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Wired headphone sales are exploding

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261–270 of 752 posts

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

iPhones work with any BT headphones.

But other BT headphone manufacturers wouldn't be able to get the ultra low latency / sound quality / perfect device switching / etc.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#262

I'm also team USB-C wired earbuds (the Apple ones are cheap and solid, mic is also nice for calls) for podcasts and commute. I never stopped using wired headphones at home but also had BT ones on the go. When they started showing signs of age I got a cheap BT receiver instead of replacing them. It's not quite as practical but for many people it's something to consider, they work surprisingly well!

I'm firmly on team "dual USB port" for this problem. We do this on computers, which can then perfectly well charge and play audio at the same time. Why not phones? It seems like there's plenty of space for a second port.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#263
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with you! After I lost my gen 1 AirPods a couple years ago, I paid $20 for a pair of Apple's corded EarPods and used them until they failed (1) a few months ago. They had a good mic + music controls, sounded fine, and didn't need a dongle. Now I'm down to my Shure IEMs (via an Apple lighting-to-3.5mm dongle) and a borrowed pair of old Galaxy buds - wanted to give wireless buds a try, since it's been so long. I do…

AirPods Pro 2 went through a washing machine cycle and still works. Having cables it’s a pain, need to pass behind your clothes or outside dangling. Can’t charge phone while using wired headphones

> Can’t charge phone while using wired headphones

You can with wireless charging!

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#264
I have three teenage kids and they’ve all switched to wired. Many of their friends have as well.

It has nothing to do with fashion or retro vibes, as far as I can tell.

They’ve all lost too many AirPods through the years. AirPods just too easy to lose, and at their school, too easy to be stolen by someone else. And they’re expensive. Yes you can buy cheaper Bluetooth headsets but those often don’t sound as good and get lost just as easily.

So you’re either on a subscription basis relationship wih Bluetooth headsets, or you use wired headphones, which are actually harder to lose and less desirable to steal.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#265
I have good wired earbuds and over ear headphones, but I still almost always go back to bluetooth. If I'm vacuuming, mowing the lawn, etc. I use my Airpods Pro. If I'm practicing drums or working with loud tools, I use my bluetooth 3M Worktunes.

Being able to get my phone out of my pocket and not have to worry about the cable is worth all the tradeoffs. At my desk, I have studio monitors, which I prefer over any headphones. For video calls, I use just the right Airpod to prevent echos, and so I can still hear myself.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#266
I refurbished a pair of old Sennheiser HD-25s I’ve had since 1998ish recently.

They work just like new and there is something really satisfying about bringing old tech back to a useful life.

I’m using them for monitoring things that don’t have Bluetooth.

I still use AirPods day to day though because it’s so useful to always have something in your pocket that can block unpleasant noise. Bluetooth works fine for me.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#267

My wired headphones never run out of battery. They also don't drop the connection if my pocket is at the wrong angle from my ears.

I bought two pairs of premium wireless headphones about 10 years ago. These failed gradually, I patched them up with tape and kept them going. One of them had the Bluetooth electronics fail but still works wired, the electronics are fine on the other one but physically it is a jumbled mess that I can't really tape together anymore but it kinda sits on my head. I went looking for the state of the art in headphones and…

For whatever reason, in my experience, the 1st gen Airpods Pro seem to pair much more easily to non-Apple devices than the 2nd gen. I have a 1st gen pair more or less dedicated to my Linux PC, and they auto-pair 99% of the time within a few seconds.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#269

I have three teenage kids and they’ve all switched to wired. Many of their friends have as well. It has nothing to do with fashion or retro vibes, as far as I can tell. They’ve all lost too many AirPods through the years. AirPods just too easy to lose, and at their school, too easy to be stolen by someone else. And they’re expensive. Yes you can buy cheaper Bluetooth headsets but those often don’t sound as good and g…

and there is that whole thing of sharing one of your wires with your mate/partner that is super cute and great for bonding I should think.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#270
post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 ev…

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…

A CD is 100% technologically capable of having the duration and physical size of a vinyl.
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