When we think of accessories for our devices in general, a nice pair of headphones is usually one of the important ones. In this modern era where more and more items are ditching their cables and embracing the power of wireless technology, we are now having to decide between ‘wired’ or ‘wireless’ for many of our technical products. This is certainly the case for headphones, and we are now seeing a vast amount of new designs hit the stores every year, with new innovative features and design concepts. Certainly, there are pros and cons of each.
Let's have a look at the characteristics of the two:
Wired headphones:
Wired headphones are still the prominent design of most headphones found at the moment, and are likely to still be around for the next few years at least.
More consistent sound quality: While a wireless connect can provide very good quality sound, it can also be intermittent and you may find at times that the quality drops in and out. When you have wired headphones you do not have to worry about this, as generally they will provide a very consistent level of sound.
If your wired headphones are good quality (and good quality does not have to mean expensive), then you will notice just how good the sound quality is and just how consistent this quality is too.
Cheaper: Generally the price of wired headphones are cheaper than similar wireless models. Although wireless technology cannot be referred to as ‘new’ any more, it is still not a prominent force in the headphone market as of yet, so the price of wired models is still less.
No power issues: Wired headphones do not require any batteries to run them, unless you have a 3rd party device that runs off the headphones such as a microphone that sometimes may require a battery to run it. This will mean you do not have to worry about the power draining on your headphones.
Cable: The only real 'issue' when it comes to wired headphones is the cable. While many manufacturers try to make them as inconspicuous as possible, they can never lose them completely and there will always be times when the cable just gets in the way and restricts your movement in some way or another.
Wireless headphones:
Wireless headphone models are still in the minority when it comes to the current headphone market, but we will start seeing more and more as the technology gets better.
Mobility and freedom of movement – The main benefit of all wireless products is that you do not have lengthy and bulky cables hanging off them. This will give you complete freedom of movement and you never have to worry about the cable getting caught up anywhere and getting into a tangle.
Weight reduction – You will be surprised how much some headphone cables can weigh, and this weight becomes exaggerated the longer you wear the headphones. Going the wireless route, you will not have to worry about the additional weight hanging off the headphones, and your neck will certainly appreciate this if you listen to them for longer periods.
Sound quality – While some wireless headphones do offer exceptional sound, they are all prone to being a little inconsistent, and some models more than others. The wireless audio that is run through Bluetooth is compressed, which does cut out any static. But it can also experience a packet-loss which in turn results in a loss of audio quality. The wireless technology will improve in the near future for sure, but for now you will not find the consistency that you get with wired headphones.
Price – At the moment, wireless technology used in headphones (namely Bluetooth) is more expensive than their wired compatriots. Eventually prices will come down, but for now you will see a significant difference in price for good quality wireless headphones versus wired ones.
Power life – Bluetooth needs to be run by batteries, so this of course limits the amount of time you can use them before the batteries need changing. Draining batteries also mean a loss of quality too, so this is another thing to consider.
Verdict:
Whether wired or wireless, both types of headphones have their pros and cons. Its really for the users to decide if their priority is better and consistent audio quality or better mobility and also to see which one suits them better when they actually try it on.
Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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