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This isn't a Vinyl vs CD thing where a clearly inferior technology lives on due mainly to sentimental reasons. There are a number of concrete advantages to wir

by beloch 7mo ago

This isn't a Vinyl vs CD thing where a clearly inferior technology lives on due mainly to sentimental reasons. There are a number of concrete advantages to wired headphones over bluetooth headphones. - They don't need charging. Charging may seem like a minor inconvenience, and we're used to charging a lot of devices. However, even a minor inconvenience is still an inconvenience. - They're harder to lose. When Apple almost immediately started selling accessories to connect their airpods together (i.e. Cables), it was pretty obvious that going completely cordless was not entirely superior. - For an equivalent price point, wired headphones produce higher quality audio, and the top-end is a lot deeper. - Wired cans don't need to pair, don't glitch out, don't become laggy, pair with the wrong device, etc.. Bluetooth was never really meant for use as an audio connection, and it's never really become 100% foolproof. With Apple's proclivity for proprietary standards, I'm amazed they (or others) haven't rolled their own wireless audio standard by now. Too many android phones copied Apple and ditched the venerable audio jack, but a few kept it, and I've always insisted on it when buying phones. It's old but far from obsolete.

adzm 7mo ago
And latency!! Anything that needs to be real time is impossible without wired headphones. Even the lowest latency wireless is noticeable.
- fixxation92 7mo ago
  This is the big one for me, I hate all that lag with bluetooth, signal interference, and constantly wondering which device my headphones have connected to. So much easier for so many reasons, with a wire!
- maccard 7mo ago
  Real time covers a lot of different things, and have a lot of different solutions. Do you mean real time like games? “Wireless” headsets are perfectly fine and usable. Real time audio? Wireless transmitters and receivers exist and are used (granted with wireless in-ears but IMO that’s mostly so the don’t fall out) at the absolute highest level of audio production and live events. You definitely can’t just say wireless isn’t used for real time.
  - vnorilo 7mo ago
    The wireless used for pro audio is never bluetooth, however.
    - maccard 7mo ago
      Oh absolutely. The wireless for gaming headsets isn’t Bluetooth either. If your argument is Bluetooth isn’t suitable for real time, I’m on board - I’d even go further and say Bluetooth isn’t suitable for anything other than fire and forget. Gaming headsets are usually 2.4GHz wireless, and pro audio stuff is ~500-800MHz and the proper stuff requires a wireless license to use.
  - g947o 7mo ago
    I think we are talking about Bluetooth devices/use cases within the consumer world. Real time audio exists for sure. But it doesn't use Bluetooth, and nobody here cares about it, not to mention the amount of investment needed for equipment. This is just being pedantic.
- lotsofpulp 7mo ago
  I’ve been using AirPods on audio and video calls for many years now, and I notice no latency. Same with my bluetooth mouse.
  - strix_varius 7mo ago
    Try using them to play a twitchy game and you'll notice.
- fhcbix 7mo ago
  Not trying to argue against your point, but most of the Bluetooth latency comes from the codec, not from it being wireless. Bluetooth LE Audio comes with LC3 which supports a codec latency of as little as 2.5 ms.
  - summm 7mo ago
    Yeah but many devices still do not support it, and if they support it, then badly, or they hide it. There is not even a USB-Bluetooth adapter that would enable LE Audio on Linux. (Besides the hacky ones that contain a full Bluetooth stack and present as USB-Audio, but those come with their own problems.)
- perilunar 7mo ago
  > real time is impossible without wired Surely you can do real-time with analog RF?
autoexec 7mo ago
Bluetooth also opens your devices up to spying/tracking/monitoring/hacking/fingerprinting.
gucci-on-fleek 7mo ago
FWIW, Bluetooth LE Audio [0] solves most of these problems in my experience. Battery life is way better, pairing is almost instant, you can connect to multiple devices simultaneously, the latency is almost imperceptible, etc. The sound quality is still worse than wired, but it's close enough that it doesn't bother me personally. Very few headphones support BLE Audio, and you need to enable some experimental Bluez flags for it to work on Linux, but both of these should improve with time. But it makes such a huge difference that I'd argue that it's worth the effort, even right now. [0]: https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enhancements/le-audio/ https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enha...
- blululu 7mo ago
  Just to be clear the parent is still 100% correct that wired headphones: * Do not need charging * Are hard to lose. * Offer better audio * Never glitch out with pairing. BLE Audio offers lower need for charging and better (but not equivalent) audio. So 2/4 are not as bad with BLE Audio (and arguably only 1 since you still need to charge). The other two 2/4 are related to the form factor. Wireless headphones have advantages but they are not the decisive winner.
  - yallpendantools 7mo ago
    Is BLE the only way for Bluetooth to have multiple connections? I'm no audiophile but in my experience, the audio quality noticeably drops when multiple devices are connected (I've only ever had at most two at a time). I reasoned out that the bits were being divided so `quality /= 2` as well. I've only ever done this accidentally so I can't be certain the connection was really over BLE. Granted, I've only ever done multiple connections on Linux so maybe it's a Linux problem.
    - gucci-on-fleek 7mo ago
      > Is BLE the only way for Bluetooth to have multiple connections? I think (?) that it's possible with Classic Bluetooth too, but like everything else with Classic Bluetooth, it's kinda buggy and unreliable. > I'm no audiophile but in my experience, the audio quality noticeably drops when multiple devices are connected (I've only ever had at most two at a time). I haven't personally noticed any audio quality difference with two devices connected over BLE, but I've never tried to play audio simultaneously from two sources. My phone and my laptop both auto-connect to my headphones, so I usually have two devices connected simultaneously, but I only ever play audio from one at a time.
scarecrowbob 7mo ago
I work with a lot of audio in a professional capacity. You're correct if you're saying that neither tech is universally "teh best". And you're correct that wired phones have a lot of advantages. Tack on that they don't have latency, though I've never really tried to track vocals on wireless cans. I have a pretty nice collection of what I consider to be quality mid-tier stuff for my studio (hd280, dt770, mdr7506, k240), and I think they mostly sound better and I can use them longer than I can use the various wireless stuff I use. And the "real" UHF wireless audio I use professionally (well, to collect rather than listen to audio) is very reliable and good sounding but also, like, $1000/ch once it's cased and cabled and properly accessorized. However, for almost all of my day to day listening I use either airpods or a some bluetooth'd 3M ear muffs. I even went back to airpods after going through both wired and other wireless solutions. I don't enjoy having my in-ears ripped out along with my pocket. And universally the cord ends and the physical connector on my phone are the weak spots that have had me replace stuff- I haven't bought a phone in the 5 years since I got one that could charge wirelessly and never has phones plugged into it, and I don't intend to get another one any time soon (knock on wood that my case keeps the screen from breaking and needing me to repair it). I have a bluetooth receiver with an analog out that I keep in my workbox, which I used for program music at a show tonight. It's nice to start my truck and my podcast just starts playing, too, without having to get out my phone and plug it in. You're right that wired stuff is better for some things. I still find wireless stuff to be superior in a lot of situations.
- kuschku 7mo ago
  > Tack on that they don't have latency, though I've never really tried to track vocals on wireless cans The truth is that the OS usually hides the latency of wireless heapdhones, e.g. airpods, by delaying video to keep it in sync. The real latency is somewhere around 100-400ms if the RF environment is crowded. Even worse is that the latency isn't actually constant, but drifts all the time. At many IT conferences organized by hackspaces, everything is done by volunteers, including broadcast and video/audio postproduction. And that is actually one of the most common issues: our volunteers use wireless headphones even if we ask them repeatedly not to. We cut talks in postproduction primarily based on audio, e.g., when does the applause start/end, when does the speaker's introduction start/end, etc. Obviously, that doesn't work reliably if the audio latency is nondeterministic. Even worse, as different venues have different audio setups, there are sometimes real audio/video sync issues that need to be fixed. But if our volunteers are using wireless headphones, they won't just set the wrong offset, but they end up trying to fix issues that don't even exist. And then you get complaints from viewers that e.g. the livestream audio/video is out of sync, even though it's not. The issue turns out to be caused by the viewer's laptop and wireless headphones not supporting the latency compensation technique I explained earlier. And there's nothing we can do about that. Wireless headphones tried to fix something that wasn't broken, and made it worse. In German, we'd call that "verschlimmbessern".
loeg 7mo ago
> With Apple's proclivity for proprietary standards, I'm amazed they (or others) haven't rolled their own wireless audio standard by now. Can you imagine Europe's reaction? They'd fine Apple to the moon -- no innovation allowed unless it interoperates with other products that don't exist yet.
- an_guy 7mo ago
  > interoperates with other products that don't exist yet. Are you claiming no other wireless earphones exist other than apples'??
  - charcircuit 7mo ago
    That would implement Apple's proprietary protocol. He thinks Europe would think Apple is creating a monopoly for themselves for iPhone headphones since no other company could implement the protocol without Apple's approval.
    - raw_anon_1111 7mo ago
      iPhones work with any BT headphones.
      - charcircuit 7mo ago
        But other BT headphone manufacturers wouldn't be able to get the ultra low latency / sound quality / perfect device switching / etc.
- mstipetic 7mo ago
  Oh yes, Europe bad, regulation bad. Maybe add some nuance to your thinking.
  - deleted 7mo ago
    [deleted]
- 7mo ago
ahhhhnoooo 7mo ago
Vinyls are not necessarily the inferior technology. Given the choice, I'd prefer to play vinyl in some cases. In social settings vinyl's short length and need to be flipped creates a dynamic social environment. Someone has to regularly choose new music to play, acting with intent to do so. Someone has to regularly walk to the machine. These create dynamism and flow. CDs are much longer, and less tactile. There's less of the my turn your turn, who is going to flip the thing. They sound worse, if clarity is your goal. And they are huge and wear out. I agree with you 99%, I just wanted to point out that across some dimensions they are the superior technology.
- sambapa 7mo ago
  Vinyl is for plebs, hiring troubadours for your party is the way.
