Corded headphones are making an unexpected return
wsj.com
wsj.com
- Wireless buds don’t connect 100% reliably; sometimes I get one and not the other, or neither. Sometimes they will randomly disconnect during use.
- Sometimes the sound glitches out randomly, which is so irritating that I don’t care how good the sound supposedly is the rest of the time.
- Gestures and voice are simply not as convenient as buttons on the wire. If I tap the thing in my ear, it tends to get shoved further into my ear and may still not register.
- They fall out of my ears, no matter how “snug” they seem. This makes me only want to use them in places where I won’t lose them, e.g. at home but not out for a walk.
Crucially, there isn’t a single problem above that occurs when using wires. The only inconvenience is that the default headphone wires are stupidly short (provided by a company that sells wireless buds, hmmm) but that is fixable.
I was a fan of the originals, but bought the Pros shortly after they came out. I'm on my second pair now - the first pair came down with the dreaded "crackling" and Apple replaced them.
I find that they stay in my ears well enough that I regularly use them when driving my Jeep without doors, even when I'm not listening to music. They provide some level of reduction of the wind noise that I'm certain has been damaging my hearing in my left ear in particular.
After solving for fall protection, hearing is the next thing on a motorcycle.
Every time I'm going "flat out" (not inner city) I wear ear plugs and seriously regret it if I forget them.
It would be nice if they all had Tile or similar tech, but if their batteries go dead just sitting there (super annoying thing about the bose) then it’s useless too.
(FWIW also tried the Sony wf1000-xm4s and hated them.)
Every single phone on the face of the earth can be charged while being used, even if you're talking on the phone. Nobody is worried there, and the risk is much higher since batteries are bigger, charged faster, etc.
I have a pair of XM3s and I love them (for what they are) but the form factor of the XM4 looks nicer so was considering an "upgrade".
- Maybe I have weird ears but the bulk of their weight is up high and kind of out from the body and there's no real support other than the tip wedged into your ear canal. If you run downstairs or jog or jump it tends to make an audible 'pop' or clacking sound as the weight sort of pries against your ear canal. If you look at the Bose they have a little rubber support that grabs your ear and supports the weight. The XM3s are more evenly distributed.
- The ANC has tons of audio artifacts. I did all of the Sony ear tuning stuff and couldn't get it to go away. Any time you bump them you'll get weird twirps and chirps, certain frequencies kind have this wooden resonance and every now and then it just went apeshit with weird howls and whistles. This could be due to poor fitting (again possibly i have weird ears) and could likely be fixed with software over time.
If you like the XM3's I'd say give them a try but just make sure you know the return policy.
The ANC is the really interesting part, it's practically flawless in the XM3 I've never heard any of the issues you describe; which worries me that the XM4 has an issue or two, hopefully software ones that can he remedied but it doesn't sound good.
The XM3 doesn't support any sort of ear tuning, the feature in the app only applies to specific audio sources, none of which I have access to, so I can't comment on that part.
I've heard good things about the little rubber wedge in the Bose, I'd like that feature, but honestly I don't have fit issues with mine so it's not a deal breaker.
1. Wireless buds
2. Wireless non-buds (some sort of wrap-around design to keep them on)
3. Wired buds
4. Wired non-buds
I go with (2) personally, but mainly because Apple stopped me using wires. My main problem with bluetooth is that the headphones aren't loud enough (yeah you have to watch the line between loud and damaging but headphones are my opportunity to play music loud). Recommendations for loud wireless headphones appreciated!
#1 Bluebooth connectivity to computers. If I was just using my phone they were mostly fine, but at a computer it was a constant fight to get them to connect, to work with whatever app I'm using, and especially when I'm switching back and forth between using them for listening to music or using them to video conference. This might also be partly because Linux is my main driver, but having to switch back and forth between high quality audio output for music and two way cell phone quality audio sucks.
#2 Having owned multiple pairs over the years, none of them would connect over Bluetooth while charging. Let me make my wireless headphones temporarily wired.
At this point I use an over the ear headphone with a mic and a USB DAC. I specifically only get phones with a minijack so I could use them with that too.
I actually don’t have connection issues on Windows either, but it does have the switching problem.
#2: True, but usually the battery of a pair of headphones last much longer than earbuds, in my case at least 4 days, so I just put them in charge at night
Audio matters to me. Can't own a device with no analog jack.
Some BT buds will let you futz with an equalizer (jabra). It really influences the experience of what you’re listening to, for instance different genres of music and pure voice.
I’m sorry to say it, but welcome to the future of wireless audio.
Seriously. More of us would jump on board if it were not Bluetooth.
Apple has done well, make no mistake. I applaud them for that.
But the fundemental issues remain, despite what appears to be a solid effort.
Just plug the wire and enjoy the very best music quality.
It must be only me who doesn't care about a wire for all the added bonus like quality, stability and no battery.
It's incredible how much better cellular works compared to other wireless "techno", but nothing replaces a cable.
My point is, that they just didn't have any of the problems you mention above (with the exception of random sampling frequency changes that changed pitch minimally, but noticable).
Sound quality was ok, I think it was one of the first A2DP headsets. Ok, for what it was mind you, my good over-ears are definitely better.
Is this some idiom I am not familiar with?
FYI, that's interference. Wi-fi "randomly" disconnects for a few seconds due to interference just as often, but you don't notice, because 1. the OS hides short disconnects, and 2. most protocols you use are TCP-based, and so use retries. (If you were doing something involving UDP streaming, you'd notice.)
Bluetooth audio, on the other hand, is a realtime protocol, which just drops stale packets rather than trying to retransmit them. Drop enough packets in a row, and the carrier thinks the device has gone out of range and disconnects it (as the alternative would be boiling your battery by turning the antenna gain up to infinity, as sometimes happens when cellular baseband misbehaves while ranging.)
> Gestures and voice are simply not as convenient as buttons on the wire. If I tap the thing in my ear, it tends to get shoved further into my ear and may still not register
Have you tried the AirPods Pro where you squeeze the stems? They're essentially buttons.
> Crucially, there isn’t a single problem above that occurs when using wires.
Put on your wired headphones. Sit down (e.g. on the bus.) Now try taking off your shoulder-strapped bag to hold it in your lap, without first taking out your headphones.
Or: try to change your shirt while keeping your headphones on + playing. (I know, unusual thing to do, but I've changed my shirt with wireless earbuds in without a thought.)
Or: get up and go to the bathroom, while continuing to listen to the livestream you're watching on the desktop PC sitting on your desk, without missing anything. (Provided I'm at home, I can usually get about 40 feet away from the Bluetooth source before my wireless headphones disconnect.)
This used to bug me a lot but I've found an easy solution. Just route the wire under your t-shirt or shirt or jacket. When I'm not using my headphones, the headphones hang around my neck. If I feel like taking off my headphones and placing them on the table, it takes 5 extra seconds to pull the wires from under my shirt after disconnecting them from the phone.
When I picture "preferring wired headphones", I picture taking around my studio monitors with their 10ft 1/4" solid-copper-cored cabling. (I did used to do pretty much this, when I was a stupid teenager! But that was before Bluetooth was invented.) That kind of cabling doesn't have a minimum curve radius that would let it fit in most pockets, unless you're either wearing an overcoat, or you've got the middle of the cable cleanly wrapped and tied in a linear bundle [which would still protrude upward out of most pockets, like a very tall phone.]
There's also the as-yet-unmentioned inconvenience of such cables—that they tend to have 1/4" RCA jacks on the ends, making plugging them into your phone a worrying experience involving adapters and shear stress—but oddly enough, modern phones with their lack of headphone jacks are better for this, since the flexible DAC adapters that plug into their USB ports protect the phone itself from being damaged by the shear force of a rigid 1/4"-to-1/8" adapter.
What makes you think you’re gaining anything in audio quality by using 1/4” instead of 1/8” cable?
When listening to music, I don't usually bother to "queue up" songs/entire albums in advance, or to make playlists, but rather I just have a library of individual tracks, and then, as I listen to a song, I'll have a whim for what song to listen to next. (I use music to inspire me while writing fiction, so a lot of this is about creating the right mental mood for a scene.)
If I'm not listening to music, I'm listening to podcasts, which are also often a "listen to one episode, then pull your phone back out to select the next one" sort of experience, as many of them like to do things like slip in repeats of old episodes, such that a linear listening order gives you things you wouldn't want.
That’s false. If it happens to you, get better wireless equipment.
This might not ever happen to you if you live in a bunker, or on a farmstead at least 500 feet from any neighbours. (Though I wouldn't completely discount the possibility; there's always solar storms.)
But if you live in a city, and like to sit near large picture windows (where the light from the window cuts across the straight-line path between your wireless devices and their base station), then every once in a while you're going to get what's basically a mini-EMP blast blowing through your window glass, on one random unlicensed-spectrum-interfering frequency on another: every time someone in the building across from yours vacuums with a 1950s vacuum cleaner with an ungrounded plug, or uses their shitty $50 freestanding microwave with underspecced side shielding; or operates their unlicensed AliExpress garage-door opener, or... etc.
