Whenever you are looking for a new audio gear the number one question is; should I buy wired earphones or wireless? Does the wired vs wireless earphones comparison make sense in 2024? You are at the right spot to know the answer.
In this article, we’ve mentioned the 8 key points between wired vs wireless earphones! So that you should know what is meant for you and what’s not!
At PadhKeDekho, we’ve used more than 30 earphones (wired as well as wireless) so we are in a better position to write about this wired earphones vs wireless earphones comparison. Hence that being said let’s begin with the wired vs wireless earphones differences.
#1 Convenience
The biggest difference between wireless earphones and wired ones is convenience or leisure use. The wired ones usually come with a cable of about 1 meter which is acceptable for movement like sitting on the table and the earphones are plugged into the computer, laptop, or smartphone.
So that’s fine. But if you do sudden movements you will encounter some difficulties or a sense of restriction will come.
On the other hand, wireless is free of clutter and one can abruptly move or even twist without worrying about the cable getting unplugged or even breaking. Hence if you want to be quick to move and wire-free then wireless earphones make sense.
#2 Latency/Delay
When a connection is made via Bluetooth or wireless you have to keep in mind the range of the connection. Ideally, earphones or headphones have a minimum range of about 10 meters. But many budget ones start to break audio under 6 metes too as a result, the Bluetooth signal gets weak, and audio break happens.
You can overcome it by keeping the connected device in close proximity.
Another factor is Latency which is a type of delay, however, not caused due to distance. If you don’t know latency is a lag between the audio and video synchronization. It is ideally seen during gaming. Since it is measured in milliseconds, it goes unnoticed with premium devices.
Most wireless earphones in 2024 come with a low latency mode that lowers the latency. But the fact remains true, wireless earphones have some amount of latency. It cannot be removed or altered.
E.g. the newer Bluetooth 5.3 earphones or headphones have very minimum latency that can only be seen while gaming. Whereas with the older Bluetooth devices, the latency was so high that could’ve been experienced while watching a movie or a YouTube video (stutters in audio).
On the other hand with the wired ones, there is no latency at all. Be it gaming, watching movies,s, etc. That’s why gamers prefer to have wired headphones or earphones. So for better gaming, you should consider wired equipment rather than wireless.
But with the latest Bluetooth version, the latency is diminishing. Very soon we might be having latency-free earphones or headphones that actually work. For the time being, you can keep wired audio gear for gaming.
#3 Battery
Since the wired earphones take power from the connected source be it your laptop, smartphone, or PC. Wireless earphones come with a rechargeable battery and no need to “plug in” to your smartphone laptop, etc. This means wired earphones are for somebody, who does not wish to charge the earphone. “Plug and play” is their Mantra!
Not all wireless earphones or headphones have a similar battery backup and charging time. We have tested headphones that gave us more than 60 hours of battery backup while some hardly last for 4 hours. So, it depends on the device you are getting.
Secondly, not all earphones or headphones support fast charging. So do keep this in mind, while selecting your next audio gear.
If your wireless audio gear has a low battery, you can plug it into charge. And with technology advancement wireless earphones have a TYPE-C charging port that allows fast charging too. Just 10 minutes of charge can get you more than 2 hours of playback.
Don’t worry about charging your headphones with high power charges like 40 or even 100 watts. It will not get damaged. Ya, slight heating is normal.
The chargers are “smart” they only send power “demanded” by the headphones or earphones. If your audio gear does not support fast charging it will not overcharge or overload it. Instead, it will slowly charge it. Also, you should read the user manual given by the brand to know about the battery and how to recycle it.
#4 Compatibility
As for compatibility, both wired as well as wireless are good. Wireless ones go a little beyond. Why? let us explain.
Wired earphones can be plugged into any 3.5 mm jack and it’s done. You are enjoying your content and it is totally fine. However, the connection is limited to one device only.
With wireless earphones or headphones you “pair” them with your phone via Bluetooth. The first time, it takes about 5 seconds or less depending upon your smartphone or the headphone. But the second time the connection will be instant.
In most cases, turning on the headphones automatically connects with your smartphone or last connected device. Another plus point of wireless audio gear is the dual Bluetooth connection.