  - meekins 7mo ago
    Please recommend a troubadour who knows the Neat Records, Guardian Records n' Tapes and Heavy Metal Records singles catalogues and I'm sold :)
    - sambapa 7mo ago
      Known repertoire is a function of BAC only.
- dijit 7mo ago
  This is like saying “Candles are superior to lightbulbs because they burn out quicker and thats an advantage in some situations”. I’m not sure how, its an aesthetic choice but an inferior technology by every metric that counts. Candles still have a place, we still buy them, but we can’t reasonably call them superior either- even if, candles actually would have a real advantage of not requiring power. Vinyl doesn’t even have that.
  - bob1029 7mo ago
    You have to look beyond the audio engineering on this one. Using constrained mediums on purpose is often how the best artistic expression is achieved. For example, if the artist knows their channel is noisy and band-limited they can get a lot more liberal with the kinds of samples they use throughout. CD/SACD is kind of like 4K for television. The medium becomes so transparent that it causes upstream shocks in every other part of the process. You can no longer rely on the camera or audio chain to cover it up (unless you hobble yourself intentionally).
rienbdj 7mo ago
I agree but stuck with Apple ecosystem. I like the cheap wired lightning headphones they do. The audio quality is acceptable on public transit, they’re cheap enough to lose and the mic is surprisingly good. Weirdly if Apple stopped making these I would jump ship for an Android phone with 3.5mm.
- pfortuny 7mo ago
  But you have wired earpods, both lightning and usb-3. I cannot be happier with those for my iphone and ipad, resp.
  - rienbdj 7mo ago
    My bad, meant USBC - used to have Lightning
shortercode 7mo ago
All valid points, but I don’t miss having a tangle of wire in my pocket or that wire failing after a couple of months meaning I have to get a new set of headphones.
- kelnos 7mo ago
  I have a set of IEMs that I bought at least 8 years ago, and they still work fine. And the wire is even replaceable, though I haven't needed to do so. If your wired headphones are only lasting a couple months, then likely you're buying at a price point where quality suffers. Agree with the tangle of wire, though.
  - gonlad_x 7mo ago
    I'm looking for long lasting iems myself -- the bunny ears that I recently bought had the cables die on me pretty fast. What are your recs ?
    - homebrewer 7mo ago
      Anything from Etymotic never failed me. The current ER3 SE has been going for 7 years, and the cable is replaceable (when/if it fails — they're still on the original cable). All Etys have a peculiar love/hate neutral sound profile, so you should try them before committing to them. I exclusively listen to podcasts, so they're a perfect match.
    - craftkiller 7mo ago
      I have the Shure SE215 which has a replaceable cable.
      - vladvasiliu 7mo ago
        I also have a pair of Shure IEMs, some 15-16 years old. They still work great, but I've been through at least 2 cables with them, plus an additional 3rd party Lightning cable. I've then switched to BT and couldn't be happier. Yeah, paying a tad bit more for earphones with replaceable cables pays dividends. A cable doesn't cost much, and you also get much better sound quality (which has to count, right? Since BT sound quality often comes as an argument).
ratmeadow 7mo ago
What annoys me the most is that the industry collectively decided that 3.5mm jacks are obselete, removing the option of using wired headphones, for no(?) good reason. We could at least agree that wired and wireless each have their own pros and cons, but no, we're shoehorned into wireless because corporate decided it. Here, you must use <NEW TECH> simply because we said so! It's just the peak of trend following bullshittery and represents a lot of what is wrong with capitalist society.
- crote 7mo ago
  > removing the option of using wired headphones I am personally a fan of wired headphones with USB-C connectors. I am only ever going to use it with my phone, laptop, or desktop anyways - and all of they have at least one USB-C port. In theory it could also be the best option for audio quality: if you move the DAC all the way to the headphone itself you minimize the length of the analog chain, which should also reduce the possibility for it to pick up any kind of noise or interference. Additionally, the DAC can be perfectly tuned to compensate for any imperfections in the headset itself, which should result in a better audio output than a random 3.5mm headphone paired with a random external DAC. The obvious downsides are that you lose any kind of influence on the audio signal itself by forcing you to use a specific DAC, that the integrated DAC is yet another component which can break and be basically impossible to replace, and that a 3.5mm plug is far less likely to break than a USB-C one. On the absolutely high end you probably want headphone and DAC separate, but for a Teams call or some casual on-the-go Spotify a fully integrated mid-tier headset / headphone seems to be the better option to me.
  - vladvasiliu 7mo ago
    > that the integrated DAC is yet another component which can break and be basically impossible to replace Meh. If you want your headphones to last for ages, you could go just a bit higher end and get a pair with a replaceable cable. Then you can just swap the cable with the integrated DAC, regular 3.5 mm jack, or whatever. I used to have a lightning cable for my Shure IEMs, worked great until the cable developed the usual problems around the connector, just like your regular analog cables. I then bought a BT adapter for the same headphones and never looked back. I've had them for 15-16 years now, still work as good as new. The BT dongle is something like 6 years old, and the battery still holds a good charge. My adapter is a bit of a pain nowadays since it's the last thing I have that uses micro-USB for charging. I hear Shure has released newer adapters with USB C and no wires at all. But that's too expensive to replace something that still just works.
atoav 7mo ago
Wired headphones are infinitely more durable when good. I had a single pair of Sennheiser HD25II for 16 years now and I use them to run 16km a week, often in the rain.
HPsquared 7mo ago
They have no latency, which is essential for gaming.
MrDresden 7mo ago
> "Too many android phones copied Apple and ditched the venerable audio jack" I understand this is a personal preference, but I never understood the anger some people had over the removal when it's as easy as just using a small USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack converter to use wired headphones.
- swiftcoder 7mo ago
  Part of it is jack longevity. I've never had a headphone port die on me, but I have multiple old phones with dead lightning or USB-C ports...
  - criddell 7mo ago
    I’ve had lots of them break. Sometimes the jack was only attached to the board via solder joints which eventually break from fatigue.
- jahnu 7mo ago
  I tried the Apple one for a while but it’s badly shielded and picks up interference a lot. I mean really obvious buzzing sounds if near certain sources of RF. Switched to wired ear buds with a lightning connector and no interference issues. So I’m sad I can’t plug in my high quality headphones or hook up my phone to my mixer when I want without having noise.
- crote 7mo ago
  Why would you want to carry around an additional dongle? It's just one more thing which you can forget and which can break.
- jasode 7mo ago
  >when it's as easy as just using a small USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack converter to use wired headphones. As someone who uses wired earphones exclusively and must use those USB-C adapters you suggest, it's not quite "just as easy" because there are several problems: - it's an extra $10 dongle to buy and potentially lose. I've lost several of them over the years - adds more mechanical stress to the USB-C jack. The office Apple USB-C 3.5mm adapter protrudes out from the phone and I've had several close calls with the wire getting snagged on a door knob which can damage the USB-C port. I've never been comfortable with this Rube-Goldberg dongle contraption that adds more risk to damaging a $1000 phone. It's a fear I never had with the built-in 3.5mm jack on my old iPhone 5. There are 3rd-party right-angle USB-C to 3.5mm on Amazon (including magnetic ones) but the ones I tried interfere with phone cases and they don't sound as good. (Apparently Apple uses a more premium DAC chip in their USB-C adapter.) - can't simultaneously charge the phone while listening unless you buy a different USB-C adapter that has both 3.5mm input and a USB-C passthrough charging port. These are bulkier. - it's an extra dongle that's easy to forget. I once got on a transatlantic flight and realized that I forgot my USB-C earphone adapter at home. I panicked and dreaded the idea of nothing to listen to for 8 hours but I was luckily saved by a friend that didn't need to use hers and let me borrow it. Why can't I just leave the USB-C dongle connected to the 3.5mm 100% of the time so there's nothing to forget?!? Because I often need to connect the earphones to things that don't need the adapter. With all those drawbacks, I still use the USB-C adapters because I have to. But it has definitely made life more complicated.
jjav 7mo ago
> They don't need charging. This is it. I have a lot of wireless headphones and every time I need to use one, it isn't charged. It's very exhausting and I don't want to deal with that. So I use them as wired headphone if possible, or dump them in the discard pile if not.
- Gigachad 7mo ago
  Why do you have a lot? I have one pair of AirPods and I don’t think it’s ever gone flat on me. I have to charge it less than once a week and it gives me a long notice period before.
  - NikolaNovak 7mo ago
    Not the op but for me - Different headphones for different purposes. For convenience and casual on the go listening, or to not annoy anybody, I'll use earbuds or light headphones. If I really want to enjoy music I'll take the big ol' cans (circimaural open-back), lie back, and enjoy the music fully. Etc. (And I'm extremely not an audiophile! But big roomy headphones are super comfy and sound super nice to me :). If I'm on zoom calls all day I want something lightweight but with a boom microphone (massive Grrrr! To everybody joining meetings with airpods). etc. I'm an extreme example but I have a few different boom-mic headsets in my home office for work, gaming headphones, running around headphones, and listening to music headphones. All of that at a teeny fraction of price people used to spend on basic entry level home hifi setup.
    - Gigachad 7mo ago
      For calls, I use airpods but set the mic to my macbook which seems to have an exceptionally good mic as long as there isn't much background noise.
      - NikolaNovak 7mo ago
        Background noise is the key part though - without a directional boom microphone, people rely on dsp/ai to deal with wind, dogs, kids, TV in other room, loud keyboards, rustling paper, etc, and it never works perfect / always has trade offs. For people who join online meeting once in a blue moon, ehh, whatever. For people who are on online meetings hours a day, good headset with a boom mic seems like the price of entry - but I understand I'm in the minority on that one :-).
bobthepanda 7mo ago
Honestly I don't find these days bluetooth to a mobile device that bad. However, some of the other devices in my home are absolute crap with bluetooth headphones, particularly my windows desktop and my steam deck.
raw_anon_1111 7mo ago