If we could hear 2.4/5GHz, every day in a city would sound like Diwali: sudden short explosions, from every direction, at any odd hour of the day.
Remember, "unlicensed" spectrum means the FCC isn't policing those bands like they do with licensed allocations; so all the 2.4/5GHz "polluters" — the device buyers, and the manufacturers — never get told to stop.
There's a reason IP softphones are always wired, rather than being wi-fi devices — speaking RTP, they can't tolerate the somewhat-normal condition of RF-interference-induced 802.11-PHY packet-loss bursts nearly as well as devices speaking TCP can. They end up dropping calls in about the same way that Bluetooth Audio drops pairing.
(This is also most of why 802.11e QoS Traffic Categories exist — RTP is essentially hard-realtime, so even temporarily queuing RTP packets due to competing high-throughput TCP flows, could be enough to "choke out" the RTP flow.)
This sort of substitution can work, but it requires very stable, low-noise links (that is, with little to no burst noise) and the cooperation of devices and network equipment.
TCP’s reliability comes at the cost of increased, inconsistent, and unpredictable latency; which is fine for downloading a file, browsing the web, or streaming video with a 30-second buffer; but unacceptable for a real-time call.
my biggest gripe with wireless so far, and this might be specific to galaxy buds+ is that their batteries suck after a years use. otherwise, all the things you describe are why they're great.
There's an auxiliary benefit as well in that a backpack seems to be way better for my back than a shoulder bag.
For one, if you're carrying enough crap isn't a backpack more ergonomic (assuming you wear both straps and aren't one-strapping it like the cool guy you are)
"Vestis virum facit", or clothes make the man is extraordinarily powerful in business and social dealings. Clothes signal a lot of information quickly. So this isn't about you caring what other people think, it's about how what other people care about affect your options. I could prescribe a few experiments to witness the differences directly but I'll tell you from personal experience that the A-B differences are stark.
There was a time when I was younger that I raged against this rule, but it's a youthful variation of "old man yells at cloud". You can try and create a new reality in your head and believe it fervently, and cut your nose to spite your face, but image matters greatly to other people, at a deep level.
If I need a job done, I couldn't care less if the person who is able to do it wears a backpack or not.
FWIW I think messenger bags are shitty design and think people who use them just don't know any better.
I can't count the number of times I have done this very thing.
luckily, apple has you covered. you just need $19.99. /s
that would be a weird idea though. 1/4 TRS female -> magsafe-male magsafe-female -> 1/4 TRS male. i'm guessing it would look like a sort of inline coupler or similar in final design. essentially, it should be totally doable. i look forward to your pitch on Shark Tank, er, to YC, yeah, that's what I meant.
I wonder if, in the future, we could have household wall sockets and extension cords with "sense pins" ala USB PD; where the mains-voltage live "rail" isn't energized unless a device hops on the logic-level control rail and negotiates for it. Then we could truly live in a MagSafe-everything world. (Then again, to block that kind of current, they'd probably need to use relays and other non-solid-state parts, so they might not be the most durable things...)
Did the end of the cable not have recessed "pins" specifically to avoid accidental shorting? Seems like it would never be U/L certified without some safety.
Yes and no. MagSafe is safe because of the sense current and the handshake; but it's able to do that because it's just not driving very much wattage through the cable; it's low enough that it can direct the power with a simple transistor.
To make mains-voltage AC cords do that, you need a lot more than a transistor. A 1500W current (from e.g. a microwave, or a kettle) can arc a gap much wider than most transistors are printed at. Which is why, in even the most modern smart-home remote light-switch doodads, mains-voltage gets toggled using relays, rather than anything solid-state.
It's lovely to say "just do what MagSafe does", but with electricity, "quantity has a quality all its own" — i.e. very different engineering challenges to overcome.
> Did the end of the cable not have recessed "pins" specifically to avoid accidental shorting?
It has recessed pins (pads, actually), but only barely (by about 5mm); basically to the point that a round metal table leg could make contact with the live pad within the recess.
And, as far as I can tell, there's no sense logic in the cable, either. No click of a relay coming from the cable when it gets connected; and no place for a transformer to live (not that it needs one—it's a hotplate, i.e. a big thick piece of iron you run mains-voltage AC current through.)
There is a relay inside the hotplate itself, which roughly acts as a thermostat (rather than a rheostat) to toggle the coil on and off to keep the cheese at temperature. You can hear it ticking on and off, and an indicator light goes on and off along with it.
But for that logic to work, the cable has to be drawing power to power it. So, AFIACT, the cable itself is always live.
This is really easy with a backpack, I assume it's only a problem with a messenger bag (which is probably a bigger problem for one's back, unless the load is kept very light.)
2. I have big hands buttons on the ear pod just knock it out of my ear.
3. I can take my bag off my sholder without taking out my wired headphones.
When I try to take my shirt off with wireless headphones they just get knocked out of my ear and im on the locker room floor looking for them.
Bluetooth doesn't have the range to do this without dropping in and out, at least in my house.
The big takeaway is that even the best wireless headphones on the market are less reliable than the cheapest wired.
Wireless headphones with a short wire hanging down to use as an antenna. Now send audio using 900MHz analog FM radio.
The signal quality can be made quite high by using enough power and/or bandwidth spreading.
Delay is near zero and it reconnects faster than you can blink at it.
But I'm pretty sure what you're really trying to mentally re-engineer here is one of these: https://en-ca.sennheiser.com/stage-monitoring-headphones-hea...
Ever wondered what's in the rack on rear center stage of a concert? One of these, so the performers can all hear the mix over their own instrument/the crowd without tripping all over cables.
(More recently, they're two-way, meaning that the e.g. electric guitar you hear is passing through a chain of: headphone pre-amp, wireless transmitter, wireless receiver, mixing board, amp. Effects pedals? These days, they're wireless MIDI controllers that signal to a DAW plugged into the mixing board!)
Well what I used to do when I had wired headphones was run the headphone cable under the bag so to speak. As in put on my headphones and then put on my bag. You just need to make sure you have enough slack in the headphones above the bag strap, which... I dunno I never found difficult. I just habitually put on my bag second, or would place my ear buds in my shirt/cups around my neck at least before putting on the bag.
Don't get me wrong it's nice for that to not matter with wireless, it's just the way you've phrased this implies to me putting the headphones on first and bag on second so the bag strap sits on top of the headphone cable never occurred to you and honestly that is confusing me
I know how they sound and what they do to sounds. Every in-ear solution I had in my ears up to now doesn't even get close in terms of "resolution" (this is not a technical term but it is true, that some monitoring solutions will let you hear more of the recording than others).
Additionally my on-the-road headphones (Sennheiser HD25) last for a decade now. If the cable ever should fail I can get a replacement. If the earpad is through I can get a replacement. The only problem recently is, that phone manufacturers decided they need to be stingy about adding a 3.5mm TRRS-jack.
I got a poco because I won't replace my HD-25 II anytime soon.
Before that I even took a MP3 player with me most of the time. Fiio Xsomwthing. However it broke, and for some reason you don't find good MP3 players with actual buttons anymore either.
It's like the opposite of planned obsolescence. They first came out five years before I was born, and here I am using them in my late 20s. I have no doubt they'll outlive my PXC 550s, which after about three years of usage have a degraded battery and a slow charging speed (micro USB is inexcusable).
I "upgraded" mine with a fiio BTR5. Now I just wrap the cable around the BT receiver and put it in my shirt pocket. Wireless freedom with wired 'phones!
I’m not going back to having to untangle a pocket full of wires and car keys. Also I’m not having the cable tugging when I’m walking or running and having to shove the things back in every two minutes. This product was a life changer for me.
Please understand that not everyone has the same experiences as you do.
I've never had a harddrive fail, but I still take backups and assume others saying they've had problems are telling the truth.
Wifi depends more on location than the hardware or how you are using it. The anecdote that it works for you is fair enough but pretty useless in this situation as its just a coincidence.
But I don't think it's just Apple's airpods either: Most of the newer bluetooth headphones work and connect almost instantly with my iPhone; I have some Bose QC35 that I can report the same speed of connection of the airpods -- maybe even a little faster. I suspect it's related to some extremely modern bluetooth version or feature-set that might be difficult to discern from the box, but I have not dug into it deeper.
This being said, my airpods sit on my desk next to my Jabra DECT headset: Bluetooth is only almost instant, but DECT is actually instant. I first saw them visiting a cell centre (inside-sales team) team in Seattle, and so I asked about them and learned "we wear this thing making cold calls sometimes every few minutes, all day long, and it doesn't suck" and that pitch sold it for me. I wish it traveled better, because if anything rings (phone, skype, teams, zoom, slack), I pick up the headset and it answers on the computer at the same time, and I'd love (somehow) to have that experience when everything is packed in my rucksack.
As stated the only time I had a problem was standing next to an extremely large diesel backup generator which was probably RFI related.
Couple of years later, Sony has updated them half a dozen or so times, and I rarely ever get skips or jumps now. I have them always set to emphasise quality over connection, and they have worked perfect. You can buy them new on the likes of Amazon for ~£120 now, which is a bargain.
Sony just(?) released the XM4 which have a slightly better form factor and better codecs, so I'm considering them next.
