Wireless Headphones VS Wired Headphones, Which Is For You?

wired headphones vs wireless headphones

 

Among the numerous comparisons we see, the most regular one is wired vs. wireless headphones. This little gadget has become the inevitable part of our daily lives. According to the studies of Grand View Research, the earphones’ industry had a value of 8.7 Billion USD back in 2015 only. The net worth is rising till the date.

Making a choice between wireless or wired headphone is very tricky. It is because you have to trade off between major factors. Many questions related to important attributes ping your mind while buying a pair of new headphones. Few of these factors are style, convenience, quality, comfort, resources, and others. Does it make you frustrated?  Well, it will not anymore. 

Here, we are going to discuss answers to your biggest confusion. You will get to read almost everything that will make it easier for you to make a right decision about the wired or wireless option.

Why do you need headphones?

You are sitting in your office place that is pretty near your boss’s room and wants to hear your favorite music while working. You would simply take your headphone out and play it. Now, that’s very basic use of headphone. Many people need them for other important reasons too. 
Headphones are a very crucial component of the studio where each minor detail of the sound is important. You would also need them while playing tough games in for listening to audio carefully.

Headphones give you privacy while freeing your both hands to carry any device all the time. Therefore, in all these scenarios, you would need headphones.

Headphone types

Like their existence all around us, their types are also various. However, we majorly divide headphones into two categories. These are wired headphones and wireless headphones. 

Wired headphones make use of 3.5 mm jack that you need to attach to your headset. The other side of the wire connects to the audio device. It can be your laptop, mobile, or any other gadget. This wire stays with you as long as you keep listening to audio. 

Wireless headphones, on the other hand, don't need any wire. They make use of Bluetooth or other wireless technology for streaming audio from the device.

The headphones are also classified on the basis of their position at which you adjust them. They differ in their appearance. These earphones are in-ear, over-ear, and on-ear headphones.

You can get a great range of earpieces in the above three formats. These types specialize in certain features and functioning. These types are DJ, studio, noise canceling, sports, bass, clip-on, traveler, and gaming headphones.       

Wireless headphones vs. Bluetooth Headphones

All Bluetooth headphones are wireless, but not all wireless headphones have Bluetooth. Basically, both types serve the purpose of making you wire-free. 

However, the mechanism they use is different. Wireless makes use of satellites and radios in order to develop a connection. It uses both radios as well as infrared waves. However, in Bluetooth, only radio waves are used.

Regarding performance, both these technologies differ in their ranges. Wireless has the ability to transfer data from the distance of almost 30 meters. On the other hand, Bluetooth can only work for the range of 9 meters only.

Advantages and disadvantages of wired headphones

Wired headphones bring with them many benefits and few detriments as well. In this section, we are going to discuss them separately.

Pros of wired headphones:

Being the pioneers, wired headphones exhibit some major benefits over their wireless counterparts. Here are few of them:

  • The sound quality produced by wired headphones is much better than wireless ones. They don’t have interference and lag issues. 
  • You don’t need to charge them in routine. However, there are a few wired headphones that make use of batteries too. The purpose is to cancel useless sound effects
  • Timeless use is another major boon for a wired headset. You can continue listening without worrying about draining the battery.
  • Have a simple plug and play mechanism.
  • They don’t have any problem of connecting and pairing.
  • Lower in cost.

Cons of wired headphones:

  • The major drawback of wired headsets is its wire. If you have to move around while listening to the music, it will keep tangling with different objects coming on your way. 
  • It hinders your mobility. In order to go a few feet away, you will need to make sure, you are carrying your audio device along with the headphones.

Advantages and disadvantages of wireless headphones

Technology always advances to bring more benefit to its users. Same is the case with wireless headphones. It gives its users the advantage that was lacking in its counter wired part.

Pros of wireless headphones:

  • Wireless headphones offer the huge convenience of wearing your earphone without disturbance of the cable.
  • It gives mobility. You can go anywhere within the long range with your earphones on without stopping incoming audios. 
  • They are compatible with any Bluetooth enabled device.

Cons of wireless headphones:

  • With the increasing distance from the audio source, the sound quality decreases.
  • It faces external interference problems.
  • You need to charge them on time.
  • Some earphones may have late pairing up issues.
  • A bit expensive.

wired headphones vs wireless headphones 1

Wireless headphones VS wired headphones

Wired and wireless headsets possess few differences. Here, we are going to compare both types on the base of these differentiating yet important factors.   

  • Sound quality

The sound quality of wired headphones is usually better than its wireless counterparts. It is mainly because of two reasons. 

We normally hear sound from earphones after it has converted into analog signals. For wired earphones, the small tool is not burdened with the task of converting signals or encoding/decoding. The only major role it has to play is transfer streaming data. 

In the result of this, you can get good quality of sound by not even investing much for your earpieces. Also, as its connection is completely wired, there are no chances of interference from other devices. 

The case with the wireless headphone is different. The small device has to encode/decode signals all within the available sources. Also, as it transmits signals over the air, different devices with the same frequencies may interrupt and decreases the quality of the sound. 

However, the situation is different now with the advancement of technology. Many wireless earpieces come equipped with the features that improve sound quality. Different codes like apt-X audio codes are integrated in order to remove the interference effects.  

  • Portability

Regarding portability, both of them are portable. However, wireless headphones are more according to many opinions. They don’t bother you by meshing up their wires on any object placed on your way. 