I have a AirPods Pro. But I also travel a lot and I have a pair of $60 Beats Flex that have a 12 hour battery life and if they fall out, they just fall around my neck. I also bought a third party pair of double flange ear tips that are better noise cancelling for flights than my AirPods. Pairing has been a solved problem for decade now with Apple devices. I pair my AirPods Pro or Beats with one Apple device by pressing a button and they are automatically paired with my iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and AppleTV and switch seamlessly between them. Bluetooth was never meant to be used as an audio connection? While the original standard didn’t support A2DP, it was a part of the standard in 2003? All Apple headphones support standard BT protocols.
- randycupertino 7mo ago
  > I have a pair of $60 Beats Flex that have a 12 hour battery life and if they fall out, they just fall around my neck. Exactly!! After losing an airpod into the depths of a Polaris seat and another one having to beg the guy behind me to find it on the floor I gave up my airpods for flights it was so annoying how often they fall out.
porker 7mo ago
I've yet to find a set of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds that don't have a level of background hiss that I can hear. Particularly for spoken word, it's annoying and distracting.
nemo44x 7mo ago
Sentimental sure but there’s also a lot of music that was never properly remastered for digital so the vinyl distribution does in fact sound better.
- nemo44x 7mo ago
  I live this site - down votes even though it’s 100% true. There are TONS of old recordings that don’t even have masters anymore and the digital versions are ripped from a vinyl copy. There’s entire communities around this.
blep-arsh 7mo ago
I also prefer open-back over-the-ears and there just aren't many wireless options for that.
FpUser 7mo ago
>"Too many android phones copied Apple and ditched the venerable audio jack, but a few kept it, and I've always insisted on it when buying phones. It's old but far from obsolete" Same here but I did not have a single phone that after a while did not develop a problem with quality of contact leading to problems with sound starting from mild and going to awful. It is better now after I started to use USB-C based headphones. Wireless - way too much overhead for me to manage. The only wireless audio I really use is Cardo headset when riding my EUC
ghaff 7mo ago
I actually keep an old pair of (good) noise canceling ear buds for travel. Even with retainers I don't really like using my Bluetooth AirPods on a plane. Aha, located them for an upcoming trip.
NikolaNovak 7mo ago
- they last forever. I still have sennheiser hd380 pro cans from 25 years ago that sound great. - cannot overstate lack of lag and simplicity. You plug in and it works, perfectly, every time, forever. - easily switch devices. I use my headphone on my phone, tablet, laptop, Synthesizer, Groovebox etc without a blink. And my phone never stops playing music and connects to our car my wife just started the way bluetooth ones do :-) - to me, it's like email. Icq, aim, msn messenger come and go, yet email is old and boring but survives. There's absolutely a time and place for wireless headphones and I probably use them more at this point. But killing 3.5mm from phones has been a Massive annoyance.
- doubled112 7mo ago
  I prefer wired ones, mostly playing devil’s advocate here. Every pair of cheaper earphones or earbuds I’ve had fail have failed due to the cable. We switched my oldest to a pair of BT headphones because he seems incapable of keeping track of the cord. It gets caught, he pulls, and something has to give. Longest lasting set he had in 2025 was BT.
  - hamdingers 7mo ago
    Going cheap is the problem here, good earbuds and headphones have replaceable cables. I'm the same way as your oldest, if I'm up and moving around while wearing earbuds/IEMs I run the cable through my shirt.
  - tjoff 7mo ago
    Expensive headphones have much higher quality cables...
    - deleted 7mo ago
      [deleted]
  - andoando 7mo ago
    Same. Either the jack fails or the one of the buds stops working or the cable on one side of the buds gets cut somehow.
throw0101c 7mo ago
> This isn't a Vinyl vs CD thing where a clearly inferior technology lives on due mainly to sentimental reasons. "Half of Vinyl Buyers in the US Don’t Have a Record Player, New Study Shows": * https://consequence.net/2023/04/half-vinyl-buyers-record-player-study/ https://consequence.net/2023/04/half-vinyl-buyers-record-pla... Seems that people are buying records not to listen to, but to use an 'art object', or other type of artefact to publicly show their like and support of the artist(s) in question.
- hshdhdhj4444 7mo ago
  A lot of people buy vinyls for the albums art.
  - kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 7mo ago
    I'd say buy a poster instead, but it just now occurs to me that they're likely not displaying them full-time, and the LP has the advantages of being a uniform size and made of stiff cardboard for easy storage and retrieval. So I guess it actually makes sense.
seniortaco 7mo ago
I think a big part of the reason is that there is only one wireless option -Bluetooth- and it is a terrible product from a user experience perspective. It's 2026 and I still can't move through my world with earbuds in without my audio randomly switching to my wife's car in the driveway or our Bluetooth speaker that is on upstairs.
- happyopossum 7mo ago
  > only one wireless option -Bluetooth- and it is a terrible product from a user experience perspective That’s an implementation problem, not a technology problem. iPhone with AirPods here - your scenario just does not happen. There’s even an option for “yes be stupid and connect to my car even when I’m in the middle of a phone call” if you really want to use it…
  - dwood_dev 7mo ago
    No, it happens even with AirPods Pro/Pro2. I have two iPhones and a MBP. I have to keep Bluetooth disabled on the MacBook otherwise it randomly triggers while I'm between podcasts or whatever and squeeze the AirPods to resume, instead it launches Apple Music, or some browser tab starts playing audio. This is far from solved if you have more than one Apple device. There is no option for me to say: never use AirPods for anything but podcasts, and absolutely never automatically select them as an audio source for zoom/teams. AirPods microphones just don't work for my vocal range, they sound horrible and underwater. The microphone on my MBP works great, the mic on my iPhones works great. AirPods are fine if you only ever use one device at a time. If you use more than one at the same time, it becomes extremely annoying. Let's not even get into the annoying ways which it becomes hard to manage when you have multiple AirPods, multiple iPhones, and multiple MacBooks.
  - michaelchisari 7mo ago
    If a spec is regularly implement poorly, the spec is the problem.
  - cptskippy 7mo ago
    > ...your scenario just does not happen. It happens to us all of the time. My partner is on a conference call, I hop in the car to go run an errand. Suddenly I'm on a conference call. My partner is in the kitchen listening to a podcast, I hop in our other car and suddenly I'm listening to a podcast. My partner is sitting in the car having a driveway moment, I arrive home with the other car and now I'm having her driveway moment. My partner is on a conference call at her desk and picks up her phone to respond to a message and then you hear "shit shit shit, hold on a moment!" and then frantic typing and clicking.
throwaway894345 7mo ago
> However, even a minor inconvenience is still an inconvenience. I do not miss spending 30 seconds untangling my headphones every time I used them nor do I miss trying to find clever ways to wind my headphones back up so as to minimize the likelihood of them becoming tangled. If someone solved this problem well I would use them, but putting my airpods on a charger once a week is a much lesser inconvenience IMHO.
ashdksnndck 7mo ago
> - They don't need charging. Charging may seem like a minor inconvenience, and we're used to charging a lot of devices. However, even a minor inconvenience is still an inconvenience. I’ve always found it more convenient to keep the headphones plugged in when I’m not using them then when I am. The cord is not going to get tangled when it’s not attached to my body, and aren’t going to unplug themselves sitting on a shelf. Different strokes though.
amelius 7mo ago
> Wired cans don't need to pair, don't glitch out Cables can wear out. You can get a wire break.
- odo1242 7mo ago
  All good wired headphones and earbuds (“IEMs”) have replaceable cables. And the ones that don’t are super cheap.
  - amelius 7mo ago
    I once had a wire break in the cable that goes from the left can to the right can (not the external cable).
    - odo1242 7mo ago
      You can get that in wireless headphones too though? Most of those have a similarly shaped cable that goes across the headphones; there’s not a separate Bluetooth receiver on each side.
Minor49er 7mo ago
Analog formats are clearly inferior to digital ones, but analog speakers are superior to digital ones?
- hananova 7mo ago
  Digital speakers don’t exist. No matter how the signal gets there, the end result is wiggling air in an analog process.
  - Minor49er 7mo ago
    Clearly I'm talking about the digital signals sent wirelessly here
dehrmann 7mo ago
I compared the mic quality of Airpods Pro 2, Airpods 4 ANC (similar), and freebie Apple 3.5mm wired earbuds. The earbuds won. My limited research suggested either 1) compression and transmission take a lot of power, so the Airpods don't do as good of a job as something with a bigger battery can afford to, 2) the mic position is worse, or 3) Bluetooth doesn't have enough bi-directional bandwidth for two good signals.
- pxoe 7mo ago
  4) The Bluetooth standard is just kinda bad. Technically there should be enough bandwidth for better quality audio, but the existing profiles like headset mode drop audio quality down to 8-16 kHz sampling rate in mono, not just for mic but for audio you're listening to as well. It's a huge flaw and it's been bad for decades with seemingly no improvement at all (at least certainly not in a way that could be widespread and commonly used). It's so bad you'd almost wish for a brand new wireless connectivity or wireless audio standard, or even resort to some proprietary 2.4 GHz nonsense, because it's genuinely so horrid. You could have the best most expensive headphones in the world, but because of Bluetooth and its ancient profiles and mic support it's gonna have baseline absolute garbage mic quality no matter what.
  - dehrmann 7mo ago
    I tested with a Macbook, so I'm a little surprised Apple didn't do proprietary magic to fix it.
- odo1242 7mo ago
  I tested this and based on my testing it’s (3). The AirPods microphone actually gets (slightly) better in quality if you don’t play something through the speakers while using it. Even then the 3.5mm ones were better tho
pavlus 7mo ago
* They don't need charging, but you will hear static regularly when attaching/detaching/touching things. Also, they pick up RF interference (TBF, BT ones also drop packets in RF-noisy environments, but they seem to be more resistant to it) * They are harder to lose, but the ones with non-detachable cords need repairing the cord if it rips, which happens frequently. Never happened with BT headsets I own. * For BT headphones with detachable cord I agree, that BT channel reduces quality slightly, compared to cord on the same device. It's not as bad as vinyl/tape, though. You have a chance to notice it on lossless. but not regular MP3s. * Wired don't need to pair, but need your awareness of the current relation between the cord and your body and surroundings, otherwise you will be constantly re-attaching them, or ripping cords. They don't glitch or lag, but pick static and RF. Wireless is really convenient, if you can afford headphones that last a full day, or a pair of them to switch between and don't have many sources of sound to play to the same headset, even at different times. There are own standards that skip BT and use analog RF to skip the lag and drops (with a dongle), but they too have the issue with RF interference. You either can have digital with lag and rare drops, or instantaneous analog with frequent noise without drops.