Third-party over-ear headphones working on my Android phone, Windows gaming computer and work Linux machine is a whole other deal.
I may be audiophile. But when I put a music on I want to get fully absorbed and hear every little detail while I don't worry about battery life. Sounds weird I know
PX100s for when I am out of the house (but not when driving!) because they sound good but do not isolate me from my surroundings.
HD220s for radio and TV (on tablet or phone) late at night.
HD485s for paying attention to music.
Theoretically I don't think there's a reason why it wouldn't be possible to make the sound produced in the audible range the same (preferrably roughly matching Harman target out of the box) for wired and wireless.
But yes, I'd never trade the slight inconvenience a cable is with the amount of inconveniences of wireless. Especially the battery: I grew up having to deal with battery life in portable players (cassette, minidics, you name it) and this finally got a lot better so I almost don't have to care anymore (talking actual music players, not smartphones), I'm really not going to go back to something inferior again.
It's fascinating how well this has been marketed though, but that's really almost all there is to it for me: just marketing, not a whole lot of actual value.
However I keep my ears open :)
Wireless buds "solve" a non-issue while introducing real issues.
Edge case: white noise generator.
I’ve been looking for a small, wired and preferably powered external speaker for travel to provide louder and better quality sound masking than the tiny speaker in the phone. There are a million little Bluetooth speakers out there but the random inverted hiccups (sudden silence then resume) wake me up every time. I’m sure it’s the Bluetooth because it doesn’t happen when I use the phone speaker.
I carry a 1st gen iPhone SE for wired audio, so I guess now it’s basically an iPod.
Edit: Well, looks like there’s some stuff on eBay I didn’t see in previous searches. Retro 2000s stuff. I can roll the dice for £5 plus shipping. Use case is still relevant.
> They fall out of my ears
Sounds like you don't have a good fit. Sealed buds should not have much room to 'go deeper' when properly seated.
> there isn’t a single problem above that occurs when using wires
These last two have nothing to do with wires, just the fit for a particular model?
Cons: mic volume is low, and when a device disconnects they will play disconnect sound until they reboot.
I definitely found 3rd party Bluetooth headphones to be not worth the trouble early on, but since Apple introduced the AirPods I got tempted back to them. Either Bluetooth got a lot better or Apple's doing something clever (or both), because with the occasional "one pod didn't wake up; put it back in the case and take it out again" issue, they work perfectly for me.
I do still use corded headphones -- I'm an audio guy; I have a bunch -- but it's increasingly rare.
However.
What I'm saying is that this is not a problem for me with the Apple headphones I use (Airpods Pro and Max), which is what I'm using for most of my listening (owing to convenience, I've almost completely stopped using wired headphones).
I do occasionally experience dropouts with the AfterShox I use for some outdoor exercise, and I did sometimes experience the issue with the Sennheisers I had before I got the Airpods Max, which leads me to believe that there ARE aspects of this problem that CAN be ameliorated with implementation, contrary to your assertion.
I mean, how else do we explain the fact that it's only been a problem for me when I use nonApple hardware?
Anyway air drop won't work, move a foot away from your imac and your ear pods will drop their connection. Wifi has way more to do with the space than it does the hardware, think about it the only way apple could improve their signal above the competition is just to boost the signal strength and they can't do that because its agains't government regulation.
If you bought three brands of lotto ticket each with the same payout spec but on paid out while the others did not would you think that the winning brand of lotto ticket had better odds? or would you think that you just got lucky that time?
That's a poor comparison, because there's no difference between lotto tickets and there IS a demonstrable difference in Bluetooth implementations and hardware.
It does sound like you've created a high-interference environment, though.
Ear fit sucks, is it worse with cordless headphones? Ear fit always comes up with earbuds, wireless or wired. I've heard individuals say wireless is better for them because there's no wire tugging on their ear. I'm surprised to see a lot of people walking around with over-the-ear headphones (I tend to use them at home or on a plane).
That said, when I'm sitting at my desk to do work, I use wired headphones (and wired mouse and keyboard). When I'm really in the flow, the last thing I want is to be interrupted by a "low battery" prompt.
My headphones are wired from one to the other. They're wireless to the music device, but wired to each other if that helps paint you a picture. Plus, they have these little rubber fins that help hold the headphones in your ears So for me: I can't lose one without the other, and them being tethered together makes it harder to lose them in general. The controls are on the wire, so none of that "pressing your head" issue you describe. The only time I seem to have issues is when I have my phone in my front pocket opposite to the bluetooth receiver... I think my body just blocks the signal too well. Otherwise I can be 30ft away and still get a strong bluetooth connection.
Enough of the ad talk (Please email me for my info Jaybirds so I can collect my shill cheque) I think its just a design issue. Everyone wants those tiny things that hide away in your ear, but I've always felt the inconvenience of having 2 easily misplaced little buds outweighs any design advantages they have. Its like the trend of making phones smaller and smaller, then suddenly bigger and bigger, but not addressing the convenience of having a smart phone. I don't need a massive screen, I need a stronger battery... so make it 3mm or 5mm thicker if that's what it takes to get 48hr life on a charge.
But now i'm ranting.
I now have AirPod Pros and I have none of the above problems. I waited a long time before buying them and was really surprised how well they fit (because of my experience with normal iPhone headphones and the Jaybird headphones).
I guess experiences differ depending on your on your ears and it's probably best if you try them first if you can.
But they are not sold in Taiwan yet. So I bit the bullet and got the pros about 5 days ago. I hate my wife’s Sony headphones cos they hurt my ears, and figured the pros would last until the non silicon tip comes came out. But now I love the pros.
And contrariwise, while for day-to-day wear I love my bluetooth over-ear headphones, my 'plane earphones' are wired Bose QC25s. Partly because in-ear provides superior noise canceling, partly because when I'm on that 5:30am flight I can lean my head against the side of the plane without upsetting my headphones, but mostly because if I drop my phone I can fish it back up with the headphone cable. :D
In this case wired is just another mode of failure as they will get loose if the cable is tensioned. If you are afraid of losing them you can use one with a wire between the buds (non-TWS).
I was originally very upset about Apple removing the headphone port, but after getting my first AirPods I basically stopped caring. They just worked so well, I never wanted wires again.
By the by, I had more headphones yanked out by door handles than I’ve had wireless buds fall out, but I’ll grant that the latter is strongly affected by individual ear geometry.
All wireless earbuds I have ever used, including Apple Airpods Pro, sucked. Fit, charging stability, not randomly breaking, sound, you name it.
By contrast, I have wireless Sennheiser (over-ear) headphones which sound great (compared to my old wired HD25, say), last for 20 hours or so, and plug into USB, Headphone jack and, well, Bluetooth. Run out of battery? Just plug it in.
I really only use earbuds for sport. In my opinion, that's what they are for.
My friend has an older model that he uses every day for like 4 years, the battery is still reasonably good. And after that, you can still replace the battery and they'll be good as new.
So I opted for over-ear Sony and never looked back. The considerable investment (about 130% of top AirPod model in my country) is totally worth it in my opinion. My wife's AirPods became unusable for a single 1-hour call after about a year.
Yeah, I found that odd. I thought "headphones" very specifically referred to the type you wear on your head (hence the name?). I thought this was going to be about audio quality of headphones versus earbuds (wired or wireless). Instead it's just fashion works in cycles, what's old is new again, we're back to 2005 again etc.
I have a pair of jabra active elite's that i use for working out/biking/doing crap outdoors and they are fantastic. Can't really think of a single complaint with them.
People have different ears. People have different needs. Maybe if you talked to more people about why they used earbuds instead of headphones - you’d know that earbuds can be for anything.
Simple reasons like not wanting headphone hair are reason enough to not use headphones. Same for other aesthetic reasons. Personally, I am not a bigger user of earbuds either because I have small ear canals that don’t play nicely with most in-ears but I 100% understand why people would use them for more situations than headphones. I frequently wish I could use in-ears because I also wear glasses and overear headphones do not play nicely with my glasses. Again, so simple to think about as to why use earbuds over headphones…
May be I am cheap, but I cant get myself to buy another Wireless Earphone again with non -replaceable battery. They are basically consumables. And Apple expect you to buy a new pair every 1-2 years. And even if you dont use it much the battery will still deteriorate after 2 years.
I dont know about current M1 MacBook, EarPod and HomePod, but Apple has a history of speaker being relatively easier blown out. But even then they last 4 - 5 years.
Again may be I am cheap. I expect these things to last a decade. I have often dream of a Wireless earphone where the long end part is a screwable battery.
Any recommendation of a wired in-ear earphone that could last a decade?
Edit: I just looked them up. MDR-E484. They seem to be classics that sell for hundreds of dollars used! I never realised they were so sought after!
Many of my friends had their parents get them really nice headphones (Bose, Beats by Dre, etc), I always stuck to the cheap ones because I never had to think about taking care of them. They all broke, I'd toss them out and open up a new pair.
As you said, headphones are basically a commodity. But when the press reports cases of people having anxiety about losing airpods, for me it's a clear sign something went wrong.
