Wired headphone sales are exploding

Posted by billybuckwheat 3 days ago

Wired headphone sales are exploding(www.bbc.com)

405 points | 672 commentspage 6

blackhaj7 10 hours ago|

I used wired headphones not only because Bluetooth can be a pain but because I hate noise cancellation and all bluetooth headphones seem to have it (even when it is turned off, it does “something” that messes with my ears)

I am convinced noise cancellation is causing me tinitus and I don’t seem to get it when I use normal headphones

neya 13 hours ago||

I picked up a Sony MDR-Z7 and Z1 and an iFi headphone amp and threw out my wireless Apple headphones. Of course comparing them to the expensive Sony's isn't fair but once you experience the soundstage in the wired headphones you will never look back. You don't need to even buy the expensive headphones, you can even get something like a V6 or a 7506.

The difference is the battery dies in the wireless models in 2-3 years irrespective of the brand but these wired headphones live on for ever.

antfarm 5 hours ago||

I love both my Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO and my Apple AirPods. They complement each other perfectly.

leecarraher 23 hours ago||

I've considered the move to wired not for quality but for the sad state that Bluetooth pairing headphones has become. Theycan't just be headphones anymore; They require their own app and pairing protocol. They want 19 different touch points and permissions to implement a handful of never used features I get people being frustrated at why they can't just do what copper did for the last century.

hurricanepootis 3 days ago||

I bought a pair of IEMs. A while back, the cable broke, and I was able to repair by just buying a new cable.

Also, I enjoy not having another device to charge. I recently have been wearing a traditional Casio watch more often instead of my smartwatch.

lm28469 3 days ago||

Same here, I can't imagine adding 2 to 3 (earphones + case) batteries to my life, batteries that most likely aren't user replaceable, most likely will be cycled at least once a day and will inevitable die and take the whole device with them in a matter of years.

jmpman 3 days ago||

I love my IEMs but I actually want a Bluetooth version. Heck a dongle that made them act just like AirPod Pros would be my dream gadget.

aliher1911 17 hours ago|||

As other comment suggests, FiiO does adapters like that, also Qudelix. Depends on what you mean by 'like AirPod Pros'. You won't get ANC, mic is so-so I believe and you still have wires, but you get LDAC/aptX HD codec, it can still act as USB DAC if you forgot to charge it, it has very capable DSP EQ that allows loading headphone profiles. I use AirPods Pro as muffs on transit and concerts which is a killer feature for me, but use Qudelix dongle with IEMs for music.

hackingonempty 1 day ago||||

Fiio has a couple of adapters that work with many IEMs and there are probably others on the market https://www.fiio.com/utws3

vladvasiliu 3 days ago|||

Shure makes some for their IEMs. I have an older model which has worked great for several years.

jmpman 2 days ago||

I may have had the same. Wasn't impressed. But I'm rough on my electronics and it lasted less than 6 months.

vladvasiliu 1 day ago||

I'm not rough, but don't handle them with white gloves either. I usually tend to roll them up in a ball in some pocket when not in use.

The model I have, BT2, is "semi-wired", meaning that the Bluetooth and battery are common to the two earbuds, linked by a cable. And, outside the big heavy cables some big heavy headphones have, this one is the one that has held up best – I'm pretty sure I got it before Covid. They now have a newer model with no wires, which houses the BT and battery in some over-ear clips [0]. I have no experience with these. In any case, I expect other manufacturers to have similar options.

Before this, I would have to change the (old-school) wire on these IEMs seemingly every other year. But at least it was changeable, as opposed to other cheaper IEMs which would require to break out the soldering iron at best, or end up in the trash at worst if they were a glue fest.

[0] https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/accessories/rmce-tw2?va...

Copernicron 11 hours ago||

I have the Shure TW2 adapters and they work great. No connection issues, great battery life, and the passive isolation I get with the right ear tips is better than any ANC I've ever used. As an added bonus, if you order when they're on sale, you can get the TW2 adapters with a pair of SE 215 buds for the same price as the plain adapters.

matricaria 8 hours ago||

There is no way I’m going back to wired headphones. I always hated them. Cables lasted a few years at best leaving the headphones unrepairable. And when using them while moving I could only here my own steps. Plain awful.

mrkramer 12 hours ago||

I use to have wired headphones for years but wires always get damaged over time and then headphones stop working. Now I got wireless headphones.

p0w3n3d 10 hours ago||

I use Bluetooth every day however, playing games on Bluetooth is some mistake. Quality is noticeably worse, stuttering happen, and cable is the fallback when my BT headphones' battery die. So I really do not understand why the jack has been removed from major brands of phones

macleginn 7 hours ago||

With a 0$ Bluetooth-3.5mm jack dongle from AliExpress one can have best of both worlds, or at least continue using wired cans with a phone where the charging port stopped working.

unsungNovelty 20 hours ago|

I have two wireless sony headphones for handling the battery issue. So yesterday before 5mins to my meeting, I plugged in one and it was out of juice. I plugged in the second one and it was also out of juice. Mind you, I was travelling and hence didn't follow the usual charging cadence I follow.

I charged my wireless headphone for 5 mins and took the call and it went out of juice mid way through the call. I had to run to find a free conference room in the office which was present since it was friday.

I also often connect my wireless headphone through the weekend and not know that it is still connected since friday with my work mac. Wired solves all of this.

Thanks to this article, I just ordered a Apple Earpods USB-C 5 mins ago in Blinkit. It is going to be delivered in another 5-10mins. Good bye wireless. I will use it for work with my Mac and my personal Samsung phone.

Edit after 4 mins: Earpods Delivered!

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