- fao_ 7mo ago
  > (TBF, BT ones also drop packets in RF-noisy environments, but they seem to be more resistant to it) I've experienced the opposite. The microwave will knock out my bluetooth completely, but the wired headphones are solid but in a decade of using both wired and wireless headphones I've never heard anything weird or staticy through the wired ones. My wired headphones were the Shure SE215, and now after a decade of using those they broke, so I have the Kiwi Ears Belle.
  - pavlus 7mo ago
    Your microwave is leaky, and/or not grounded, but since you don't experience static, I assume you have grounding at your house. Without grounding static and mains hum is quite noticeable. Try touching the body of your pc and listen how silence changes in wired headphones.
    - 7mo ago
SoftTalker 7mo ago
Yep, Bluetooth just sucks. I don't use it for anything, and it's disabled on my phone.
deleted 7mo ago
[deleted]
sandreas 7mo ago
Here are some lesser known facts about wired headphones that I wish I had known earlier: - there are TRS (3 rings) and TRRS (4 rings) connectors - TRRS has integrated mic, also ofen implements playback control via buttons - Apple headphones volume controls won't work on non-apple devices, because they implement a proprietary protocol based in an ultrasonic chirp authentication chip[1] - 1more headphones seem to have implemented this auth protocol, but it does not work reliably - Headphone remotes on apple devices have tap codes (in my opinion a huge benefit), that can be used to play/pause (.) next chapter / track (..) prev(...) fast forward (._) rewind (.._) even navigate menus (_, then + or -) ---- legend ---- .=click _=hold +-=vol - The same tap codes are also implemented on hardware buttons (e.g. iPod) - while fast forward and rewind only work for devices iPod Nano 6th or later (iPod Classic 2009 only has next and prev) - Apples USB-C 3.5 Adapters work with Android and iPhones and all headphones, Android does only implement play/pause and volume - headphones remotes are fundamentally broken on Android because Google reserves longpress (button hold) for voiceover - there are also balanced (often 4.4mm) outputs for much higher quality, often used in high res daps from fiio or shanling, etc 1: https://tinymicros.com/wiki/Apple_iPod_Remote_Protocol https://tinymicros.com/wiki/Apple_iPod_Remote_Protocol
- saysjonathan 7mo ago
  Technically TRS only has one ring (Tip Ring Sleeve) and TRRS only has two rings (Tip Ring Ring Sleeve). It does have four separate contacts though, separated by bands.
  - sandreas 7mo ago
    That's correct... I meant this more visually :-)
- 4k93n2 7mo ago
  i use an android app called keymapper (by sds100) that lets you remap the volume buttons so that a long press will change the track. my wired earbuds only have 1 button on the in-line remote but the app can detect the button being pressed whether its a single, double tap or long press, and you can just assign whatever you want to them
squarefoot 7mo ago
When the internal non replaceable battery dies the product dies; that's also one reason to prefer wired over wireless. I wrote product instead of headphones because the principle is applicable to every product whose battery can't be replaced by design. All those discarded single use vapes are a good example of that, and... surprise! All of them actually contain rechargeable cells but no recharging circuitry and port, the reason being that rechargeable Lithium cells are much cheaper than primary non rechargeable ones because of economies of scale. Just another example of greed being so damn efficient at producing e-waste.
- 4k93n2 7mo ago
  it will be interesting to see what the consensus is 50 years from now when people have more hindsight on this. how long will a wireless headset last until the battery no longer holds a charge, and if its only something like 10 years then that means someone is having to buy 4 or 5 headsets over the course of their whole life instead of 1 or 2 cheaper wired headsets theres also the issue of whether the wireless protocols that are in use now will still be supported in 50 years. removing the headphone jack from phones was mostly just a money grab to force people to buy wireless headsets so i wouldnt be surprised to see other tactics in the future where support is dropped for older versions of bluetooth, or whatever gives them a slight uptick in sales
latexr 7mo ago
> It's old but far from obsolete. Apple themselves know this. Every MacBook, no matter how few ports it has and how “non-pro” it is, ships with a headphone jack.
tjoff 7mo ago
Longevity! The headphones I have on me are 15 years old. Batteries degrade quickly, especially in consumer products that does everything in their power to boost the spec sheet but sacrifice longevity.
heraldgeezer 7mo ago
I always try to use wired mouse and keyboard and headset at a PC for this reason. Charging. 0 reason to use wireless. For mobile devices I can understand it and do use it.
the_snooze 7mo ago
The 3.5mm audio jack is pretty close to engineering perfection on the important dimensions: cheap, fast, and good. Getting rid of it in favor of Bluetooth-only audio connectivity is creating a problem to sell you a (more expensive, less reliable, less time-tested) solution.
mchusma 7mo ago
I occasionally use wireless, but 90% of the time I prefer wired for this reason. Reliable, simple, harder to lose, no charging, easier to connect. I just done think the wires are a problem for me, sometimes a benefit, sometimes a mild inconvenience.
Waterluvian 7mo ago
- no latency. They’re actually usable when playing video games.
pjmlp 7mo ago
Another point you missed, the microphones also have better quality, they don't get all the surrounding noises as most wireless ones.
VerifiedReports 7mo ago
Also you get reliable sound quality. The DACs in the iPhones were always decent. Now you have no idea what kind of quality you're going to get from a given listening device. Plenty of them are noisy POSes; my girlfriend had a Belkin adapter that had automatic gain (!) and would ramp up to blast hiss through the car stereo during quiet segments... and sometimes even during non-quiet ones. The phones will always have to have DACs in them, to drive their speakers if nothing else. Denying customers a physical connection to them is just a dick move.
WhyNotHugo 7mo ago
OTOH, with Bluetooth headphones I can stand from my desk and stretch, or rest my eyes focusing on something while standing next to the window — without interrupting whatever I'm listening to. I can also freely move around the house while listening to music or any podcast. Carrying my laptop around would hardly be convenient. I do have a pair of wired headphones which I rarely use. My laptop has ended up on the floor twice due to me standing and forgetting about the cable. I almost broke the plug another time when I stood up and they were still plugged to the desktop. As someone who's grown up with the comfort of wireless headphones, using wired headphones is like wearing headphones with an anchor. Honestly, I hate dealing with cables, even more having cables wrapped around me. I can't imagine being out on the street and having cables wrapped around me, connected to the phone in my bag or pocket, while trying to move around or use my arms in the usual way.
lexoj 7mo ago
They are much much lighter due to lack of batteries which makes them quite ergonomic.
xorcist 7mo ago
> Charging may seem like a minor inconvenience, It won't once they're five years old! I'm not against battery powered headphones, but I won't even take a second look at them if they don't have a battery type that is likely to be available in a decade or two, and isn't inconveniently glued shut. That leaves me very few options. When I find a pair of cans I like I'd like to keep them. The idea that my tools have planned their obsolensce in advance seems completely ridicolous to me. I would never buy a nice guitar if it had a lifespan shorter than my own, for example.
jinushaun 7mo ago
My second pair of AirPods is not even 2 years old yet and I don’t think it will last much longer. The first one died quickly too. My next headphones will be wired
retrac 7mo ago
> I'm amazed they (or others) haven't rolled their own wireless audio standard by now. They have. Apple has AirPlay and MFi which includes their own proprietary set of codecs and protocols for media streaming over a link similar to but not actually Bluetooth. Quite a few devices support it, such as my hearing aids. Also, while the new Bluetooth LE Audio shares the Bluetooth name, it's a completely new protocol for most intents and purposes; for example audio can be streamed one-way without pairing first, and it's surprisingly low latency (20 ms or so).
Fnoord 7mo ago
1) My Bluetooth over-ear headset can also do 3.5 mm. Detachable. My smartphone can do USB-C to 3.5 mm. 2) In-ears are comfortable to lie in bed with. Cables are unsafe here (compare with 'lost of earplug' argument). 3) Batteries need to be user serviceable (see iFixit), but so should cables be. See my point #1. 4) Not all Bluetooth protocols are equal, and pairing is a matter of a couple of seconds just like taking the headset or attaching the cable. 5) You can also make a wired headset wireless if the cable is modular. Small 3.5 mm to 3.5mm or USB and then usb2bt with a battery. 6) All headsets require maintenence in form of cleaning or replacing the (fake) leather. 7) Bluetooth has security issues. Tracking, for example, but also the stack is a security nightmare. You generally cannot physically replace the Bluetooth chip on client or peripheral, as they're usually baked in the hardware (e.g. in WLAN chipset of smartphone, tablet, laptop). Sometimes it is possible to use a modular device such as USB-C/USB-A. Then you can replace or add a stack. Each has their pros and cons.
alberto467 7mo ago
Higher sound quality? I'm not sure the DAC powering the wired headphones would be any better (at powering those specific headphones) that the one built into the wireless ones, that's a baseless claim. There is digital compression, but the original media you'll play will already be compressed, and good-enough digital compression is not noticeable unless you're using a good DAC with a good pair of studio headphones. If you're in professional audio production, get a decent DAC and something like the M50x headphones, if you want to play stuff off your phone, just use a wireless option.
Ferret7446 7mo ago
I used to be a stubborn wired only person, but I'm pretty fond of wireless now. All of the problems have improved as to be insignificant (pairing, quality, battery life), and not having to deal with wires is amazing, as my desk is enough of a rats nest as it is, and headphones are especially bad because it locks your head in place (e.g. you can't spin your chair or get up)
account42 7mo ago
> Too many android phones copied Apple and ditched the venerable audio jack, but a few kept it, and I've always insisted on it when buying phones. It's old but far from obsolete. Fortunately USB-C audio adapters are cheap and for headphones where the cable isn't permanently attached you can usually even get a replacement cable that plugs directly into the USB-C port of your phone.

