So, you’re looking to buy a new set of headphones. With so many options, models, and styles available, you might even be overwhelmed and struggle to choose.
To help you determine what works best for you, we picked a list of pros and cons for wired and wireless headphones, highlighting the best and worst they have to offer.
After that, the choice is yours.
Wireless Headphones: Pros
Convenience
The primary advantage of purchasing wireless headphones is their sheer convenience. They are highly portable, without cables getting tangled or in the way, offering freedom of movement as you dance, exercise, or do other activities.
Big Range
Without cables to hold you back, wireless headphones have a range that wired options don’t. You can move away from your device without missing out on anything you’re listening to, which provides a pleasant and uninterrupted experience.
(Near) Universal Compatibility
While you might have issues if you use ancient tech, most wireless headphones work on nearly every modern device with at least Bluetooth. As such, you don’t need to worry about different connectors or ports.
Wireless Headphones: Cons
Charging and Battery Issues
Since batteries power wireless headphones, you need to charge them to use them regularly. This means you can’t use them if you ever forget or cannot charge them.
Likewise, battery life can vary between brands and models, ranging from a few hours to a few days. However, batteries can also lose power with each charge, which means they’ll degrade over time.
Latency Problems
Headphone latency is the delay between clicking play on an audio file and starting to hear it. While wired headphones experience a virtually imperceptible latency, wireless options have a latency that can vary significantly between brands and models, yet it will always be longer than that of their wired counterparts.
Wired Headphones: Pros
Always Available
You don’t need to worry about charging times or battery time with wired headphones. This means that, as long as your wired headphones are with you, you can listen to any audio you’d like, no matter what. This perpetual availability makes them a reliable option in the face of unpredictability.
Steady Connection
Since wired headphones only require a headphone jack, you won’t have to worry about signal interference, range restrictions, or connectivity drops. Your audio track will never stop playing at random, which can offer a smooth and steady listening experience.
No Latency
As mentioned beforehand, wired headphones have imperceptible latency, which means you won’t experience any delay from clicking to listening. This makes wired headphones ideal for watching movies, gaming, live streaming, or consuming any other type of media that cannot handle audio delays.
Wired Headphones: Cons
Limited range
The only distance you can put between you and your device is the one allowed by the cables’ length, which can significantly impact your mobility range. Likewise, these wires restrict your movement and make it hard to exercise or commute without making a mess.
Compatibility issues
Many laptops, tablets, and smartphones nowadays lack a headphone jack. This means that wired headphones can have compatibility issues, and you might need to buy an additional adapter—for example, a 3.5mm to USB-C—or purchase different headphones for multiple devices. This could be a dealbreaker for users looking to save costs or maintain a minimalistic approach.
So—Which One Is Better?
In reality, wired and wireless headphones have advantages and disadvantages, meaning neither is better. Instead, they offer different experiences suited for particular users.
For example, active people who like listening to music while working out in the gym or running might prefer wireless headphones. They don’t have intrusive cables, allowing them a free range of movement.
On the other hand, users who watch live streams, movies, or series online might feel the latency of wireless headphones can sour their experience, so they prefer the fast audio transfer of wired headphones.
In short, the perfect headphone is the one that adjusts to your lifestyle according to your priorities and tastes!