I bought some Sony over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones 3-4 years ago. I only tend to use them when flying (only a few times a year). I have an old pair of original AirPods (2016) I use as backups. I haven't noticed any deterioration. I'm sure there is some, but a majority of the aging is due to use.
Had I just bought wired headphone every month for $10. At the end of 2 years I would have spent $240, which is right around the price of Airpods Pro's.
I will say though the one killer feature for me in Airpods is the handoff functionality. I'm an iOS developer so I work on a Mac all day long. It's so nice to be able to switch off from one Macbook for a meeting to my iPhone with little to no effort.
It's a bit disingenuous to compare $10 cans with $240 Airpods. What is this? Reddit?
I'm still getting my moneys worth 15 years later!
So while I appreciate your anecdote, I also think it doesn't apply to me and should not in any way influence my purchases.
I do all of my work calls using them, I use them if I have to make a phone call, I use them for listening to music while working, I use them (the right side only for safety) while riding my bike, I listen to podcasts while doing chores, I connect them to my PC for playing video games, and I use them to listen to a sleep podcast when I go to sleep.
Most users use them every day and are very happy with them. I think it is pretty reasonable to pay that kind of money for being happy.
For the wireless argument, here is mine.
I use an airpods pro. I also have multiple high end headphones. I only apple os with wireless. If I was using linux, android, windows then I have to use my other headphones, since my bluetooth always have issues with wireless using other os.
The airpods pro is probbably my favourite headphones that I have. I use it 95% of the time
The only time I use wired headphones is if I need to use my amp when I really need/want to listen to the quality of something or if im using non apple os.
Wires are a pain in the a$% for me personally and ironically more fragile than my airpods pro. It's hard to move around with wires and they tangle a lot wether if im wearing them or not.
The airpods pro are small and you can have noice cancelling, transparency, and normal mode. The only downside is I have to charge them every 5~ hours.
They connect to my phone, and my 3 computers easily without unhooking the wires.
The only annoying thing about the airpods pro is that people don't know that i have something in my ear because my hair is long and I am listening to something. When they are trying to start a conversation I usually can't hear them.
The only time they fall out of my ears is if im cleaning the house cause im moving my head around too much. They don't even fall when I'm working out or running
People like what they like. Forcing it just does not go well, unless the reasons are really good.
I was, and am seriously put off by the omission of analog audio jacks. Most of the reasons given just do not resonate and sometimes it is stated or strongly implied I am somehow the problem.
Our strong emphasis on individualism suggests more is in play. Deal with it, grow up, etc..
The decision to drop a universally supported headphone jack really doesn't make any sense unless you are trying to force people to buy your expensive wireless ear-buds, (which I can't wear because they are uncomfortable and fall out of my ears within seconds).
Even a cassette adapter beats BT.
When I rent newer cars, which I do frequently, I am amazed at the diversity of general conbobtwinkulating required to connect, looking hard at you Dodge, and quality, latency is never worth the hassle.
End up just using earbuds every time.
I really hate BT.
I guess Airpods Max would count?
I mean that sounds like a pretty major downside. Maybe when this becomes "I have to charge them every 5 weeks" they might be more appealing.
That's pretty obvious. The article gave that for granted (actually, it even explicitly acknowledged it) and put the spot on famous or not so famous people going the other way round. They will be always be a minority and guided by fashion/aesthetics rather than comfort, but it was worth (or not) to point it out.
* never run out of juice
* never have internal noise/audible hiss
* never have trouble connecting
* you can hear your vinyl rip FLAC as it is, not subjected to lossy psychoacoustic compression
* you can use a variety of devices spanning decades to listen your music on
And:
* Cheap * Better for the environment by a mile * Much harder to lose
The one downside is the damn tangled wire.
I like materials that resist bending after a fairly large minimum radius. More could be done IMHO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D_oV14dGmM
EDIT: Some people in the comments seem to think this shortens the life of the cable, but I've never had problems with Apple earbuds or Bose headphones (that have a replaceable wire anyway).
EDIT2: Another advantage of wired headphones if you want the wire out of the way and to make them less visible: Just thread them through your shirt!
Background: I have a collection of even older "goodish" headphones which I have kept alive with solder over the years. My teenage son recently started buying similar headphones, and they all have replaceable cables. This was me as well until my Yes, this wasIf you have bought a rea
I don't think the DT770 will be updated though. Recently Beyerdynamics released the DT 700 PRO X, which seem like the "successor" and they do have replaceable cords.
Can recommend. Can be bought for 100 euros.
2 bonus points: -the chord makes it much harder to lose the headset - when on a call, people around don't think you're someone losing it, having a discussion with yourself out loud
I've never given polarization any thought and never had any problems, so I don't buy this being an actually a problem in practice.
> not earthed
NEMA-1 aren't earthed, but NEMA-1 sockets have been forbidden since the 60s, so that fails the "unchanged" part of coldtea's assertion. NEMA-1 plugs may still be used on Class II double insulated appliances, which is fine. And NEMA-5 does have a ground.
> not safe when partially inserted.
I've never worried about it, never been hurt by it, and never heard of anybody being hurt by it. This is a "problem" that I often hear described by Europeans online but it's totally alien to me. Please remember that we only put 120V through these things, which is substantially less nippy than 240V.
Just as my anecdotal experience: I've shocked myself at least twice because my finger slipped over the contacts while I was trying to plug/unplug something in the dark. I have of course learned my lesson and am much more careful when plugging stuff in, but it's a relatively easy mistake to make if one is tired or not paying attention.
Yes, I got shocked because I was stupid and careless. But a connector that everybody uses every single day should be idiot-proof -- it should not be possible to kill myself because I plugged something in carelessly.
The US has the "excuse" of being the first domestic power distribution system -- other countries have better standards because they were able to learn from the design flaws in our plugs. And our split-phase 120V system is (as far as I know) a great idea that's way safer than direct 240V. But there really are a lot of things that the NEMA plugs leave to be desired. I second the recommendation by a sibling commenter to check out Technology Connection's videos on the subject -- I found them to be entertaining, nuanced, and highly informative.
Wife has same and got a zap. I never have and my own fingers are a bit pudgy. This happening never even occurred to me.
Are the US plugs actually original? The UK ones are on their third generation (originally various proprietary or light-socket-based things, then the three prong round ones found in very old buildings and specialised industrial applications, then the three prong rectangular ones from the 60s).
> And our split-phase 120V system is (as far as I know) a great idea that's way safer than direct 240V.
Eh. They are both safer or less safe in different ways. The US system requires about double the current for given power, so is less forgiving of marginal wiring.
That's probably because a lot of equipment is double-insulated now so polarization doesn't matter, and manufacturers are better at getting the polarization right. It's usually when someone (incorrectly) replaces a cord themselves that you run into issues, which doesn't seem to happen much nowadays, the lamp with the bad cord goes in the trash. Though I've certainly run into home outlets that are wired backwards.
Probably the most likely place you'd run into problems with incorrect polarization is when changing a light bulb. If the polarization is wrong, the outer threaded part of the socket will be live, and you've got a good chance of contacting it while changing a light bulb. (which itself is becoming a rarely with long lasting LED bulbs, or LED lamps without changeable bulbs). Though this is probalby more the fault of the Edison lightbulb socket than of the polarized plug.
I would be terrified of the american plug. I played with one when I was over last time and there was over 5mm of exposed live connectors. That's bonkers.
In my experience polarization has only became relevant once: when mounting a dedicated socket for a gas furnace. For some reason these don't like the live and neutral being reversed and go into an error mode when that happens.
Other than that, most wall sockets in my house are dual, which means polarization in the top socket is reverse of that at the bottom and it has never caused any issues.
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-the-electrical-plugs-and-socke...
Photo of a type G plug (this is an adapter): https://www.rcjaz.ca/jazrider-type-british-3pin-electrical-a...
IMO the EU way is the best. Radial circuit, fused in groups, and the plug is either the Schuko plug (very safe since the earth/ground is always engaged first) or Europlug (relatively safe because it is only allowed for low class power appliances). Both type of plugs can be angled, although it is quite rare for an Europlug to be.
Also as someone who lived in both the UK and now a Schuko country, I do sometimes miss having a switch on the socket :-) We have a floor lamp without a switch, so we have to physically unplug it to turn it off.
If I had to overcome it on purpose with two knitting needles I would fail as a grown up man. With two screwdrivers I could do it.
I've actually heard Americans make fun of our (UK) switches on the outlets. Usually something to the effect of "need to make sure the electric doesn't escape, when things are unplugged, lol". It completely misses the point. The point of the switches is we have a way to isolate a device without unplugging it. Without the switch the only way to isolate the thing is pull the cord out of the wall like some kind of neanderthal.
the problem is that they don't have contact covers.
What I like about the British plug is that its closed most of the time, and really really difficult to put stuff in the live/neutral. That has advantages for safety, but also cleanliness. It cuts down dust ingress.
Metal savings is why every plug is fused ? How does that even make sense when historically fuses were all metal construct instead of the modern ceramic whatnots.
