I'm waiting for a wired bone conducting headset (mic included), so far only Chinese producers for that market.
You're not buying the ones available...because they're chinese?
Wired headphone sales are exploding
451–460 of 752 posts
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#452I never understood the appeal of AirPods. To me, it just seemed like an inferior product at a much higher price. You now have to worry about charging them (not to mention charging the case), you have three things that are easy to lose vs one that is hard to lose, and finally, to my taste, they are somehow gross to look at - like hearing aids from the 1950s. The product just seems like a manifestation of complexity fo…
I prefer wired headphones at my desk but my AirPods are incredible for being on the go.
The noise cancellation is also great. I’ll use them if it gets noisier than my closed headphones can block.
> and finally, to my taste, they are somehow gross to look at - like hearing aids from the 1950s.
I do not care in the slightest how they look. They’re small and work well.
> The product just seems like a manifestation of complexity for the sake of complexity.
As someone who actually uses them, I disagree on every level.
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#453Earlier quoted context omitted.
> "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.
I have bought probably two or three dozen different kinds of USB-C adaptors over the past few years, for old USB peripherals, for HDMI and display port, etc. They always last a few months then develop unreliable connectors and begin failing on any computer I try them with unless I baby the exact angle of the cable. There's something about USB-C that makes them particularly vulnerable to strain relief issues. Never ha…
Curiously, I have had the exact opposite experience. Over the years I tried dozens of earbuds and headphones with a jack connection and all of them after a few months of use started getting unreliable connections unless I kept them at the right angle. The pair which lasted longer without issues costs around 180€ but still started showing problems after 2-3 years, though to be fair I left them almost always plugged in my pc. If I had used them with my phone I would've likely started experiencing connection issues much sooner.
The only other connection type I found to be even worse is microusb. I lost count over how many cables I had to change, some even after just a few months. On the other hand I neved had any problem with usb-c cables or peripherals.
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#454Earlier quoted context omitted.
- 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…
I’ve used many pairs of wired headphones over the years, cheap and expensive, and never had ones with a cable that didn’t eventually fail, unless they mostly stay plugged into a single device. The article prominently highlights mobile usage, in which case wireless headphones easily win on longevity.
There are lots of wired headphones out there with replaceable cables
Honestly though you can get the best of both worlds.
I impulse bought some over-the-ear headphones at the airport when I realized I had forgotten mine that do bluetooth, but can also use an audio cable when the battery dies.
When using wired the audio quality is much better.
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#455I never understood the appeal of AirPods. To me, it just seemed like an inferior product at a much higher price. You now have to worry about charging them (not to mention charging the case), you have three things that are easy to lose vs one that is hard to lose, and finally, to my taste, they are somehow gross to look at - like hearing aids from the 1950s. The product just seems like a manifestation of complexity fo…
I hate untangling wires. The noise cancellation (including passive for the pros) is great. Easier to switch between devices. I can use them with the Apple TV when my wife goes to sleep (she's an early riser).
The downsides you list don't apply to me personally. I don't have to "worry" about charging them; I just charge them. I have never lost them, I keep them in the same spot. I also personally think they look better than wired, but that's a fashion thing.
I think it's fine to have a different preference, but I find it odd people can't even understand the appeal of them. I don't like wired, but I can understand why people have different preferences.
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#456This 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 a…
- 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…
It is worth pointing out that not all parts age equally well. The cushions especially are not that durable and should be considered consumables.
Sennheiser provides replacements should you need them. The effect they have on the sound is much bigger than you might think.
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#457Earlier quoted context omitted.
They also lack any and all useful features. Even just the ability to tap for pause is critical to my daily life. I just wonder if wired fans just never skip forward a song, or adjust the volume. Or even use active noise canceling.
I bought a tiny lapel clip Bluetooth receiver that has buttons and a headphone socket. Charge over USB, pair with phone, turn any headphones into Bluetooth. If the battery runs out, plug the headphones straight into the phone. However, the noise cancelling gap is real. I'd kill for wired IEMs with an inline battery + buttons, and noise cancelling mic & circuit in the earpieces. Closest is the Sony cans, which have wi…
Re: noise canceling... recently got a pair of IEMs (Etymotic ER2XR) with good foam tips and their isolation blows away any ANC I've ever tried. The only thing is noise from touching the cable but that was solved with some ear hooks to put the cables behind my ears.
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#458[flagged]
> AirPods became popular because they were fashionable and now they’re unfashionable. You don't think a significant number of people use Airpods because they are good value and convenient? I know that's why I got them. The noise cancelling alone is worth it
Airpods didn't invent noise cancelling, Bose has been selling them since 2000. Price/quality has been always on the side of the wired devices. Unless you need wireless, get something wired. Airpod, and similar, are almost always less than 1 meter away from the phone.
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#459This 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 a…
Analog formats are clearly inferior to digital ones, but analog speakers are superior to digital ones?
Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding
#460This 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 a…
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.