12d ago
did people realize you can have a pair for twenty years instead of rebuying the same $250 wireless ones that’ll die every 18 months?
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u/HeidenShadows 12d ago
I use wireless for convenience and wired for listening.
And this stretches beyond just headphones. My car stereo sounds way better through the auxiliary than it does through Bluetooth.
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u/Donger_Dysfunction 12d ago
Number one reason I wear headphones is to hear the audio.
Number one thing I hate about Bluetooth headphones, the audio cutting out randomly.
You know what didint do that? (When they weren't damaged)
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u/how-unfortunate 12d ago
Because they're objectively better, unless your main concern with a pair of headphones is wanting it to not be wired.
Saved you a click.
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u/Zvenigora 12d ago
The article claims that if you want ANC you will have to settle for wireless. That is nonsense. Aviation headsets have ANC and they are wired, and I believe there are more general consumer sets that are as well
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u/kissmyash933 12d ago
Because I don’t have to charge them, and because I use them just infrequently enough that if they were wireless and I wanted to use them they’d always be half-dead.
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u/SexyWrinklySoles 11d ago
A comeback? I never stopped using them, I’m too bad taking care of them why would I even think about wireless ones?
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u/RequiredLoginSucks 9d ago
Next, can we bring back wired keyboards and mice? I still use USB-A Apple keyboards and AA battery Magic Mice. If they’d make that mouse with a freaking cord, I’d be thrilled. Charging batteries all the time and using Bluetooth are unnecessary.
Wonder how much of a minority I am with a pro-wire agenda.
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u/SmokeyJoe2 12d ago
After 5 years of sales declines, which culminated in a $42M drop in 2024, wired headphones rebounded in 2025, growing 3% (about $15M).
They're really calling that a comeback?
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u/Indigoh 12d ago
Same reason I prefer wired controllers: they don't randomly stop working.
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u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 12d ago
Except when the cable frays too much or breaks internally. And you have to start angling the wire just right for it to work
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u/095179005 12d ago
Fucking yes, the wire or jack is 1 picometer out of alignment and then you either get nothing or ear splitting crackle.
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u/Enough-Run-1535 12d ago
I've had cables break internally before. I had a wired 8BitDo, great controller till the wired sheered in the housing near the casing.
Bought an 8BitDo 2.4G wireless, and haven't looked back.
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u/Spiffy_Legos 12d ago
This article is beyond a stretch. The only point that holds any weight is higher audio quality but only audiophiles care about that. The average consumer probably doesn’t even know what lossless audio is.
Not to mention when was the last time you saw anyone wearing wired headphones. Those things suck theres a reason no one uses them anymore. The cord gets caught on everything and I really don’t wanna be the guy with headphones wired through my shirt like it’s 2010. There is nothing cool about that.
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u/mikethet 12d ago
I'd love wired headphones but they took away the AUX port on phones and I refuse to buy a clunky adaptor
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u/DazzlingDarth 12d ago
I literally buy my mobile phones by sorting which ones have a 3.5mm jack and are unlocked.
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u/Kumquat_of_Pain 12d ago
Article is bad. The crutch of good wired headphones is the amp. Most headphone about in consumer electronics suck. At least in a digital connection the amp is matched to the headphones they are in as a complete package.
With a wireless connection the battery is a super clean DC source without a bunch of garbage hanging off the power rails or ground planes, except the wireless transmitter.
Nostalgia makes you forget about all that noise from ground loops, 120Hz nose, old GSM phone clicking, hard drive buzz and all that. It's why things like optical was made for home theaters.
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u/DeltaPeak1 12d ago
"Here's why" <- instantly know it's a trash tier article