And anyway, fused plugs were not a requirement until ... 1992: "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend the Plugs and Sockets Etc. (Safety) Regulations 1987 to require pre-wired plugs to be fitted to all domestic appliances by the manufacturer." (Citation: HC Deb, 29 January 1992, c955).
As far as I know, the war has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with fuses in plugs. It was just introduced as part of the modernisation of UK electricity rules.
If you look at historical houses, they still have/had central fuseboards with rewireable or cartridge fuses. See [1]
The fuses on UK Plugs are for overload protection. Simple.
See also this YouTube video for other reasons as to why UK plugs are the best[2].
Finally, if you have time on your hands, there is a 23 page treatise on the how's and why's of ring circuits. [3].
[1] https://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/years/2021/84-march-2021/estimating-the-age-of-an-electrical-installation/
[2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEfP1OKKz_Q
[3] http://www.raymond-lai.com/-%20Online80/%E2%94%80Electrical%20&%20Mechanical%20Engineering%20%E6%A9%9F%E9%9B%BB%E5%B7%A5%E7%A8%8B/%E2%94%80Electricity%20%E9%9B%BB%E5%8A%9B/-%205%20In%20House%20Circuit%20%E5%AE%A4%E5%85%A7%E9%9B%BB%E8%B7%AF/-%20Circuits%20Sample%20%E7%B7%9A%E8%B7%AF%E4%BE%8B%E5%AD%90/13A%20Final%20Ring%20Circuit%20%E6%9C%80%E7%B5%82%E7%92%B0%E5%BD%A2%E9%9B%BB%E8%B7%AF/ring_circuits_-_history.pdfThe US plug does have advantages, like being smaller. UK plugs are really annoyingly large and weighty.
In British homes/offices you'll see something like this[0], this[1], or this[2].
[0] https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R2ZMJNY
What do 6-outlet strips look like where you're from? I'd never considered British ones to be a problem because you throw them behind the setee or under a desk, and probably because it's all I've ever experienced. Also, in practice you usually only want smaller strips with 2-4 outlets, where the size matters even less.
At least they are compatible with Europlugs if you use a fork to open the ground flap.
Pro audio equipment usually prefers connectors such as XLR [0] (or even heavier-duty cables like Speakon [1] if you need to carry large amounts of power). They're a lot bulkier but immune to all these problems: the ground pin connects first, the connector physically latches into place, and they're typically used to carry a balanced signal over a twisted pair so they're mostly immune to interference. The only place you'll find a TS/TRS connector on a stage is on a "patch cable" for making short-distance connections, like from a guitar to an amp -- and you have to be very careful not to touch them unless the sound guy tells you it's OK, because those pops will be loud over a PA.
Newer (and more expensive) equipment is moving in the direction of avoiding analog altogether and transmitting audio over Ethernet using protocols like Dante [2].
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XLR_connector
I've got a guitar cable (1/4", but some basic design) that has some sort of trick setup in the plug where it shorts everything until the ground is firmly connected... no pops or crackles.
Edit: This is the plug used.. https://www.amphenolaudio.com/products/14-2/t-series-switch-...
It got chosen because it was compact, it can be repeatedly plugged and unplugged, sockets can be through-hole soldered, and double-ended cables are widely available. There is no obvious alternative with those characteristics, and they outweigh the bad.
I have a good pair (WF-1000XM3) because my phone doesn't have an audio jack and they are always a pain. They connect to the wrong device frequently, the battery life is barely a few hours and the sound quality is ok. Always have trouble with voice quality on calls too. Often only one headphone will turn on but not the other. They are supposedly easier to carry because no cords, but they are harder because I need to carry two things (case + headphones) most of the time instead of one. Given how low the battery life is, carrying the case is essential
In contrast, my wired headphones are 100x easier - i plug them in and they work. It takes less time than fiddling with bluetooth and they are 100% reliable.
The Headset profile's audio codecs are hot garbage. Any time your device uses the microphone it switches to this and audio quality turns to mud.
Until they come up with a high definition profile for mic and audio, wired headsets will always have a place.
I sometimes really struggle to understand others when they are using wireless units. It is AM quality at best, like 5 to 8Khz bandwidth.
That is not so bad frankly. But, couple it with cell phone call audio codecs and it is a mess.
Unless Apple or Samsung is using a proprietary protocol between their headsets and handsets, they pretty much are. You'll even notice the degradation of quality if you use your Mic on a Mac or PC.
I've never seen a Bluetooth device that simultaneously supports two active profiles so you could stream audio over A2DP and capture mic over the headset profile. Even if such a beast existed, I doubt devices would know how to handle it.
It’s very solid in mine
I also guess they have tested it on many different persons but not my type of ears.
(I see many people with same ethnicity as me complain about it ;-)
I switched to AirPods (Pros and Max) and a lot of my issues dissapeared.
Honestly it's a shame because the audio quality on the XM3 was better than the Airpod Pro but the software is just not there.
The AirPods aren't perfect either of course, but it's a night and day difference between the reliability of them vs the Sony.
I found the Sony was extra bad when there was either a busy area or if I took out just one ear. Often I'd start dropping connectivity to one ear and then they'd just crap out altogether till I reset them.
The only issue I had with them was that I recently tried to connect them to a Mac that wasn't in my iCloud. It is possible to do a non-iCloud paired direct bluetooth connection with them and this worked. But ~1 week later they suddenly disappeared from my main iCloud account. I'll not try that again.
That said I’ve gone back to plugging in the XM3s in an attempt to take advantage of Apple’s lossless music.
The one thing that really does piss me off about the XM3 is that the buttons are too sensitive - if I'm wearing a hood, the slightest brush against the headphones acts like a push of the button. I have to remember on rainy/windy days to turn the buttons off completely.
[0] Unless you try to make a call using the microphone, when it switches to a low quality codec, but are there any Bluetooth headsets that don't have this issue?
Yes. The recently released Bose QC45 headphones do not have this issue. I don’t know what they did to stop it, but it’s not present.
I don’t know how good they’d be for your use-case, but definitely worth considering the mx4 as distinct from the mx3.
edit: xm4 not mx4. Shows how little I care about headphones :-D
Sounds like they are broken. I have XM3s. The batteries last for a very long time, something like 12h with noise cancellation on. I've never had an issue with the speakers turning on or off individually.
> Always have trouble with voice quality on calls too.
Their mic is their biggest weakness. It's pretty bad.
I only buy wireless ones now, even though they're fraught with their own issues. It seems like there's always a tradeoff to be made, specifically regarding quality.
My biggest complaint has been the damage that I've always seem to have done to the headphone jacks of devices that I use. I'm not harsh on my devices, but I do tend to put my phone in my pocket and walk around with headphones on. And if it's not the headphone jack that gets destroyed, it's the cable; I went through ~5 different cables/earbuds when I was using the Shure SE215s.
Bluetooth headphones aren't great either. I have not lost a pair of headphones in years, but I've gone no more than 12 months without purchasing a new pair. This gets expensive when I also want my headphones to have active noise cancelling and sound reasonably good (I don't care about audiophile cans, because I wear my headphones primarily when I'm active). And don't even get me started on a pair that has a good (not even great) mic... I'd love to be able to have a phone conversation when walking through midtown Manhattan.
https://github.com/tlalexander/reboot-headphones
There is a newer design in the linked OnShape document which is smaller and uses two 3mm titanium rods for a headband. They’re really nice and they’ve been my daily headphones for what feels like a year now. I love knowing that no matter what breaks on them they can be repaired forever.
Corded headphones at my desk use to make me so angry. Always tangling. And with earbuds, cord noise. I don't miss corded headphones.
The AirPods alone bring in more profit than most major tech companies. Why in earth would they stop making them?
They suck otherwise. I have these wired earphones I bought 5 years ago for $99 that I use most of the rest of the time. They sound better, fit better, connect 100% reliably, and I don't have to worry about their batteries dying in the middle of something because they randomly decided not to charge last time I put them in the case.
I'd rather have no wires, but AirPods are a significant compromise to get rid of a wire...
I find it's rarely worth it. Only the one use case, actually. Same for the watch.
So I dug in, bought a backup phone with jack and am just camping on good gear to wait a while and see what comes.
Maybe I will put a set in my carry bag.
...or maybe most users after some years realized the true costs of having non replaceable batteries. Making them replaceable on the AirPods would be very easy; and a nice move that would also bring them some more customers including me, but apparently milking users to the last cent pays more.
A battery only needs two electrical contacts on a component that is already self contained. Its a very simple device. The lithium ion ones in this size range are a few bucks each on the wholesale market. There are even standardized button cell sizes. It is very much a design choice.
The other side of it is that lithium ion battery tech is at the point where the battery lifespans is starting to exceed the device lifespan. Certainly true for the cheap side of the earbud market
Nope. This is a minority preference that HN folks are obsessed about, but most people aren't. The wireless headphone market is huge and booming, and replaceable batteries went out around the same time they did in cell phones. Last pair I had with a replaceable battery were Bose QC15s, sold from 2009-2015. Airpods may have lost their novelty, but people are buying up loads of wireless/ANC headphones from Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, Beats, etc. None of the newest generations have easily replaceable batteries.
This is what I call value.
The idea a 3.5mm jack takes up a huge amount of space in a phone is so much bullshit.
