In 2016, Apple released the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Both of these phones didn’t have a headphone jack. Although Apple wasn #39;t the first smartphone brand to do this, they are the pens that caused the most buzz in the smartphone sphere.
A few months after these phones’ release, Apple released their very first version of wireless earbuds: AirPods. Through the years after, other companies have come out with their own line of wireless earbuds, such as the Galaxy Buds and Buds Pro from Samsung, Mi True Wireless Earbuds from Xiaomi, and many others. And in the past few years, wireless earphones have become widely popular.
Why People Like Wireless Earphones
Wireless earbuds are indeed very appealing for many reasons. The first one is convenience. Those who do a lot of outdoor activities are more inclined to use wireless hearables. For instance, when someone goes out for a run, wearing wireless earbuds will be much more practical since they won’t have to bother with wires dangling around their body as they work out.
Entrepreneurs will also like using wireless hearables as it allows them to multitask. Say an entrepreneur attends a video conference to learn about starting a shared office business. Using wireless earbuds, they can stay in the call without being wired to their computer. If they suddenly need to get up to get a glass of water or writing materials, they’re free to do so.
And compared to their wired counterparts, Bluetooth hearables look more stylish. When people dress up for an occasion, they know their earphones won’t get in the way of their look. Wireless earbuds have also become some sort of status symbol since they have a more premium price. So having one can make a person feel better about themselves.
But Wired Earphones Are Still Better
Despite these benefits, wired earphones do beat wireless earbuds in many ways.
1. No Need for Charging
Wireless hearables are powered by rechargeable batteries. Headsets often have a larger battery life than earbuds due to their larger form factor. But the shorter battery life in wireless earbuds is compensated by their charging cases. Nonetheless, both types of personal audio devices can last for around four to twelve hours, depending on usage.
Having to charge earphones can be inconvenient in some situations. And this is where wired earphones and headphones are the better options as most of them don’t need battery power to work. A user simply needs to plug their earphones or headphones into their device and start listening.
2. Better Sound Quality
At least right now, wireless earphones can’t beat the sound quality of wired earphones. Bluetooth can only carry small bits of information from point A to point B at a time, thus affecting sound quality. The most affected are lossless file formats such as WAV, FLAC, and ALAC. This problem rarely happens with wired hearables due to their analog nature.
Technically speaking, average users won’t notice the difference between the sound quality between wired and wireless earphones or headphones. However, audiophiles and sound professionals will want to keep using wired audio devices to get better sound quality.
3. Minimal to No Sound Lag
A person using wireless earbuds may sometimes experience a delay in sound while watching a video. This is a common problem in wireless hearables.
Wired earphones and headphones usually have a sound lag of 5 to 10 milliseconds, which is quite negligible in real-life use. In comparison, the sound lag of true wireless earbuds and headphones that use Bluetooth ranges from 1 0 to 300 milliseconds.
Realistically, the average user won’t experience sound lag all the time while using a pair of wireless earphones. But it may occur from time to time. This issue can be very inconvenient, especially if it happens during an urgent call. As for wired earphone users, this problem will be very rare.
4. More Affordable
Both wireless and wired hearables have a wide price range. Depending on the brand and the features of the device, a wired audio device may be at the same price point as its wireless counterpart.
But generally speaking, wired earphones are more affordable. This is because wireless technology is more expensive to execute. For example, companies need to spend more to implement the technology needed to create compact wireless audio devices.
The popularity of wireless audio devices won’t erase the fact that wired earphones are still better in many ways. Many devices that used to be popular and well-loved are slowly becoming obsolete. But it’s safe to say that won’t be the case for wired audio devices.