Wireless headphones are becoming more and more popular as Apple continues to get rid of more and more features on their products. The technology has definitely come a long way since the first wireless headphones were released but I feel they still have a lot of room to improve to start hitting on the same level is wired. I won’t lie though, the convenience of AirPods is pretty great.
What are your thoughts and opinions on wireless headphones? Do you currently have a pair that you really like?
The convenience of wireless really can’t be beat. I used to use my Spartan IV CIEMs for commutes until I got the Sony MDR1000x, and now I rarely use my CIEMs for commutes. No cord tangling is just so much easier for traveling/dealing with those tight NYC subways and battery life is surprisingly great on the MDR1000x.
I would actually be interested in AirPod-esque earbuds for work but the fact that they can’t last a full work day without charging is a dealbreaker for me.
I’d love to try out a pair of wireless headphones at some point for the convenience alone! I’d worry about on board battery power and how much they’d kill my connected device’s battery though.
I recently purchased the Jabra Elite 65t and so far they’re better than I expected. The sound quality isn’t quite on par with an expensive pair of wired earbuds but it’s definitely good enough that I can enjoy listening to music and it’s better than many earbuds I’ve used in the past (even some wired ones). They’re comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and the sound pass-through option is nice for when you want to hear what’s going on around you without having to remove the earbud. I use them mostly at work but they stay in place well enough that I could go jogging or do other light exercises without worrying about them falling out. If I keep the volume around 40-50% they get about 6 hours of battery life which originally I was concerned about (I need 8 hours to finish a work day) but if I put them in the charging case on my lunch break they’ll last another 2+ hours so it’s not a problem; the charging case holds another 10 hours worth of juice and it automatically charges the earbuds when inserted.
I’m definitely happy with the completely wireless earbuds and I’ve tried various options such as neckband wireless but even those can be a hassle; they didn’t sound any better than the Jabra Elites and they lacked the sound pass-through option which I absolutely love since I no longer have to remove an earbud to hear what’s going on around me or to have a conversation.
For me: I say Nay - mostly as I don’t want yet another piece of technology that I have to constantly recharge.
I’m not interested in hearing about how long the battery life is…I’d rather just not have to deal with it at all.
It has never been an inconvenience for me to plug a small cord into a jack.
It has been a major inconvenience to board a plane and settle into your seat for a 5 hour coast to coast to find out that you forgot to charge your headphones. Grrr. AAA batteries are simple to just keep in your computer bag.
I embrace technology and its part of my job, but sometimes tech for the sake of being new doesn’t appeal to me if I don’t find that it adds value to my life.
I’m with you. I tried wireless earphones during treadmill workout but the battery doesn’t last long. Wired will always be better than wireless as the recordings themselves seems to be less “soundly” when using wireless.
As others have stated, the batteries are a concern for me. I really don’t want to have to remember charging another device. I also won’t buy a phone without a standard minijack.
I actually enjoy my wireless pair. Although it is not the greatest in sound, I think it is great to have a pair just for the convenience for cellphone usage and being able to switch between multiple devices at once. The fact that I use it only occasionally, the battery life on my Sennheiser 4.50BTNC is actually pretty decent and lasts me well over a week sometimes. I guess the bonus is that it can be used while wired and has a bit of noise cancellation on the model I purchased. I admit that I do not use them much for critical listening, but the enjoyment is still there for the times you just want to whip out a pair during commute or at school. It’s a yay from me! I’d love to try a higher end pair though so maybe we can get the best of both worlds.
I got gifted a pair of beats studio 3 wireless.
I don’t dislike them though I do wish they were a bit more comfortable for longer sessions. Typically I just use them for podcasts and YouTube, not really music listening. They don’t sound too bad for music in general - and they are very convenient.
If I had to pay myself though, the price is way too high.
My thoughts exactly. I much prefer wired headphones, among other things (I insist on wired computer mice too) just because it’s one less thing that I have to care about. Never have to replace batteries or recharge anything
Yep, I have the Sony MDR100x2 for noisy situations. They are great when you NEED to block noise and a lot better than my old Bose QC15s were. In addition, when I must wear hats or hoods in winter, I have a pair of BeatsX “halo” IEMs. The audio quality is okay given the usage scenarios.
I’m super forgetful with charging which puts me in the same boat.
Also I’m not super keen on having to travel with a phone charger, a laptop charger, a charger for a charger, a charger for headphones, etc… It means I go from having a carry-on to a checked bag!
I’ve purchased some LG wireless buds, but haven’t yet gotten in the habit of using them. I’m sure that will change the next time I lose that littly adapter wire I bought from Apple for a price that seemed higher than justified.
I’m sure that there are great sounding wireless headphones out there…I just have not had the opportunity to spend time with a pair yet.
My typical listening use cases all involve me being rather stationary…either in my loft listening room or my desk at work. As such, wires are not a significant inconvenience, so I have not been hugely motivated to explore wireless options.
I’m interested in learning more about wireless solutions that folks here have found to work well. If nothing else, I’ll have a pointer or two to offer if someone asks me.
I’m kind of in the same boat except we do tend to travel a fair bit.
Although when I am at the gym I would certainly like to be able to work out while still enjoying excellent sound. I always have the fear when I’m using the rowing machine that my wires are going to get caught and destroyed. So far the trade off in sound for the convenience factor hasn’t swayed me to wireless yet.
With bluetooth 5.0 coming out and along with other companies really pushing wireless, I am hoping this year will be the year that a wireless headphone is released that I can really get along with!
I actually had a funny moment with an industry veteran a few weeks ago when he sheepishly took out a pair of airpods from his briefcase and said “I don’t want anyone to see me with these, but they’re just so damn convenient, I use them every day.”
I travel by airplane weekly (not for fun, though ) and my Shure earphones can’t be beat for both sealing out crying babies and those interesting Stewart ESS announcements. I wanted to go BT since they changed to the lightning plug on the iPhone, I kept losing the little white dongle and was then left without anything!
So, I bought a pocket sized BT transceiver from a shop in the airport. I don’t recommend the the sound quality or battery life. I would love someones expertise on this if possible. Thanks
) and my Shure earphones can’t be beat for both sealing out crying babies and those interesting Stewart ESS announcements. I wanted to go BT since they changed to the lightning plug on the iPhone, I kept losing the little white dongle and was then left without anything!