I would even take the audio jack over the front camera and Bluetooth both.
I will never buy them again >:-/
This is why I've never bought wireless headphones. You don't need to be disorganized to appreciate the convenience of not having to charge yet another device you want to use on the fly.
Why would I pay more for something that takes more mental bandwidth to use?
My wireless headphones I do occasionally have to think about charging, but they are USB-C and mostly I'm using them on my computer, so whenever they need charging I just unplug my USB-C computer, plug in my headphones for an hour, and then we're back. Not really an operation I think about much either. If I really want to I can then plug in the wired cable and still listen to them while they're charging, but usually I don't bother.
You just did. Us absent-minded people are likely to forget even putting those things back into their case, forget the case at home or some other place (since we don't need it to listen), or forget to charge it. My stuff is likely to be in the last place I stopped using it. In this case that's hopefully my jacket, but it certainly won't be some charging station.
My wired earphones I can wear under my shirt with only a small chance of losing them. I still lose those occasionally, but mostly I break them every six months. A new pair is ten bucks, so whatever.
I already have trouble keeping my phone charged. I don't need more stuff with batteries. Especially not in something that's never supposed to be more than a few centimeters from the device it's receiving signals from anyways.
> Especially not in something that's never supposed to be more than a few centimeters from the device it's receiving signals from anyways.
This sounds kinda like the opinion of someone who has never even tried wireless earphones. It is very nice being able to stand up from my desk / ride my motorbike / etc and keep listening to whatever I was listening to (or staying on the call I was on) without my phone being in reach.
I have used wired headphones for years, and I prefer headphones to earbuds for both comfort and sound, but it just isn’t true that they are more convenient.
Most wireless _headphones_ that I've bought come with an audio cable just for this eventuality. (Versus earphones, like the Airpods that do not have this capability.)
- Quality is really subpar
- Battery is dying fast, charge often and throwaway product
- Comfort is relative
- most are already on their second or third pair
- Ear infections get more common
- BT still isn't perfect especially on busy places
- doesn't work too well outside of apples walled garden
- yet the majority likes them
Wireless earbuds or bone-conduction headphones are essential when working out.
Apples got a bad case of the Facebook mom's group, basically. (No offence to the mom groups, you've given me so much help over the years)
My laptop, PC, speakers, TV, console and console controller all have the headphone jack. Everything except my phone has the 3.5mm jack. I'm losing options. I don't like having to keep both.
Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have all said that Bluetooth is not good enough for gaming and have decided to not support Bluetooth audio in their consoles.
If you only use Apple devices you're lucky to have a perfect experience with wireless earphones. Particularly due to their cleaner stack and to proprietary stuff.
The second top comment mentions longevity, right to repair, battery, etc, but we all know what you get when you buy TWS earphones. It's the general public that does not. Fingers crossed government regulation can fix that one up?
The author must have delved into a niche. I consider myself rather culturally relevant and while Tumblr aesthetics do exist of course, this one isn't mainstream. I try not to follow developers on Twitter and Instagram, as a bias check.
What would make wireless earphones and headphones more bearable is if Android and iOS allowed you to choose your own input and output devices so you can avoid the low-quality headset mode by using the mobile device's microphone.
I believe Windows 11 made some changes with Bluetooth devices to make this no longer possible which is a bummer. Bluetooth on Windows is a nightmare as is.
Apple not having removed the 3.5mm headphone jack on their new MBPs is evident of an anti-consumer, pro-profit strategy. Plain and simple. They deemed it a pro feature that they likely use themselves but it's one that isn't for mobile devices.
Since getting airpod pros, I've fallen in love with their anc, so that's one more reason for me to stay wireless (never heard of any wired anc headphones).
Perhaps Airpods do a better job here, but my experience with Bose and Sony wireless headphones has been terrible on switching sources... I have to manually unpair from device A and repair with device B. In the case of Bose this handoff is mediated by an iOS app that seems to crap out 50% of the time. It often takes several minutes to get everything working as it should. This does not feel like a $350 UX.
It makes me rage when I think of the ease and speed I had in the past with wired headphones that can be instantly unplugged from A and plugged into B quickly with 100% reliability.
Seems a little short-sighted... My $30 Anker headphones are able to pair to at least two devices...
And I was naive enough to think that the sound from the two connections would be mixed, so you could, for example listen to music on my phone while hearing audible notifications from the computer (without the music dropping out).
As with anything BT, it's a mixed bag. That said, after resisting it for a long time, those Jabras were one of the best things I ever bought.
https://www.soundguys.com/bluetooth-multipoint-explained-286...
Although apple makes use of their own servers to coordinate this so it could be difficult.
They now live in my carry-on bag for use with the inflight entertainment systems.
So I'm using them in combination, based on what's the situation.
1. Sennheiser earbuds that are on a Lightning adapter. I keep them in my desk at work, and use them for phone calls a few times a week.
2. Sony 1000MX or whatever they are called. Bluetooth, noise-cancelling, full size. The battery lasts like 20 hours so they go with me on the airplane and some car rides, but don't use them too much otherwise. They also can be used with a cord which is great when you need that.
3. Aukey Bluetooth earbuds, they are only $18 and "good enough", fit in my laptop sleeve. These get used the most out of any of them.
So now I use them only when I absolutely need to (e.g. in noisy places, taking calls on the move) and avoid them all other times.
And if I triple-check the mute setting to be sure I'm muted, I can even make it to the bathroom (or to the kitchen for a glass of tea) during a long zoom meeting without losing the call.
My USB keyboard and USB mouse are always available. So I don't need to think about that extra problem at all.
I quickly realized how much better sound quality is out there and also got some wired headphones when I’m at a stationary location. You can get really nice wired IEMs for a decent price and you can add foam tips for good noise cancellation. You can also get a wired cable with a mic for a dollar more.
The other downside is the volume, I like to be able to crank it up and listen to music louder sometimes.
Apart from that it always felt to me like it mostly depended on the situation, at home when I can lay in my bean bag and listen to some vinyl I'll always prefer my wired Sennheiser through my Schiit amp. When I do some yard work I go for the Sony and when I'm on foot taking care of business in the city I'll go for the AirPods because they're good enough and convenient.
And a side note: A really cool audio discovery to me was the existence of Chinese hi-fi brands like TIN Audio. Their wired IEMs are pretty nice. I'm looking into getting one of those MMCX bluetooth DAC AMPs to give me the option to use them wirelessly, too, when I want.
The DAC is quite critical for final sound quality (responses to different frequencies, amount of noise...).
Most wireless use built-in DAC and provide no method for using an external/standalone one.
Another obvious issue would be the connection stability which is why I still use 3.5mm on my iPhone 6s (or previously iPhone 8 but requires an adapter).
This incorrect statement is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. A DAC on its own is useless for listening to sound, it always has to be accompanied by an amplifier stage. I honestly don't know why people have become focused on the part of a DAC+Amp circuit that rarely matters.
If a DAC makes any difference to the sound quality of the device, then it is a bad DAC. All a DAC should do is output the exact analog signal that was sampled in the digital file (provided it is below the Nyquist-Shannon frequency). Even dirt cheap commodity DAC chips do this well beyond what any human can hear.
If there is any fuckery with the sound, it is probably due to the implementation of the pre-amp or amplifier circuits in the device which have far more ability to introduce distortion or noise to the signal, or introduce a sound signature.
I just forget to charge the case too.
I have a high end over ear pair for when I'm working. It blocks out the noise and the neighbors. It's on my head pretty much all the time when I'm at home. 16 hours is not unusual. Having the freedom of movement is very nice. For outdoors, I have a cheap set of bluetooth earphones (25 euros). Not the greatest quality but plenty OK for listening podcasts. Surprisingly comfortable and they have a soft plastic handle that wraps around my ears to keep them in place. They supposedly last about 6 hours. And the case allows me to charge them 3 or 4 times or so. They only need to be plugged in once every two weeks or so.
Unfortunately there isn't a lot of solutions on PC, since the platform has no control of browser based video playback and even if it did, finding the exact audio offset would be impractical.
And yet you can land an airplane without looking out the windows, by measuring timestamps between source and destination of a signal (GPS).
I'd argue not that impractical.
But this only helps with less interactive media. Adding even more latency to video games or MIDI keyboard synthesizers is counterproductive: sure, you could delay the rendering of a muzzle flash to match the playing of a gunshot, but that makes things feel even worse when you click! Maybe tolerable in a casual macro-focused RTS, but not so acceptable in a twitch shooter.
Something like the Soundblaster ZXR makes for exceptionally good headphone listening on the PC.
I have the XM3 and some wired-only Audio Technicas. I only use the XM3s wired on the PC, can't stand the lag however small myself.
We've gone through so many here (Apple, Belkin, no-name...) and they just seem to break fairly easily. Wish there were a case solution but those seem to have fizzled out over time (presumably no demand).
Anyone know of a good adapter that survives daily use?
Despite constantly pushing them back into my ears, I prefer them to wires getting snagged on door knobs and the awful rubbing sound against my coat. I still grab my AirPods over my great old IEMs which sound way better and were only $80.