As the name implies, you can connect your audio gear to two devices a laptop and a smartphone. This adds more convenience. Here’s a scenario.
You are working on your laptop and suddenly get a call on your phone. Instead of taking off your headphones/earphones you can accept the call and take it via the headphones without even being distracted from work.
This not only makes your life easier but also enhances productivity.
#5 Call Quality
This point is personally tested after using so many audio devices be it wireless as well as wired earphones. Though we should not categorize them but generally speaking wired headphones, earphones, and headsets have better mic performance than the wireless ones.
Even a budget-wired headphone or earphone offers a better call quality than a wireless one. Maybe the mic being close to your mouth does it?
But the situation for wireless earphones and headphones is different. Even TWS are quite similar.
We’ve used around 30 TWS and headphones only a handful have decent microphones. On the other hand, most wired headphones that we use daily are great even for YouTube voiceovers.
Even in 2024, we stick to wired audio gear for calling. Sure, things have majorly improved in the wireless space and the game is very close.
Since we can’t test all the products, you can always DM us on social accounts. We can help you with customer reviews as we have a good network of real users.
#6 Price
Both wired and wireless earphones have a price difference and it has to be there. Why? because the wireless tech is more expensive. Things even get pricier with Dual Bluetooth connection and premium brands with new launches.
In India, you can get good wired earphones like the Sony MDR EX155AP (Review) for under 1500 Rs, the Sony MDR EX150AP (Review) for under 1000 Rs, neckbands like the OnePlus Bullets Z2 for under 2000, and even better OnePlus Bullets Z2 with ANC under 2500.
Some good headphone starts with BoAt Bassheads 900 (Review), Zebronics Zeb Duke (Review), Hammer Bash Max (Review), and JBL Tune 510BT (Review).
So on the budget side, you can get a much better option at a particular price range. But with wireless, you have to spend more because the good ones are expensive.
One thing that I would like to point out is that expensive doesn’t mean better it’s just the feel and other brand perceptions that make you make the switch.
We have tested many earphones under 4000 Rs and to be frank, the difference is not day/night one. Again, it’s a personal choice to go wired or wireless.
#7 Features
In the above point, I said wireless ones are expensive as they have better tech. The tech I am referring to is features like in-ear detection, touch controls, voice assistant, transparency mode, active noise cancellation and so much more.
On the other hand, wired ones also have basic features like an inline mic, media controls, mute and unmute switches. But in the broader comparison, wireless earphones are simply better in features. These fancy features do take the cost to the next level.
#8 Radiation
You might have heard that wireless earphones do cause radiation. That’s true! But this doesn’t mean wired ones are radiation-free. Sure it’s not as strong as wireless peripherals but they also emit radion.
So how seriously should you take radiation with earphones in general? Well, I am not an expert in this radioactive or radiation, but I’ve been dealing with wired or wireless audio gears for the last 10 years and so far I am good. My hearing is fine and I don’t show supernatural behavior!
Hence, you should take this like this. We know soft drinks are bad but we do consume them, right? But we moderate the intake. The same way, use a few precautions while dealing with wired or wireless earphones.
A while ago we posted an article in which we talked about 5 things you should follow to prevent health issues from audio gears.
Long story short, don’t worry about radion because earphones, in general, are much much lower than a smartphone you are probably carrying.
We Are Wrapping up!
There you go, folks! This was our wired earphones vs wireless earphones comparison. Since we’ve used more than 30 earphones and headphones we can confidently say the things you have read will be more than enough to make your choice.
if you still have some doubts? Then feel free to ping us on the below social accounts. We love to help our readers. Moreover, this this article was of any help then do share it with others so that they should know what to expect.
F.A.Q
Are Wired Earphones Better Than Wireless?
Yes, in many places wired earphones are better than wireless ones. However, choosing the right one for you is a tricky affair. In this article, we have talked about 8 points that you should know before making a choice!
Are Wireless Earphones Better Than Wired?
Yes, in many scenarios wireless are a great deal. For context, features, portability, travel friendly. All these features do increase the cost. Plus there are 8 points that you should know before making a choice.
Padhkedekho out!