by beloch 7mo ago

adzm 7mo ago

And latency!! Anything that needs to be real time is impossible without wired headphones. Even the lowest latency wireless is noticeable.

fixxation92 7mo ago
This is the big one for me, I hate all that lag with bluetooth, signal interference, and constantly wondering which device my headphones have connected to. So much easier for so many reasons, with a wire!
maccard 7mo ago
Real time covers a lot of different things, and have a lot of different solutions. Do you mean real time like games? “Wireless” headsets are perfectly fine and usable. Real time audio? Wireless transmitters and receivers exist and are used (granted with wireless in-ears but IMO that’s mostly so the don’t fall out) at the absolute highest level of audio production and live events. You definitely can’t just say wireless isn’t used for real time.
- vnorilo 7mo ago
  The wireless used for pro audio is never bluetooth, however.
  - maccard 7mo ago
    Oh absolutely. The wireless for gaming headsets isn’t Bluetooth either. If your argument is Bluetooth isn’t suitable for real time, I’m on board - I’d even go further and say Bluetooth isn’t suitable for anything other than fire and forget. Gaming headsets are usually 2.4GHz wireless, and pro audio stuff is ~500-800MHz and the proper stuff requires a wireless license to use.
- g947o 7mo ago
  I think we are talking about Bluetooth devices/use cases within the consumer world. Real time audio exists for sure. But it doesn't use Bluetooth, and nobody here cares about it, not to mention the amount of investment needed for equipment. This is just being pedantic.
lotsofpulp 7mo ago
I’ve been using AirPods on audio and video calls for many years now, and I notice no latency. Same with my bluetooth mouse.
- strix_varius 7mo ago
  Try using them to play a twitchy game and you'll notice.
fhcbix 7mo ago
Not trying to argue against your point, but most of the Bluetooth latency comes from the codec, not from it being wireless. Bluetooth LE Audio comes with LC3 which supports a codec latency of as little as 2.5 ms.
- summm 7mo ago
  Yeah but many devices still do not support it, and if they support it, then badly, or they hide it. There is not even a USB-Bluetooth adapter that would enable LE Audio on Linux. (Besides the hacky ones that contain a full Bluetooth stack and present as USB-Audio, but those come with their own problems.)
perilunar 7mo ago
> real time is impossible without wired Surely you can do real-time with analog RF?

autoexec 7mo ago

Bluetooth also opens your devices up to spying/tracking/monitoring/hacking/fingerprinting.

gucci-on-fleek 7mo ago

FWIW, Bluetooth LE Audio [0] solves most of these problems in my experience. Battery life is way better, pairing is almost instant, you can connect to multiple devices simultaneously, the latency is almost imperceptible, etc. The sound quality is still worse than wired, but it's close enough that it doesn't bother me personally. Very few headphones support BLE Audio, and you need to enable some experimental Bluez flags for it to work on Linux, but both of these should improve with time. But it makes such a huge difference that I'd argue that it's worth the effort, even right now. [0]: https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enhancements/le-audio/ https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enha...

blululu 7mo ago
Just to be clear the parent is still 100% correct that wired headphones: * Do not need charging * Are hard to lose. * Offer better audio * Never glitch out with pairing. BLE Audio offers lower need for charging and better (but not equivalent) audio. So 2/4 are not as bad with BLE Audio (and arguably only 1 since you still need to charge). The other two 2/4 are related to the form factor. Wireless headphones have advantages but they are not the decisive winner.
- yallpendantools 7mo ago
  Is BLE the only way for Bluetooth to have multiple connections? I'm no audiophile but in my experience, the audio quality noticeably drops when multiple devices are connected (I've only ever had at most two at a time). I reasoned out that the bits were being divided so `quality /= 2` as well. I've only ever done this accidentally so I can't be certain the connection was really over BLE. Granted, I've only ever done multiple connections on Linux so maybe it's a Linux problem.
  - gucci-on-fleek 7mo ago
    > Is BLE the only way for Bluetooth to have multiple connections? I think (?) that it's possible with Classic Bluetooth too, but like everything else with Classic Bluetooth, it's kinda buggy and unreliable. > I'm no audiophile but in my experience, the audio quality noticeably drops when multiple devices are connected (I've only ever had at most two at a time). I haven't personally noticed any audio quality difference with two devices connected over BLE, but I've never tried to play audio simultaneously from two sources. My phone and my laptop both auto-connect to my headphones, so I usually have two devices connected simultaneously, but I only ever play audio from one at a time.

scarecrowbob 7mo ago

I work with a lot of audio in a professional capacity. You're correct if you're saying that neither tech is universally "teh best". And you're correct that wired phones have a lot of advantages. Tack on that they don't have latency, though I've never really tried to track vocals on wireless cans. I have a pretty nice collection of what I consider to be quality mid-tier stuff for my studio (hd280, dt770, mdr7506, k240), and I think they mostly sound better and I can use them longer than I can use the various wireless stuff I use. And the "real" UHF wireless audio I use professionally (well, to collect rather than listen to audio) is very reliable and good sounding but also, like, $1000/ch once it's cased and cabled and properly accessorized. However, for almost all of my day to day listening I use either airpods or a some bluetooth'd 3M ear muffs. I even went back to airpods after going through both wired and other wireless solutions. I don't enjoy having my in-ears ripped out along with my pocket. And universally the cord ends and the physical connector on my phone are the weak spots that have had me replace stuff- I haven't bought a phone in the 5 years since I got one that could charge wirelessly and never has phones plugged into it, and I don't intend to get another one any time soon (knock on wood that my case keeps the screen from breaking and needing me to repair it). I have a bluetooth receiver with an analog out that I keep in my workbox, which I used for program music at a show tonight. It's nice to start my truck and my podcast just starts playing, too, without having to get out my phone and plug it in. You're right that wired stuff is better for some things. I still find wireless stuff to be superior in a lot of situations.

kuschku 7mo ago
> Tack on that they don't have latency, though I've never really tried to track vocals on wireless cans The truth is that the OS usually hides the latency of wireless heapdhones, e.g. airpods, by delaying video to keep it in sync. The real latency is somewhere around 100-400ms if the RF environment is crowded. Even worse is that the latency isn't actually constant, but drifts all the time. At many IT conferences organized by hackspaces, everything is done by volunteers, including broadcast and video/audio postproduction. And that is actually one of the most common issues: our volunteers use wireless headphones even if we ask them repeatedly not to. We cut talks in postproduction primarily based on audio, e.g., when does the applause start/end, when does the speaker's introduction start/end, etc. Obviously, that doesn't work reliably if the audio latency is nondeterministic. Even worse, as different venues have different audio setups, there are sometimes real audio/video sync issues that need to be fixed. But if our volunteers are using wireless headphones, they won't just set the wrong offset, but they end up trying to fix issues that don't even exist. And then you get complaints from viewers that e.g. the livestream audio/video is out of sync, even though it's not. The issue turns out to be caused by the viewer's laptop and wireless headphones not supporting the latency compensation technique I explained earlier. And there's nothing we can do about that. Wireless headphones tried to fix something that wasn't broken, and made it worse. In German, we'd call that "verschlimmbessern".

loeg 7mo ago

> With Apple's proclivity for proprietary standards, I'm amazed they (or others) haven't rolled their own wireless audio standard by now. Can you imagine Europe's reaction? They'd fine Apple to the moon -- no innovation allowed unless it interoperates with other products that don't exist yet.

an_guy 7mo ago
> interoperates with other products that don't exist yet. Are you claiming no other wireless earphones exist other than apples'??
- charcircuit 7mo ago
  That would implement Apple's proprietary protocol. He thinks Europe would think Apple is creating a monopoly for themselves for iPhone headphones since no other company could implement the protocol without Apple's approval.
  - raw_anon_1111 7mo ago
    iPhones work with any BT headphones.
    - charcircuit 7mo ago
      But other BT headphone manufacturers wouldn't be able to get the ultra low latency / sound quality / perfect device switching / etc.
mstipetic 7mo ago
Oh yes, Europe bad, regulation bad. Maybe add some nuance to your thinking.
- deleted 7mo ago
  [deleted]
7mo ago

ahhhhnoooo 7mo ago

Vinyls are not necessarily the inferior technology. Given the choice, I'd prefer to play vinyl in some cases. In social settings vinyl's short length and need to be flipped creates a dynamic social environment. Someone has to regularly choose new music to play, acting with intent to do so. Someone has to regularly walk to the machine. These create dynamism and flow. CDs are much longer, and less tactile. There's less of the my turn your turn, who is going to flip the thing. They sound worse, if clarity is your goal. And they are huge and wear out. I agree with you 99%, I just wanted to point out that across some dimensions they are the superior technology.