I wish for more of the practicality of wired headphones (less charging), but I don’t miss the wires at damn all. Don’t know what you guys are doing, but apparently I like to move around in ways that’ll entangle and often break the wires.
Nothing signals "don't talk to me" like plainly visible earbuds. I used to wear a pair, with nothing playing, when walking around the city. Worked like a charm + more portable than over-the-ear headphones.
Because Bluetooth sucks. It's a shame it's the industry standard.
Bluetooth support is still spotty on Linux, which to me is continued evidence that the stack is complicated and bug-ridden.
Even for my high-end BT devices, there are still lots of problems. In addition to the problems listed elsewhere in this thread, I particularly have problems with:
* Easy, reliable switching between connected devices. * Reliably connecting when a device is turned on. * Audio delays on the order of 200ms.
I stick with wireless almost exclusively, because I hate the wire, but I switch to wired for gaming because a 200ms audio lag for a real-time game is unplayable. 200ms is obvious even just watching someone speak in a video.
* BT audio codecs sucks. Why cant everyone agree on e.g .opus, gotta be enough for everyone
* BT audio hardware/software implementation sucks
* BT audio hardware/software implementation totally inconsistent across vendors
* OS support is not really great, system mixer adds some mud to the mix
* Headphone's DAC modules sucks, even $400+ ones - tried some Sony's, same headphones via BT and wire, and wired connection felt so much more alive, despite being connected to crappy builtin phone jack.
* BT headphones much much more expensive while providing much much lower audio quality.
At last, I got an ear infection from wearing plugs in the past. Since then any plugs start irritating my left ear very quickly. I basically can not comfortable wear plugs in my ears for more than a few minutes anyway.
I own 1000XM4's and Airpods and absolutely love them. I never have bluetooth drop-outs. My only issues are:
- Multi-device on the Sony's is still a bit shit. Works pretty well on Airpods. A little too well at times (e.g. time on phone interrupts audio from laptop) - The seal of airpods is not great, but this not unique to the airpods. You can supposedly buy custom memory-foam tips but I've not gone down that path yet.
Every other day, on Windows, my Bluetooth headphones decide they prefer the left output to be louder than the right outpout.
And it will randomly fix itself. Truly randomly.
Nothing I try to do, from adjusting auto settings, to disabling the headset mic, to re-installing drivers, to rebooting, to unpairing/repairing, to everything else has any impact on it.
Then it will start working normally, only to stop working a day later.
And it's not the headphones, it's the Bluetooth stack. All headphones I try are either broken or working, depending on the day and whatever mood my Windows Bluetooth stack is in.
Sadly, these just aren’t made anymore, and the current crop of BT headphone adapters is, comparatively, pure crap where it regards usability and quality. The MW600 feels like an artifact from an ancient higher civilization in comparison.
Anyone know of a decent replacement?
I also just bought the Nothing Ear, mostly for those occasions where I want to wear wireless with glasses. So far, no issues.
All with my old iPhone XR.
Really? I thought bluetooth headphones were a thing way before Apple woke up about it. This "Apple made wireless headphones the feature of daily life" is just bizarre to me.
May be for people who are stuck with Apple, anything that happens outside it doesn't exist.
I don't buy this whole "Apple made it common" thing in general. They just like to present as novelty what existed long before they decided they think their users should start using it. And their users start thinking it's common when Apple decides for them.
Take this topic, or Apple Touchbar threads... For/Against groups voice their opinions more openly when article matches their opinion.
Where are my contrarions, misfits, non-conformists?
But it is pretty interesting and good to be perceptive of this, when taking in public feedback.
Other than that, I like the mobility that you get with bluetooth headsets.
At the office I recently got one of the wireless ModMic things with a dongle.
It is nice to safe a cable, but then the battery life time of the mod mic is around 7 hours. So I am glad at home that i simply dont have to think about it.
"In short, AirPods have become too widespread to be cool"
This is the same phenomena like the return of vinyl records, there is exactly zero logical reason to use them over CDs or flac compressed files, yet they made a big come back because of being in fashion now.
It's annoying that since apple removed the jack a lot of people suddenly became very opinionated that wired headphones are somehow less than. Apple isn't a cult.
IMHO it's a question that should be asked for any new tech which provides only a slight improvement (if any) to existing solutions.
I currently have the Bose QC35ii, so something like this, with a cord and no bluetooth. Noise cancelling not required, just need something decent for work.
Airpods 1 and 2 have long stems, and can fall off when wearing certain accessories like scarves, earmuffs, and face masks (when wearing or removing masks that use ear loops). This is not an issue with Airpods 3 or Airpods Pro which have shorter stems.
Tip for people who find the connection unreliable - I have noticed that having Bluetooth 5.0 on both the source device (iPhone X or later) and the earbuds (Airpods 2 or later) resolved most connection issues. It is miles better than Bluetooth 4.2 in my experience.
My complaint with wired headphones (not all of them, notably not the Lightning EarPods) is that the wire itself creates sounds while it's moving.
I would avoid buying sketchy batteries.
Why? The batteries lasted less than 18 months and the cost to replace them is more than a new pair. Not even considering again until this is fixed.
I now use corded earphones because they're consistent and always ready to work.
Wired has none of those. And is cheaper to boot.
In Helsinki, a few guys turned a brutal concrete block house into a retrofuturistic haven, including corded phones and neon lights.
I want high quality audio both input AND output. I need a good mic on the phone- the only way you can get that is with a wired mic.
I rarely listen to music this way, I only seem to like music that's played out loud.
Second best and sometimes a tie is music reproduced on a good system, room filling.
That said, I do enjoy music playing down with good earbuds. Miss feeling the low end, but it can be nice.
Soundquality no that clear as wires. Glitchy, and even brand new ones dimply don't last long enough. Also, the wires function as a parachute sometimes, saving me screen repairs.
The new macbook pro has phantom power, so it can drive my sennheisers.
Wires (+)
- Connection more reliable
- Sound quality consistent and stable (this is non-negotiable for some who won't buy a phone without an analog jack)
- Buttons on wire are convenient
- No battery worries
- Better audio "resolution", can hear more details (but theoretically wireless should be able to match "Harman target"), no compression
- Can replace cable, earpads if it fails (modular, good value Sennheiser HD25 has easy to replace parts - cable, earpad - and lasts >10 years; some manufacturers do not add 3.5mm TRRS jack)
- Clear which device is connected
- Simple and easy to understand
- Harder to lose
- Can use amp or USB DAC for sound quality
- Supported by decades worth of devices
- Better for environment as less disposable and repairable
- 1/8" RCA stereo jack is "best interface ever" (but ground connects last, plugging in may cause jumbled connections and shorts, and noises - bad with amps and speakers - partial plugging in possible, unbalanced signals; pros prefer XLR or heavy-duty cables such as Speakon, and TS/TRS cables only for patch cables such as guitar to amp; newer equipment uses audio over ethernet / Dante)
- Can convert to bluetooth with an adapter (e.g. fiio ubtr, although has less battery life) or 3d print a converter for flexibility
- Cheaper
Wires (-)
- Default headphone wires are short (but fixable)
- Headphone wire must be removed before taking off a shoulder-strap bag or shirt (can route under shirt or bag, but takes more time to put on or off and may yank wire if looking at phone so need slack in pocket)
- Tethered to source
- Taking off a face mask / shoulder-strap bag or passing a doorknob or exercising may tear headphones out of ears and damage them (need to treat wired headphones as consumable)
- Might tangle e.g. with keys in pocket, or if walking or running and putting things in and out of pocket (folding wire may help although some people thinks it damages wire; better wire materials may help)
- Some wired headphones are earbuds, so might be affected by issues people note for wireless earbuds
- Wires and ports may be fragile (may be able to solder to fix)
- Wires may crackle if not held in the right angle (although most headphones now come with replaceable cables, 2.5mm jack in headphone end)
- Annoying carrying cables
- May have cord noise
Wireless (+)
- Can change shoulder-strap bag or top without taking off headphones
- Portability: listen away from source (e.g. bathroom, up to ~40ft at home)
- Audio is fine in general (Airpods 2nd gen)
- For some (e.g. AirPods 2nd gen) no connection issues and good switching between phone and iPad (but auto-switching is not always wanted such as with an interval timer; sometimes connects to the wrong device)
- Bluetooth problems mostly solved in AirPods and Beats lines)
- Can help with hearing protection (e.g. reducing wind noise, especially on a motorcycle)
- Note that wireless headphones aren't necessarily earbuds (may have wrap-around design, although over-the-ear may hurt for glasses wearers), so some earbud issues are not necessarily linked to wireless; so longer battery life and can plug in if needed (so some people just use earbuds for sport)
- AirPods noise cancellation increases apparent loudness (also have transparency, normal mode; this is not necessarily just for wireless though)
- Not reliant on an analog jack (more device choice, one less part to fail)
- May be "cool" (but too popular so maybe "uncool")
- Convenient when moving around e.g. working out
Wireless (-)
