4 ms·

Bluetooth headphones are a solution in search of a problem.

by beedogs 10y ago

jonlucc 10y ago
I disagree. I work in a lab (biology), and I listen to podcasts, books, and music for a large part of most days. I currently use wired headphones, but the cord tugs at them all day. In addition, wires get caught. Just today, I was stooping down to put something on the bottom shelf of a freezer, and when I started to stand up, the cord caught on my knee and yanked the headphone right off my ear. This kind of thing happens to me daily. If there were a good, long-lasting (battery-wise), decent sounding pair of headphones, I'd gladly jump on board.
- jdietrich 10y ago
  Run the cable down the back of your shirt, secured at the collar with a bobby pin.
  - jonlucc 10y ago
    I have to take them on and off a lot for various meetings and encounters. There is probably some solution, but wireless is likely to be the most simple, in my opinion.
- revelation 10y ago
  Well.. why are you using headphones connected some place not on your body? The dichotomy isn't "wireless" or "long cable to some stationary box", it's "wireless" or "in-ear to music player in your pocket".
  - jonlucc 10y ago
    Why would you assume I was attached to a stationary box? The headphones go to my phone in my pocket, but there's still extra cord that doesn't stay in my pocket if I put it there.
rcthompson 10y ago
I disagree. Having wireless headphones is a lot more convenient and wired headphones for some use cases, such as exercising, where the cord tends to get tangled up with either you or the exercise equipment you're using. More generally, not having to plug things in is obviously more convenient than having to plug them in, all other things being equal. The problem is that the user experience of Bluetooth is absolutely terrible. Every BT device I've used is plagued by frequent disconnects, and it's somewhere between hard and impossible to use a single BT device with multiple other devices (e.g. headphones with both phone and laptop). I own and regularly use a number of BT devices, but I use them because the benefits of being wireless outweigh the considerable frustration of using Bluetooth.
HCIdivision17 10y ago
And almost immediately found: sometimes wires are annoying. It's not hard to think of scenarios where it's nice to have a wireless connection to your mobile device. For me, it's simply easier to wear them while on a motorcycle, since otherwise I have to thread the wire under my clothes, which can be a real mess in the winter layers. It's positively infuriating to have a wire get caught and tug an earbud while fully suited up with a helmet on while on a highway in the winter.
manarth 10y ago
There are reports that the market for wired vs wireless shifted in favour of wireless back in June 2016 [1]. Perhaps Apple looked at the market, saw the direction it was going in, and chose to focus on the majority, encouraging growth in that direction. [1] https://9to5mac.com/2016/07/28/npd-wireless-headphones-sales/ https://9to5mac.com/2016/07/28/npd-wireless-headphones-sales...
NPSpace 10y ago
I disagree. I box for sport, and I prefer to listen to my own music when hitting the heavy bag. Wraparound bluetooth headphones are the way to go because I can leave my device in my duffel bag several feet away.

Bluetooth headphones are a solution in search of a problem.

by beedogs 10y ago

Bluetooth headphones are a solution in search of a problem.

I disagree. I work in a lab (biology), and I listen to podcasts, books, and music for a large part of most days. I currently use wired headphones, but the cord tugs at them all day. In addition, wires get caught. Just today, I was stooping down to put something on the bottom shelf of a freezer, and when I started to stand up, the cord caught on my knee and yanked the headphone right off my ear. This kind of thing happens to me daily. If there were a good, long-lasting (battery-wise), decent sounding pair of headphones, I'd gladly jump on board.

jdietrich 10y ago
Run the cable down the back of your shirt, secured at the collar with a bobby pin.
- jonlucc 10y ago
  I have to take them on and off a lot for various meetings and encounters. There is probably some solution, but wireless is likely to be the most simple, in my opinion.
revelation 10y ago
Well.. why are you using headphones connected some place not on your body? The dichotomy isn't "wireless" or "long cable to some stationary box", it's "wireless" or "in-ear to music player in your pocket".
- jonlucc 10y ago
  Why would you assume I was attached to a stationary box? The headphones go to my phone in my pocket, but there's still extra cord that doesn't stay in my pocket if I put it there.

rcthompson 10y ago

I disagree. Having wireless headphones is a lot more convenient and wired headphones for some use cases, such as exercising, where the cord tends to get tangled up with either you or the exercise equipment you're using. More generally, not having to plug things in is obviously more convenient than having to plug them in, all other things being equal. The problem is that the user experience of Bluetooth is absolutely terrible. Every BT device I've used is plagued by frequent disconnects, and it's somewhere between hard and impossible to use a single BT device with multiple other devices (e.g. headphones with both phone and laptop). I own and regularly use a number of BT devices, but I use them because the benefits of being wireless outweigh the considerable frustration of using Bluetooth.

HCIdivision17 10y ago

And almost immediately found: sometimes wires are annoying. It's not hard to think of scenarios where it's nice to have a wireless connection to your mobile device. For me, it's simply easier to wear them while on a motorcycle, since otherwise I have to thread the wire under my clothes, which can be a real mess in the winter layers. It's positively infuriating to have a wire get caught and tug an earbud while fully suited up with a helmet on while on a highway in the winter.

manarth 10y ago

There are reports that the market for wired vs wireless shifted in favour of wireless back in June 2016 [1]. Perhaps Apple looked at the market, saw the direction it was going in, and chose to focus on the majority, encouraging growth in that direction. [1] https://9to5mac.com/2016/07/28/npd-wireless-headphones-sales/ https://9to5mac.com/2016/07/28/npd-wireless-headphones-sales...

NPSpace 10y ago

I disagree. I box for sport, and I prefer to listen to my own music when hitting the heavy bag. Wraparound bluetooth headphones are the way to go because I can leave my device in my duffel bag several feet away.