sambapa 7mo ago
Vinyl is for plebs, hiring troubadours for your party is the way.
- meekins 7mo ago
  Please recommend a troubadour who knows the Neat Records, Guardian Records n' Tapes and Heavy Metal Records singles catalogues and I'm sold :)
  - sambapa 7mo ago
    Known repertoire is a function of BAC only.
dijit 7mo ago
This is like saying “Candles are superior to lightbulbs because they burn out quicker and thats an advantage in some situations”. I’m not sure how, its an aesthetic choice but an inferior technology by every metric that counts. Candles still have a place, we still buy them, but we can’t reasonably call them superior either- even if, candles actually would have a real advantage of not requiring power. Vinyl doesn’t even have that.
- bob1029 7mo ago
  You have to look beyond the audio engineering on this one. Using constrained mediums on purpose is often how the best artistic expression is achieved. For example, if the artist knows their channel is noisy and band-limited they can get a lot more liberal with the kinds of samples they use throughout. CD/SACD is kind of like 4K for television. The medium becomes so transparent that it causes upstream shocks in every other part of the process. You can no longer rely on the camera or audio chain to cover it up (unless you hobble yourself intentionally).

rienbdj 7mo ago

I agree but stuck with Apple ecosystem. I like the cheap wired lightning headphones they do. The audio quality is acceptable on public transit, they’re cheap enough to lose and the mic is surprisingly good. Weirdly if Apple stopped making these I would jump ship for an Android phone with 3.5mm.

pfortuny 7mo ago
But you have wired earpods, both lightning and usb-3. I cannot be happier with those for my iphone and ipad, resp.
- rienbdj 7mo ago
  My bad, meant USBC - used to have Lightning

shortercode 7mo ago

All valid points, but I don’t miss having a tangle of wire in my pocket or that wire failing after a couple of months meaning I have to get a new set of headphones.

kelnos 7mo ago
I have a set of IEMs that I bought at least 8 years ago, and they still work fine. And the wire is even replaceable, though I haven't needed to do so. If your wired headphones are only lasting a couple months, then likely you're buying at a price point where quality suffers. Agree with the tangle of wire, though.
- gonlad_x 7mo ago
  I'm looking for long lasting iems myself -- the bunny ears that I recently bought had the cables die on me pretty fast. What are your recs ?
  - homebrewer 7mo ago
    Anything from Etymotic never failed me. The current ER3 SE has been going for 7 years, and the cable is replaceable (when/if it fails — they're still on the original cable). All Etys have a peculiar love/hate neutral sound profile, so you should try them before committing to them. I exclusively listen to podcasts, so they're a perfect match.
  - craftkiller 7mo ago
    I have the Shure SE215 which has a replaceable cable.
    - vladvasiliu 7mo ago
      I also have a pair of Shure IEMs, some 15-16 years old. They still work great, but I've been through at least 2 cables with them, plus an additional 3rd party Lightning cable. I've then switched to BT and couldn't be happier. Yeah, paying a tad bit more for earphones with replaceable cables pays dividends. A cable doesn't cost much, and you also get much better sound quality (which has to count, right? Since BT sound quality often comes as an argument).

ratmeadow 7mo ago

What annoys me the most is that the industry collectively decided that 3.5mm jacks are obselete, removing the option of using wired headphones, for no(?) good reason. We could at least agree that wired and wireless each have their own pros and cons, but no, we're shoehorned into wireless because corporate decided it. Here, you must use <NEW TECH> simply because we said so! It's just the peak of trend following bullshittery and represents a lot of what is wrong with capitalist society.

crote 7mo ago
> removing the option of using wired headphones I am personally a fan of wired headphones with USB-C connectors. I am only ever going to use it with my phone, laptop, or desktop anyways - and all of they have at least one USB-C port. In theory it could also be the best option for audio quality: if you move the DAC all the way to the headphone itself you minimize the length of the analog chain, which should also reduce the possibility for it to pick up any kind of noise or interference. Additionally, the DAC can be perfectly tuned to compensate for any imperfections in the headset itself, which should result in a better audio output than a random 3.5mm headphone paired with a random external DAC. The obvious downsides are that you lose any kind of influence on the audio signal itself by forcing you to use a specific DAC, that the integrated DAC is yet another component which can break and be basically impossible to replace, and that a 3.5mm plug is far less likely to break than a USB-C one. On the absolutely high end you probably want headphone and DAC separate, but for a Teams call or some casual on-the-go Spotify a fully integrated mid-tier headset / headphone seems to be the better option to me.
- vladvasiliu 7mo ago
  > that the integrated DAC is yet another component which can break and be basically impossible to replace Meh. If you want your headphones to last for ages, you could go just a bit higher end and get a pair with a replaceable cable. Then you can just swap the cable with the integrated DAC, regular 3.5 mm jack, or whatever. I used to have a lightning cable for my Shure IEMs, worked great until the cable developed the usual problems around the connector, just like your regular analog cables. I then bought a BT adapter for the same headphones and never looked back. I've had them for 15-16 years now, still work as good as new. The BT dongle is something like 6 years old, and the battery still holds a good charge. My adapter is a bit of a pain nowadays since it's the last thing I have that uses micro-USB for charging. I hear Shure has released newer adapters with USB C and no wires at all. But that's too expensive to replace something that still just works.

atoav 7mo ago

Wired headphones are infinitely more durable when good. I had a single pair of Sennheiser HD25II for 16 years now and I use them to run 16km a week, often in the rain.

HPsquared 7mo ago

They have no latency, which is essential for gaming.

MrDresden 7mo ago

> "Too many android phones copied Apple and ditched the venerable audio jack" I understand this is a personal preference, but I never understood the anger some people had over the removal when it's as easy as just using a small USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack converter to use wired headphones.

swiftcoder 7mo ago
Part of it is jack longevity. I've never had a headphone port die on me, but I have multiple old phones with dead lightning or USB-C ports...
- criddell 7mo ago
  I’ve had lots of them break. Sometimes the jack was only attached to the board via solder joints which eventually break from fatigue.
jahnu 7mo ago
I tried the Apple one for a while but it’s badly shielded and picks up interference a lot. I mean really obvious buzzing sounds if near certain sources of RF. Switched to wired ear buds with a lightning connector and no interference issues. So I’m sad I can’t plug in my high quality headphones or hook up my phone to my mixer when I want without having noise.
crote 7mo ago
Why would you want to carry around an additional dongle? It's just one more thing which you can forget and which can break.
jasode 7mo ago
>when it's as easy as just using a small USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack converter to use wired headphones. As someone who uses wired earphones exclusively and must use those USB-C adapters you suggest, it's not quite "just as easy" because there are several problems: - it's an extra $10 dongle to buy and potentially lose. I've lost several of them over the years - adds more mechanical stress to the USB-C jack. The office Apple USB-C 3.5mm adapter protrudes out from the phone and I've had several close calls with the wire getting snagged on a door knob which can damage the USB-C port. I've never been comfortable with this Rube-Goldberg dongle contraption that adds more risk to damaging a $1000 phone. It's a fear I never had with the built-in 3.5mm jack on my old iPhone 5. There are 3rd-party right-angle USB-C to 3.5mm on Amazon (including magnetic ones) but the ones I tried interfere with phone cases and they don't sound as good. (Apparently Apple uses a more premium DAC chip in their USB-C adapter.) - can't simultaneously charge the phone while listening unless you buy a different USB-C adapter that has both 3.5mm input and a USB-C passthrough charging port. These are bulkier. - it's an extra dongle that's easy to forget. I once got on a transatlantic flight and realized that I forgot my USB-C earphone adapter at home. I panicked and dreaded the idea of nothing to listen to for 8 hours but I was luckily saved by a friend that didn't need to use hers and let me borrow it. Why can't I just leave the USB-C dongle connected to the 3.5mm 100% of the time so there's nothing to forget?!? Because I often need to connect the earphones to things that don't need the adapter. With all those drawbacks, I still use the USB-C adapters because I have to. But it has definitely made life more complicated.

jjav 7mo ago

> They don't need charging. This is it. I have a lot of wireless headphones and every time I need to use one, it isn't charged. It's very exhausting and I don't want to deal with that. So I use them as wired headphone if possible, or dump them in the discard pile if not.

Gigachad 7mo ago
Why do you have a lot? I have one pair of AirPods and I don’t think it’s ever gone flat on me. I have to charge it less than once a week and it gives me a long notice period before.
- NikolaNovak 7mo ago
  Not the op but for me - Different headphones for different purposes. For convenience and casual on the go listening, or to not annoy anybody, I'll use earbuds or light headphones. If I really want to enjoy music I'll take the big ol' cans (circimaural open-back), lie back, and enjoy the music fully. Etc. (And I'm extremely not an audiophile! But big roomy headphones are super comfy and sound super nice to me :). If I'm on zoom calls all day I want something lightweight but with a boom microphone (massive Grrrr! To everybody joining meetings with airpods). etc. I'm an extreme example but I have a few different boom-mic headsets in my home office for work, gaming headphones, running around headphones, and listening to music headphones. All of that at a teeny fraction of price people used to spend on basic entry level home hifi setup.
  - Gigachad 7mo ago
    For calls, I use airpods but set the mic to my macbook which seems to have an exceptionally good mic as long as there isn't much background noise.
    - NikolaNovak 7mo ago
      Background noise is the key part though - without a directional boom microphone, people rely on dsp/ai to deal with wind, dogs, kids, TV in other room, loud keyboards, rustling paper, etc, and it never works perfect / always has trade offs. For people who join online meeting once in a blue moon, ehh, whatever. For people who are on online meetings hours a day, good headset with a boom mic seems like the price of entry - but I understand I'm in the minority on that one :-).

bobthepanda 7mo ago

Honestly I don't find these days bluetooth to a mobile device that bad. However, some of the other devices in my home are absolute crap with bluetooth headphones, particularly my windows desktop and my steam deck.

raw_anon_1111 7mo ago

I have a AirPods Pro. But I also travel a lot and I have a pair of $60 Beats Flex that have a 12 hour battery life and if they fall out, they just fall around my neck. I also bought a third party pair of double flange ear tips that are better noise cancelling for flights than my AirPods. Pairing has been a solved problem for decade now with Apple devices. I pair my AirPods Pro or Beats with one Apple device by pressing a button and they are automatically paired with my iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and AppleTV and switch seamlessly between them. Bluetooth was never meant to be used as an audio connection? While the original standard didn’t support A2DP, it was a part of the standard in 2003? All Apple headphones support standard BT protocols.

randycupertino 7mo ago
> I have a pair of $60 Beats Flex that have a 12 hour battery life and if they fall out, they just fall around my neck. Exactly!! After losing an airpod into the depths of a Polaris seat and another one having to beg the guy behind me to find it on the floor I gave up my airpods for flights it was so annoying how often they fall out.

porker 7mo ago

I've yet to find a set of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds that don't have a level of background hiss that I can hear. Particularly for spoken word, it's annoying and distracting.

nemo44x 7mo ago

Sentimental sure but there’s also a lot of music that was never properly remastered for digital so the vinyl distribution does in fact sound better.

nemo44x 7mo ago
I live this site - down votes even though it’s 100% true. There are TONS of old recordings that don’t even have masters anymore and the digital versions are ripped from a vinyl copy. There’s entire communities around this.

blep-arsh 7mo ago

I also prefer open-back over-the-ears and there just aren't many wireless options for that.