Wired headphones, on the other hand, don’t offer this benefit. But, there are still some limitations to wired earphones portability. 

As they use batteries for their normal working, if the battery ditches you anytime while listening, you are going to sit close to the socket or any other charging source. It is definitely going to affect your portability.

However, such cases are exceptional. If you keep your tool properly charged, you won’t face such circumstances and can enjoy completely portable headphones. 

  • Compatibility

Wired headphones are usually compatible with a huge number of devices. You can use a 3.5 mm cable to connect them to any audio source. 
Most of the wireless earpieces make use of Bluetooth technology for transferring data. They are compatible with any audio device possessing Bluetooth. 

However, it is important to see the compatibility between different Bluetooth versions.   

  • Comfort

Comfort is the factor in which wireless clearly wins. They provide a complete freedom of moving around while staying in the range. Also, you can sit comfortably on your revolving chair, swing, sofa, or any other such place without getting your cable stuck at different things. 

  • Price 

Price is a factor in which both types exhibit a great difference. Wired headsets are far less expensive as compared to the wireless headsets. 
It is because of the simple mechanism of working. Also, if you want to get wireless pieces with as good sound quality as wired has, you would need to pay the double amount almost. 

  • Mobility

You can move freely with your wireless headphones on as far as they are charged. With the wired device, you can move easily if your audio device also gives you mobility option. You can take your smart phone in the pocket and can move easily with earphones on.
However, in case of listening audios from your desktops, you just can’t walk even few meters while using wired earphones. 

  • Proximity

In wired earpieces, you stay connected to your audio device with the help of wire. This wire is usually 4 to 6 feet long. 
This is the maximum distance you can have with your audio device. However, you can also make use of an extension wire if the further distance is required.

Wireless, on the other hand, gives you freedom of staying up to 30 feet away from your device. It can be more in some cases. 
However going away from your device will mean an increase in interference and a decrease in the sound quality

  • Purpose

Both wired and wireless headsets are used for vast purposes. However, they both can be used for specific purposes as well.

Wired headphones as give the undisturbed and high sound quality, they can be used for all applications where the quality of the sound matters. 
Wireless on the other side as offers mobility, they can be used for all purposes where listeners have to move around freely or swiftly. 

  • Interference

In wired earphones, there is no interference of other devices or audio signals. It has its dedicated wire that transfers the signals without interruption. 

On the other hand, the signals of wireless devices move over the air. Therefore, as the distance with the audio device increases, the interference also increases. 

It is because any other signals with the same frequency can interfere with and disrupt the original sound.   

  • Latency 

It is the major difference between wired and wireless headphones. In wireless headsets, the audio signal passes through extra steps of encoding/decoding and transmitting. That’s why they may have a significant lag in its audio. It may not come into notice while listening to music, but it does make difference for gaming headsets. 

Wired earphones don’t have to pass audio through excessive steps. Therefore, they almost have lag-free audio results. 

  • Lifespan 

The lifespan of wired headphones is long if they are used with care. It is because their cable gets tangled with different things coming on its way. It results in breaking it down. 

The lifespan of wireless headphones can be even shorter as compared to their counter wired headphones. They are manufactured using complicated technology. It contains additional modules, transceivers, and other items. All these things make it complex and expose to damages. 

Who should buy wireless headphones?

Wireless headphones can be a good option for those who:

  • Keeps moving while listening to audio. There are many who comes under this category like athletes, gym trainers, 
  • Keeps traveling/driving frequently
  • Your audio source is the first-rate device.
  • Is a great fan of games and want to feel like a real part of the games.
  • Can afford expensive devices

Who should buy wired headphones?

  • Wired headphones are the good choice for those who:
  • Are sensitive to sound quality
  • Works in studio
  • Works while sitting constantly
  • Has impaired hearing and needs assistance to hear clearly.
  • Can’t afford highly expensive devices.
  • Don’t have a high-quality audio source, so they go well with the wired option to get first-class results
  • Can’t afford the additional burden of charging their earphones

    What is the best for you? - Which One Should You Get?

    In the above sections, we have discussed everything in detail for the differences between wired and wireless headphones. 

    Both these devices are meant for delivering ease and convenience to a specific class of users. You can get a low price, good sound quality, simple process, and 24/7 availability with wired headsets. The high rates, portability, mobility, compatibility, and comfort can be obtained with the wireless headsets. 

    In either case, you are going to get immense benefits. Only you can decide which one is best for you depending on your priorities and lifestyle. 

    Conclusion 

    Headphones are a great invention. They give you the pleasure of private time even in the public. You can perform many of your engaging tasks while talking on the phone. You can eat, jog, drive, and perform other activities smoothly with them.  

    In this post, we made an effort to make a comparison between both types in order to help the reader to choose them easily. After going through all facts, we can’t declare anyone as a winner. 

    All we can say is both of them can be a perfect choice for you. The only thing that matters is your priority and the purpose for using them.


    Related Topics

     

     

     


    1 Kommentar


    • Sanket Yadav

      Wow! This is the best article I have ever read on Headphones. It just made my decision making so easy to buy a wired headphone as I cannot compromise with the sound quality. The pros and cons, the comparison was absolutely to the point. I hope there are more people on this planet who could share this kind of useful information.


    Hinterlassen Sie einen Kommentar

    Bitte beachten Sie, dass Kommentare vor der Veröffentlichung freigegeben werden müssen