To Wire, or Not to Wire, That is the Question
@japnyk via Threads
When AirPods first came out, there was a wave of memes and headlines that followed. Bluetooth headphones had already been around, but, as with most Apple products, AirPods made them mainstream. I thought I was the coolest kid in middle school when my parents got me a pair for Christmas. The hype lasted for a while, but the truth was: they broke easily, didn’t always connect as seamlessly as Apple promised, and fell out if I tried running or working out. Still, I purchased other pairs when they got lost, broken, or when Apple came out with other generations.
Eventually, I retired my regular AirPods and upgraded to AirPods Max (another Christmas present…Thanks, Mom and Dad!). As a college student, I needed three things: powerful noise cancellation (check), seamless connections when switching between my phone and laptop (check), and a cool design (check). In my freshman year, I wore them everywhere.
Of course, they weren’t perfect. First, headphones are bulky. Unless I’m carrying a large bag, it’s awkward to bring them along, but leaving them behind and going without music on the subway is even worse. Second, I’m a silver jewelry girl, so I got the silver-and-white colorway to match. Cute? Of course. Practical? Not so much. They’re nearly impossible to keep clean, especially if you wear makeup or work out in them. Lastly, although I never personally noticed, many music lovers complain that Bluetooth headphones lose some sound quality. Last semester, my digital media professor even banned all Bluetooth listening devices during our sound production unit because, in his words, “too much [quality] is lost without wires.”
I knew I wasn’t going to give up my AirPods Max for studying, but I needed an alternative for daily use. My checklist: small enough to fit in my purse and pocket, USB-C compatible (Dear Apple, please choose a universal port for all devices!), and wired. That’s a desire that I never thought I’d have post-2016. So, I went back to the classic Apple wired headphones. They check every box, and even come with a built-in mic and playback controls.
At least in New York City, it turns out that I’m not alone. Especially among Gen-Z, wired headphones are everywhere. Being the very serious, on-the-ground journalist that I am, I set out to investigate why.
“Personally, I think it just looks cooler,” said a 17-year-old high schooler.
“I feel better not wearing something super expensive every day. With AirPods, it kind of felt like I had a sign that said ‘mug me,’” said a 24-year-old finance analyst.
“I like not worrying about them falling on the subway tracks or the city streets,” said a 20-year-old college student.
The ultimate consensus? It’s less about sound and more about convenience, price, and aesthetics. For me, I’ll keep my AirPods Max for when I need to focus and tune out the world (like right now), but for day-to-day life, wired headphones are officially my go-to.
