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Wired headphone sales are exploding

bbc.com

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Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#311

Post by Lio »

dsr_ wrote: post #285
Lio wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reminds me of the Autechre album Tri Repetae which was labelled as “Complete with surface noise” on vinyl and “Incomplete without surface noise” on CD.

If they really wanted to do so, they could take the vinyl, play it with all the surface noise they wanted, and record that to CD so they could have the surface noise there, too. It would be the same surface noise each time, not getting worse.

We need a new consumer audio format with the ability to contain playback algorithms! :P

> It would be the same surface noise each time, not getting worse.

Interestingly, not always getting "worse".

A large portion of vinyl surface noise comes from static rather than groove wear.

So you can zap it with a little petzo-electric gun and it goes away again. At least for a little while.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#312

Post by ahartmetz »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #81
stuaxo wrote: post #43

Are Google one of the last holdouts ? I've been on cheap Android phones and just moved from Samsung to Motorola and both have headphones sockets.

No, the Pixel dropped the headphone jack ages ago. It's why I don't have a Pixel any more.

For my recent middle class Android phone, I got a USB-C dongle that I keep in my wallet since phones with headphone jacks have moved to the lowest end of the market and almost disappeared entirely. Doesn't seem worth it anymore.

The dongle is tiny and seems to be of good mechanical quality.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#314

Post by vladvasiliu »

craftkiller wrote: post #260
gonlad_x wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 ?

I have the Shure SE215 which has a replaceable cable.

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).

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#315

Post by shalmanese »

Gigachad wrote: post #301
shalmanese wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's interesting is that Apple was the one responsible for removing the jack from their phones but they've stubbornly kept them on all their computers. The only port in common between a 2015 Intel Macbook Pro and a 2026 Macbook Neo is the 3.5mm headphone jack. But also, the only port in common between a 2015 Intel Macbook Pro and a 1991 Powerbook 100 is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Because the MacBook isn’t particularly short on space. The MacBook neo appears to have massive blank space blocks where the speakers are. The 3.5mm jack is fine, there isn’t any need to replace it on the MacBook where you can afford to have both. On the iPhone it makes more sense to use the usb c for audio.

That hasn't stopped them from periodic stalinist redesigns in an attempt to purge other ports from their machines. But the audio jack always survives.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#316

Post by mikkupikku »

dijit wrote: post #120
ahhhhnoooo wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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…

Candles are better than lightbulbs at melting the ends of frayed nylon strings and ropes. :)

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#317

Post by badgersnake »

ahhhhnoooo wrote: post #110
beloch wrote: post #83

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 a…

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…

There’s always one.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#318

Post by mikkupikku »

MrDresden wrote: post #181
beloch wrote: post #83

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 a…

> "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 had these kind of problems before with anything other than apple magsafe connectors. Certainly not from trusty old analogue jacks.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#319

Post by ansgri »

chaz6 wrote: post #272
ansgri wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s 1.44 mm connector in this context? Common sizes for headphones are 2.5, 3.5 and (lately) 4.4 mm

Since you mentioned 4.4mm, thought I would chime in and mention pentaconn (the trade name) which is a TRRRS connection (which does include a ground connection as well as L+/L-/R+/R-. I still do not understand the purpose of the ground connection in these plugs since there's nothing to ground on the other end.

Isn’t it the only common variant of 4.4mm? Since portable balanced audio is audiophile-adjacent, no wonder it includes the common ground of dubious utility.

Re: Wired headphone sales are exploding

#320

Post by stogot »

somewhereoutth wrote: post #269
superultra wrote: post #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 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.

I also been seeing many “protect your brain” shorts on youtube saying that athletes are switching to wired
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