FpUser 7mo ago

>"Too many android phones copied Apple and ditched the venerable audio jack, but a few kept it, and I've always insisted on it when buying phones. It's old but far from obsolete" Same here but I did not have a single phone that after a while did not develop a problem with quality of contact leading to problems with sound starting from mild and going to awful. It is better now after I started to use USB-C based headphones. Wireless - way too much overhead for me to manage. The only wireless audio I really use is Cardo headset when riding my EUC

ghaff 7mo ago

I actually keep an old pair of (good) noise canceling ear buds for travel. Even with retainers I don't really like using my Bluetooth AirPods on a plane. Aha, located them for an upcoming trip.

NikolaNovak 7mo ago

- they last forever. I still have sennheiser hd380 pro cans from 25 years ago that sound great. - cannot overstate lack of lag and simplicity. You plug in and it works, perfectly, every time, forever. - easily switch devices. I use my headphone on my phone, tablet, laptop, Synthesizer, Groovebox etc without a blink. And my phone never stops playing music and connects to our car my wife just started the way bluetooth ones do :-) - to me, it's like email. Icq, aim, msn messenger come and go, yet email is old and boring but survives. There's absolutely a time and place for wireless headphones and I probably use them more at this point. But killing 3.5mm from phones has been a Massive annoyance.

doubled112 7mo ago
I prefer wired ones, mostly playing devil’s advocate here. Every pair of cheaper earphones or earbuds I’ve had fail have failed due to the cable. We switched my oldest to a pair of BT headphones because he seems incapable of keeping track of the cord. It gets caught, he pulls, and something has to give. Longest lasting set he had in 2025 was BT.
- hamdingers 7mo ago
  Going cheap is the problem here, good earbuds and headphones have replaceable cables. I'm the same way as your oldest, if I'm up and moving around while wearing earbuds/IEMs I run the cable through my shirt.
- tjoff 7mo ago
  Expensive headphones have much higher quality cables...
  - deleted 7mo ago
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- andoando 7mo ago
  Same. Either the jack fails or the one of the buds stops working or the cable on one side of the buds gets cut somehow.

throw0101c 7mo ago

> This isn't a Vinyl vs CD thing where a clearly inferior technology lives on due mainly to sentimental reasons. "Half of Vinyl Buyers in the US Don’t Have a Record Player, New Study Shows": * https://consequence.net/2023/04/half-vinyl-buyers-record-player-study/ https://consequence.net/2023/04/half-vinyl-buyers-record-pla... Seems that people are buying records not to listen to, but to use an 'art object', or other type of artefact to publicly show their like and support of the artist(s) in question.

hshdhdhj4444 7mo ago
A lot of people buy vinyls for the albums art.
- kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 7mo ago
  I'd say buy a poster instead, but it just now occurs to me that they're likely not displaying them full-time, and the LP has the advantages of being a uniform size and made of stiff cardboard for easy storage and retrieval. So I guess it actually makes sense.

seniortaco 7mo ago

I think a big part of the reason is that there is only one wireless option -Bluetooth- and it is a terrible product from a user experience perspective. It's 2026 and I still can't move through my world with earbuds in without my audio randomly switching to my wife's car in the driveway or our Bluetooth speaker that is on upstairs.

happyopossum 7mo ago
> only one wireless option -Bluetooth- and it is a terrible product from a user experience perspective That’s an implementation problem, not a technology problem. iPhone with AirPods here - your scenario just does not happen. There’s even an option for “yes be stupid and connect to my car even when I’m in the middle of a phone call” if you really want to use it…
- dwood_dev 7mo ago
  No, it happens even with AirPods Pro/Pro2. I have two iPhones and a MBP. I have to keep Bluetooth disabled on the MacBook otherwise it randomly triggers while I'm between podcasts or whatever and squeeze the AirPods to resume, instead it launches Apple Music, or some browser tab starts playing audio. This is far from solved if you have more than one Apple device. There is no option for me to say: never use AirPods for anything but podcasts, and absolutely never automatically select them as an audio source for zoom/teams. AirPods microphones just don't work for my vocal range, they sound horrible and underwater. The microphone on my MBP works great, the mic on my iPhones works great. AirPods are fine if you only ever use one device at a time. If you use more than one at the same time, it becomes extremely annoying. Let's not even get into the annoying ways which it becomes hard to manage when you have multiple AirPods, multiple iPhones, and multiple MacBooks.
- michaelchisari 7mo ago
  If a spec is regularly implement poorly, the spec is the problem.
- cptskippy 7mo ago
  > ...your scenario just does not happen. It happens to us all of the time. My partner is on a conference call, I hop in the car to go run an errand. Suddenly I'm on a conference call. My partner is in the kitchen listening to a podcast, I hop in our other car and suddenly I'm listening to a podcast. My partner is sitting in the car having a driveway moment, I arrive home with the other car and now I'm having her driveway moment. My partner is on a conference call at her desk and picks up her phone to respond to a message and then you hear "shit shit shit, hold on a moment!" and then frantic typing and clicking.

throwaway894345 7mo ago

> However, even a minor inconvenience is still an inconvenience. I do not miss spending 30 seconds untangling my headphones every time I used them nor do I miss trying to find clever ways to wind my headphones back up so as to minimize the likelihood of them becoming tangled. If someone solved this problem well I would use them, but putting my airpods on a charger once a week is a much lesser inconvenience IMHO.

ashdksnndck 7mo ago

> - They don't need charging. Charging may seem like a minor inconvenience, and we're used to charging a lot of devices. However, even a minor inconvenience is still an inconvenience. I’ve always found it more convenient to keep the headphones plugged in when I’m not using them then when I am. The cord is not going to get tangled when it’s not attached to my body, and aren’t going to unplug themselves sitting on a shelf. Different strokes though.

amelius 7mo ago

> Wired cans don't need to pair, don't glitch out Cables can wear out. You can get a wire break.

odo1242 7mo ago
All good wired headphones and earbuds (“IEMs”) have replaceable cables. And the ones that don’t are super cheap.
- amelius 7mo ago
  I once had a wire break in the cable that goes from the left can to the right can (not the external cable).
  - odo1242 7mo ago
    You can get that in wireless headphones too though? Most of those have a similarly shaped cable that goes across the headphones; there’s not a separate Bluetooth receiver on each side.

Minor49er 7mo ago

Analog formats are clearly inferior to digital ones, but analog speakers are superior to digital ones?

hananova 7mo ago
Digital speakers don’t exist. No matter how the signal gets there, the end result is wiggling air in an analog process.
- Minor49er 7mo ago
  Clearly I'm talking about the digital signals sent wirelessly here

dehrmann 7mo ago

I compared the mic quality of Airpods Pro 2, Airpods 4 ANC (similar), and freebie Apple 3.5mm wired earbuds. The earbuds won. My limited research suggested either 1) compression and transmission take a lot of power, so the Airpods don't do as good of a job as something with a bigger battery can afford to, 2) the mic position is worse, or 3) Bluetooth doesn't have enough bi-directional bandwidth for two good signals.

pxoe 7mo ago
4) The Bluetooth standard is just kinda bad. Technically there should be enough bandwidth for better quality audio, but the existing profiles like headset mode drop audio quality down to 8-16 kHz sampling rate in mono, not just for mic but for audio you're listening to as well. It's a huge flaw and it's been bad for decades with seemingly no improvement at all (at least certainly not in a way that could be widespread and commonly used). It's so bad you'd almost wish for a brand new wireless connectivity or wireless audio standard, or even resort to some proprietary 2.4 GHz nonsense, because it's genuinely so horrid. You could have the best most expensive headphones in the world, but because of Bluetooth and its ancient profiles and mic support it's gonna have baseline absolute garbage mic quality no matter what.
- dehrmann 7mo ago
  I tested with a Macbook, so I'm a little surprised Apple didn't do proprietary magic to fix it.
odo1242 7mo ago
I tested this and based on my testing it’s (3). The AirPods microphone actually gets (slightly) better in quality if you don’t play something through the speakers while using it. Even then the 3.5mm ones were better tho

pavlus 7mo ago

* They don't need charging, but you will hear static regularly when attaching/detaching/touching things. Also, they pick up RF interference (TBF, BT ones also drop packets in RF-noisy environments, but they seem to be more resistant to it) * They are harder to lose, but the ones with non-detachable cords need repairing the cord if it rips, which happens frequently. Never happened with BT headsets I own. * For BT headphones with detachable cord I agree, that BT channel reduces quality slightly, compared to cord on the same device. It's not as bad as vinyl/tape, though. You have a chance to notice it on lossless. but not regular MP3s. * Wired don't need to pair, but need your awareness of the current relation between the cord and your body and surroundings, otherwise you will be constantly re-attaching them, or ripping cords. They don't glitch or lag, but pick static and RF. Wireless is really convenient, if you can afford headphones that last a full day, or a pair of them to switch between and don't have many sources of sound to play to the same headset, even at different times. There are own standards that skip BT and use analog RF to skip the lag and drops (with a dongle), but they too have the issue with RF interference. You either can have digital with lag and rare drops, or instantaneous analog with frequent noise without drops.