- Don't connect, or only one connects, or randomly disconnect (possibly interference especially in crowded areas but not issue for everyone)
- Connection speed can be slow (varied experiences)
- Might connect to wrong device
- Sounds sometimes glitches out randomly (e.g. by large diesel generator), may have internal noise/audible hiss
- Bluetooth protocol - just drops stale packets, and enough dropped packets disconnects
- Earbuds fall out of some people's ears, so only use in "safe" places such as at home not outside (some people find OK for 5k run, may need better fit, and not necessarily a wireless only problem; more a problem if moving head a lot)
- Gestures and voice inconvenient without buttons as tapping just pushes into ear without registering (but AirPods Pro have buttons on stems and some use Siri/watch/phone instead of gestures; can also use device with wire between earbuds with controls and bluetooth transmitter)
- Batteries are inconvenient as need to be charged and get worse over time (can use one and swap to charge while using; maybe could have replaceable batteries - this is a HN obsession, can just resolder as cheap wholesale; wireless charging and case helps, USB-C headphones help too if used with USB-C computer)
- Latency (~200ms) means not good for pro audio or games or music or video (although some software may compensate e.g. YouTube)
- Bluetooth is not as quick to connect as DECT (e.g. Jabra DECT wireless headset suitable for all-day in call centre)
- Bluetooth is a complicated protocol with error correction and lots of failure points (software, hardware, bluetooth controller, protocol, medium, codecs) and not everything support bluetooth
- Easy to lose (would be good if had a way to wirelessly locate)
- Sometimes computer doesn't connect on bluetooth, especially on Linux and when using with mic or not
- Some models don't connect while charging (but wireless headphones can be temporarily wired)
- Other people may talk to you without realising you are wearing them if you have long hair, or think you're talking to yourself
- Bluetooth has lossy, pyschoacoustic compression (may cut out at low volumes to save battery), codec may be worse when using microphone as well (but not for all models)
- Worse for environment as finite lifetime with Li-ion battery
- Annoying carrying case (but needed for battery life)
- Expensive (but cheap clones may be OK, some say replacing every 3 years is good value for how much they use)
- Microphone can be bad
- May be security/privacy issue
- May be uncomfortable on your side
- Possible ear infections (as prevents ears from naturally clearing)
- Some complain volume not high enough
- May be heavier and bulkier
Speaker (+)
- If you're in the military and headphones will fall off, so just share music with a boombox
Individual models
- Sennheiser PX100 for good quality sound outside not driving as doesn't isolate from surroundings
- Sennheiser HD220s for radio and TV on tablet or phone late at night
- Sennheiser HD485s for music
- Bose QuietComforts (case is annoyingly big, but charges quickly)
- Bose SoundSports have wire between earbuds which clip to collar so hard to lose; also charge fast
- Galaxy Buds+ had bad battery after a year
- AirPods 150 Eur with 90min listening time after 1 year of use, 40 minutes in cold
- AirPod Pros (need to replace if has "crackling"), falls out for some not others, may be better with Apple devices, AirPods Pro take 5 hours to charge
- Nokia BH-503 on-ear bluetooth headphones lasted 10 years (minimal problems except slight pitch changes, OK sound quality but not as good as over-ears, one of first A2DP headsets)
- DT770 have bad non-replaceable cables (although can modify with a miniXLR socket), but may not be updated
- DT 700 Pro X (Beyerdynamics successor to DT770) has replaceable cords
- Shure SE215 in-ear headphones have detachable MMCX cables for 100 Euros
- Wireless Sennheiser (over-ear headphones) great audio (vs. old wired HD25), last 20 hours, plug into USB, headphone jack, bluetooth - mitigates battery issues
- Sony over-ear headphones have few isues
- Sennheiser wireless earbuds don't suck
- Sony WF-1000XM4 can pair multiple devices so don't need to disconnct then reconect e.g. phone and laptop
- Sony WF-1000XM3 "good" wireless headphones but connect to wrong device, low battery life, OK sound quality, bad voice quality on calls, one will turn on but not the other, buttons too sensitive e.g. if wearing hood or rainy/windy days, poor pairing; some people have good experience with this vs. AirPod Pros, but plug in XM3 for lossless music
- Sony WF-1000XM2s similar issues to XM3 but worse
- Sony WF-1000XM (first gen) very reliable with android but nothing else, very bad pairing
- Sony WH-1000X (headphones, not earbuds) - good audio, battery charge once a week, pairing perfect, comfortable all afternoon, but microphone low quality codec
- Bose QC45 has good quality codec even with microphone
- Apple Beats Fit Pro similar to AirPods Pro but has wingtip to keep in ear
- Bose QC15 had replaceable batteries (2009-2015)
- Beyerdynamics studio headphones last 16 years with replaced cords
- Apply corded EarPod microhpone sounds very good
The last product I worked on was a piano learning app where the user’s mobile device generated the sound of the piano, and we had to explain to users that unfortunately they couldn’t use their AirPods/other wireless headphones with the app due to this lag. IIRC it was around 200ms for AirPods, and all the way up to 500ms for other brands, though I may be misremembering.
The interesting thing is that Chinese companies and fiio are releasing cables and products to turn wired headphones wireless. Kz Az 09 is with looking into. I just ordered a Bluetooth cable that comes with the qcc5141 chip for 40$ and decent iems around 80$ and it will sound better than the best Apple or Sony offerings. Bluetooth 5.2 and newest Aptx adaptive and tws and voice, aac, and ldac just from a cable and can be adapted to whatever iem I want.
Fiio just released the UTWS5 for adapting iems and they have the BTR5 you can plug any headset into and those even support high impedance headphones and can be used as a USB dac.
Bluetooth 5.2 also has a new audio codec LC3. [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LC3_(codec)]
All that just to be able to do what regular headphone cables do. There's nothing unexpected about people hanging onto cables. They haven't really been gone, it's weird how a headphone jack is considered a budget feature for phones when cables are the best way to transmit lossless anything.
Cables never left. But the day multiple people can connect to a single Bluetooth source to watch something at the same time, that's when people will care about bluetooth.
In a different world, where hd audio wasn't stuck behind a proprietary codec in the US. There was room fm radio to take the place bluetooth audio has been forced to take.
I personally use an an app to make my headphones wifi capable. Soundwire server listens transmits audio to my android phone 40-50ms latency. I keep wired headphones plugged in at all times. I get the range of wifi. Lossless audio transmission bandwidth is so tiny in the world of wifi, it's a rock solid connection 5 to 6 times further than Bluetooth in residential locations. I once tried it at my university and could leave my laptop at one end of the building and heard it playing in the connected building due to how they set up the network. 802.1x authentication. 400ft away minimum.
I also use viper4android for on device audio equalization on android. PeaceAPO for windows 10.
They are flat out amazing! Beware of knockoffs, rejects and counterfeits however. I blew about $50, until I found a seller with the real deal, new old stock.
5 pair cost me about $25 each all in, including tossing the garbage ones. These things were $100 originally. I scored and am super happy about it.
I have tried a few bluetooth sets. Some are pretty good. If I had to, I could use them, but would be missing my wired ones constantly.
The issues for me and wireless ones are:
-Losing one.
-Then losing the same one again! That would anger me considerably. A family member did it. I fear doing it myself.
-Mic quality might be good, but I have tested the audio others get, and it is kind of lousy, like 5Khz or maybe 8Khz. AM quality. This is all software related, so air understand.
Sometimes it is better. Depends on... and frankly I did not bother past that because my wired ones are always awesome, and remain that way even when in a car window down. Others can hardly tell.
I get compliments on my call audio quality all the time on the wired pair, and they work great on my laptop and phone. Ok, moving on...
-Another charge to manage. Some people have a phone, watch, laptop and or tablet, earbuds... I got fat batteries for my phone and laptop. Can sometimes go a couple days. Can always go a whole, long day on the go. I hate charging management.
-Audio quality incoming to my ears ranges from good to crap. Nothing has been exemplary like the Samsung earbuds are. Seriously, they are great. They are better than my ears. Perfect.
-Pairing. Mostly works. May require voodoo when it does not work. To be fair, most worked great on my Samsung Note phone. I expected worse. Win 10 laptop seems a bit worse.
Audio just is not great. Hard shell design on many models do not acoustically couple to my ears well. Many I have tried do not have the tuning to get rid of resonances, response peaks and the like.
-Requires dongle / Adapter to work with all my gear. This is yet another thing to carry around, and need.
-Cost. (Though frankly, I will pay for good stuff.)
Pros:
-No wires! I really like that, and it is compelling. I totally get why people want it.
-Ambient sounds get through. I generally use one ear on my earbuds for that use case, but using two with how the ambient sounds can work is nice.
Summary:
We are closer! But, when one uses the crap out of earbuds professionally as well as personally, there is no contest. Wired sets, good ones to be clear, just work and they rule!
More people can make good use out of wireless ones than ever before, and that is good.
But, the people who count on performance, need it bulletproof and high quality at all times will struggle.
1. So-called chi-fi (Chinese Hi Fi) has made huge strides and I was able to get a really great pair of IEMs from a company called TinHiFi for $70. Definitely the best sounding pair of in-ear headphone's I've ever had, and rival some wired regular headphones I've owned in the past as well.
2. Bluetooth is worse than Hitler.