fao_ 7mo ago
> (TBF, BT ones also drop packets in RF-noisy environments, but they seem to be more resistant to it) I've experienced the opposite. The microwave will knock out my bluetooth completely, but the wired headphones are solid but in a decade of using both wired and wireless headphones I've never heard anything weird or staticy through the wired ones. My wired headphones were the Shure SE215, and now after a decade of using those they broke, so I have the Kiwi Ears Belle.
- pavlus 7mo ago
  Your microwave is leaky, and/or not grounded, but since you don't experience static, I assume you have grounding at your house. Without grounding static and mains hum is quite noticeable. Try touching the body of your pc and listen how silence changes in wired headphones.
  - 7mo ago

SoftTalker 7mo ago

Yep, Bluetooth just sucks. I don't use it for anything, and it's disabled on my phone.

deleted 7mo ago

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sandreas 7mo ago

Here are some lesser known facts about wired headphones that I wish I had known earlier: - there are TRS (3 rings) and TRRS (4 rings) connectors - TRRS has integrated mic, also ofen implements playback control via buttons - Apple headphones volume controls won't work on non-apple devices, because they implement a proprietary protocol based in an ultrasonic chirp authentication chip[1] - 1more headphones seem to have implemented this auth protocol, but it does not work reliably - Headphone remotes on apple devices have tap codes (in my opinion a huge benefit), that can be used to play/pause (.) next chapter / track (..) prev(...) fast forward (._) rewind (.._) even navigate menus (_, then + or -) ---- legend ---- .=click _=hold +-=vol - The same tap codes are also implemented on hardware buttons (e.g. iPod) - while fast forward and rewind only work for devices iPod Nano 6th or later (iPod Classic 2009 only has next and prev) - Apples USB-C 3.5 Adapters work with Android and iPhones and all headphones, Android does only implement play/pause and volume - headphones remotes are fundamentally broken on Android because Google reserves longpress (button hold) for voiceover - there are also balanced (often 4.4mm) outputs for much higher quality, often used in high res daps from fiio or shanling, etc 1: https://tinymicros.com/wiki/Apple_iPod_Remote_Protocol https://tinymicros.com/wiki/Apple_iPod_Remote_Protocol

saysjonathan 7mo ago
Technically TRS only has one ring (Tip Ring Sleeve) and TRRS only has two rings (Tip Ring Ring Sleeve). It does have four separate contacts though, separated by bands.
- sandreas 7mo ago
  That's correct... I meant this more visually :-)
4k93n2 7mo ago
i use an android app called keymapper (by sds100) that lets you remap the volume buttons so that a long press will change the track. my wired earbuds only have 1 button on the in-line remote but the app can detect the button being pressed whether its a single, double tap or long press, and you can just assign whatever you want to them

squarefoot 7mo ago

When the internal non replaceable battery dies the product dies; that's also one reason to prefer wired over wireless. I wrote product instead of headphones because the principle is applicable to every product whose battery can't be replaced by design. All those discarded single use vapes are a good example of that, and... surprise! All of them actually contain rechargeable cells but no recharging circuitry and port, the reason being that rechargeable Lithium cells are much cheaper than primary non rechargeable ones because of economies of scale. Just another example of greed being so damn efficient at producing e-waste.

4k93n2 7mo ago
it will be interesting to see what the consensus is 50 years from now when people have more hindsight on this. how long will a wireless headset last until the battery no longer holds a charge, and if its only something like 10 years then that means someone is having to buy 4 or 5 headsets over the course of their whole life instead of 1 or 2 cheaper wired headsets theres also the issue of whether the wireless protocols that are in use now will still be supported in 50 years. removing the headphone jack from phones was mostly just a money grab to force people to buy wireless headsets so i wouldnt be surprised to see other tactics in the future where support is dropped for older versions of bluetooth, or whatever gives them a slight uptick in sales

latexr 7mo ago

> It's old but far from obsolete. Apple themselves know this. Every MacBook, no matter how few ports it has and how “non-pro” it is, ships with a headphone jack.

tjoff 7mo ago

Longevity! The headphones I have on me are 15 years old. Batteries degrade quickly, especially in consumer products that does everything in their power to boost the spec sheet but sacrifice longevity.

heraldgeezer 7mo ago

I always try to use wired mouse and keyboard and headset at a PC for this reason. Charging. 0 reason to use wireless. For mobile devices I can understand it and do use it.

the_snooze 7mo ago

The 3.5mm audio jack is pretty close to engineering perfection on the important dimensions: cheap, fast, and good. Getting rid of it in favor of Bluetooth-only audio connectivity is creating a problem to sell you a (more expensive, less reliable, less time-tested) solution.

mchusma 7mo ago

I occasionally use wireless, but 90% of the time I prefer wired for this reason. Reliable, simple, harder to lose, no charging, easier to connect. I just done think the wires are a problem for me, sometimes a benefit, sometimes a mild inconvenience.

Waterluvian 7mo ago

- no latency. They’re actually usable when playing video games.

pjmlp 7mo ago

Another point you missed, the microphones also have better quality, they don't get all the surrounding noises as most wireless ones.

VerifiedReports 7mo ago

Also you get reliable sound quality. The DACs in the iPhones were always decent. Now you have no idea what kind of quality you're going to get from a given listening device. Plenty of them are noisy POSes; my girlfriend had a Belkin adapter that had automatic gain (!) and would ramp up to blast hiss through the car stereo during quiet segments... and sometimes even during non-quiet ones. The phones will always have to have DACs in them, to drive their speakers if nothing else. Denying customers a physical connection to them is just a dick move.

WhyNotHugo 7mo ago

OTOH, with Bluetooth headphones I can stand from my desk and stretch, or rest my eyes focusing on something while standing next to the window — without interrupting whatever I'm listening to. I can also freely move around the house while listening to music or any podcast. Carrying my laptop around would hardly be convenient. I do have a pair of wired headphones which I rarely use. My laptop has ended up on the floor twice due to me standing and forgetting about the cable. I almost broke the plug another time when I stood up and they were still plugged to the desktop. As someone who's grown up with the comfort of wireless headphones, using wired headphones is like wearing headphones with an anchor. Honestly, I hate dealing with cables, even more having cables wrapped around me. I can't imagine being out on the street and having cables wrapped around me, connected to the phone in my bag or pocket, while trying to move around or use my arms in the usual way.

lexoj 7mo ago

They are much much lighter due to lack of batteries which makes them quite ergonomic.

xorcist 7mo ago

> Charging may seem like a minor inconvenience, It won't once they're five years old! I'm not against battery powered headphones, but I won't even take a second look at them if they don't have a battery type that is likely to be available in a decade or two, and isn't inconveniently glued shut. That leaves me very few options. When I find a pair of cans I like I'd like to keep them. The idea that my tools have planned their obsolensce in advance seems completely ridicolous to me. I would never buy a nice guitar if it had a lifespan shorter than my own, for example.

jinushaun 7mo ago

My second pair of AirPods is not even 2 years old yet and I don’t think it will last much longer. The first one died quickly too. My next headphones will be wired

retrac 7mo ago

> I'm amazed they (or others) haven't rolled their own wireless audio standard by now. They have. Apple has AirPlay and MFi which includes their own proprietary set of codecs and protocols for media streaming over a link similar to but not actually Bluetooth. Quite a few devices support it, such as my hearing aids. Also, while the new Bluetooth LE Audio shares the Bluetooth name, it's a completely new protocol for most intents and purposes; for example audio can be streamed one-way without pairing first, and it's surprisingly low latency (20 ms or so).

Fnoord 7mo ago

1) My Bluetooth over-ear headset can also do 3.5 mm. Detachable. My smartphone can do USB-C to 3.5 mm. 2) In-ears are comfortable to lie in bed with. Cables are unsafe here (compare with 'lost of earplug' argument). 3) Batteries need to be user serviceable (see iFixit), but so should cables be. See my point #1. 4) Not all Bluetooth protocols are equal, and pairing is a matter of a couple of seconds just like taking the headset or attaching the cable. 5) You can also make a wired headset wireless if the cable is modular. Small 3.5 mm to 3.5mm or USB and then usb2bt with a battery. 6) All headsets require maintenence in form of cleaning or replacing the (fake) leather. 7) Bluetooth has security issues. Tracking, for example, but also the stack is a security nightmare. You generally cannot physically replace the Bluetooth chip on client or peripheral, as they're usually baked in the hardware (e.g. in WLAN chipset of smartphone, tablet, laptop). Sometimes it is possible to use a modular device such as USB-C/USB-A. Then you can replace or add a stack. Each has their pros and cons.

alberto467 7mo ago

Higher sound quality? I'm not sure the DAC powering the wired headphones would be any better (at powering those specific headphones) that the one built into the wireless ones, that's a baseless claim. There is digital compression, but the original media you'll play will already be compressed, and good-enough digital compression is not noticeable unless you're using a good DAC with a good pair of studio headphones. If you're in professional audio production, get a decent DAC and something like the M50x headphones, if you want to play stuff off your phone, just use a wireless option.

Ferret7446 7mo ago

I used to be a stubborn wired only person, but I'm pretty fond of wireless now. All of the problems have improved as to be insignificant (pairing, quality, battery life), and not having to deal with wires is amazing, as my desk is enough of a rats nest as it is, and headphones are especially bad because it locks your head in place (e.g. you can't spin your chair or get up)

account42 7mo ago

> Too many android phones copied Apple and ditched the venerable audio jack, but a few kept it, and I've always insisted on it when buying phones. It's old but far from obsolete. Fortunately USB-C audio adapters are cheap and for headphones where the cable isn't permanently attached you can usually even get a replacement cable that plugs directly into the USB-C port of your phone.