Headphones Wireless Vs Wired Headphones: Which One To Buy? (Updated)

Headphones are a great invention that has brought our audio listening experience to a whole new level. Headphones let us listen to music as loud as we want, provide sound clarity, little or zero environmental noise, customized experience, and better overall sound while not bothering other people in case we’re at a public place. The use of headphones has got so popular that we have earphones, a smaller and more portable version, which are now included in every smartphone retail box. With the development of technology, there are even wireless headphones, but how do they compare to traditional wired headphones? In this post, we will discuss headphones wireless vs wired headphones.

How do wired headphones work?

Headphones work in the same principle as speakers and opposite to microphones. This means they turn electrical energy into sound by vibrating the air with magnets to create sounds.

Digital audio is stored in the form of 1s and 0s data in a device, which represent the sampling of the actual sound. When you hit the Play button, those 1s and 0s are sent to an analog converter that converts the data into electrical signals. Then, this signal goes through the headphone wires into the headphones.

As soon as the electrical signal gets to the headphones, it reaches a driver unit. While most headphones use the dynamic driver unit, there are also the electrostatic driver and the planar magnetic driver.

Dynamic driver unit

This type of driver unit uses three key parts, including a diaphragm, electromagnetic coils, and a permanent magnet. In each earcup, there are two magnets, one of which is permanent that stays in place and the other is an electromagnet that moves.

When the electrical signal hits the earcup, it is sent to the electromagnet where its polarity is switched back and forth rapidly depending on its pattern or the sounds reproduced. When its polarity is switched, the electrical signal is repelled rapidly and attracted to the permanent magnet, making vibrate. As the electromagnet vibrate, the diaphragm vibrates too, which makes the air around it vibrate. This vibration is called sound.

Different frequencies have different vibration rates, meaning faster vibration produces high tones while slower vibration produces low tones. When you turn up or down the volume, the vibration will be more intense or less intense, making the air vibrate either more or less.

Planar magnetic driver unit

This type of driver unit works a lot like the dynamic type, but here are some key differences.

• Instead of magnets moving an electromagnetic coil, there are thin magnetic conductors spread out across the diaphragm.
• Rather than one permanent magnet, there is an array of magnets behind the diaphragm for a proper reaction when the electrical current goes through the conductors. At that time, the polarity is changed while the diaphragm interacts with the magnets, which vibrate to create sounds.

Electrostatic driver unit

The key difference between electrostatic headphones and other types is that they don’t use move the diaphragm by using magnets. Instead, the diaphragm itself is the moving part.

In the electrostatic driver unit, the diaphragm is made of an extremely thin sheet of an electrically charged material that sits between a pair of conductive plates, one of them is negatively charged while the other is positively charged. When the electrical charge is sent through these plates, the sheet moves back and forth, causing the air around it to move, which creates sounds.

How does a wireless headphones work?

The principle remains the same for wireless headphones, but the 1s and 0s are not sent through a headphone wire to the headphones. Instead, the headphones have a chip, which the data is sent to via a Bluetooth radio.

Headphones wireless vs wired headphones

Audio quality

Many believe that wired headphones offer batter audio quality, and this seems true. While wireless headphones support 768 kbps max, wired headphones support a maximum of 2304 kbps. Professional workers say that wire headphones produce more precise, authentic sounds than wireless headphones. In addition, wired headphones come with lower complications as well as reduce the risk of interference that can influence the audio quality.

Distance

This is where wireless headphones have a better competitive advantage. When using wired headphones, the wire limits how far you can be from the device, which is often 1 or 2 meters. On the other hand, wireless headphones allow you to move around at a greater distance from the device, from 7 to 10 meters.

Portability

Both wired and wireless headphones are highly portable and easy to carry around. However, with wired headphones, you have to wrap its wire, the longer the wire, the more twisted it can get. The wire can also get in the way when you do different activities.

Comfort

Due to the absence of the wire, wireless headphones provide much more convenience than their wired counterpart.

Working time

Wired headphones don’t rely on batteries for power, they are plugged into your device and don’t require charging. Meanwhile, each wireless headphone has a certain battery life, ranging from 20 to 30 hours depending on models.

Cost

Both headphones wireless price and wired headphone price vary from low to high depending on the specific model. No matter if you buy wired or wireless headphones, you can still find cheap and premium models.

Who makes the best headphones wireless headphones

If you are looking for a new pair of headphones and aiming at a big brand like Samsung, we want to note that this company makes only a few models, meaning the options for headphones wireless Samsung are very limited. The company is more focused on earbuds.

JBL is one of the best brands when it comes to audio solutions, so you should start with headphones wireless JBL. For example, the JBL Live 650BTNC is a great headphones wireless with mic. It excels in filtering out low-frequency sounds like subway rumbles and air conditioners while the microphone quality is great too.

If you don’t mind making a big investment into your audio experience, you can try headphones wireless Skullcandy. This product comes with adjustable sensory bass, active noise cancellation, as well as up to 24 hours of battery with support for quick charging.

Headphones wireless Philips could be another good choice too, it’s a bit cheaper than Skullcandy headphones. One of the best Phillips wireless headphones is the TAPH805BK, which offers active noise cancellation. Its battery life is up to 30 hours, ease of control, and Google Assistant compatibility.

Verdict

The decision headphones wireless vs wired headphones eventually comes down to each user’s preference because each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Wired headphones give you excellent and reliable sound quality, no worries about battery life while wireless headphones offer incomparable convenience while maintaining amazing audio quality.

So, no matter which you choose, headphones wireless vs wired headphones, the most important thing is to find the best model for your budget from a reliable brand.

Best wireless headphones 2020

Sony WH-1000XM4

These headphones offer everything you can possibly expect from a product of this type. It’s lightweight, comfortable to wear, convenient with Bluetooth connection, and has the best noise-canceling feature on the market. Importantly, the sound quality is exceptional, making it the best name to mention on this list.

The sound produced by these headphones is more open, more detailed, and cleaner. Low frequencies hit even more precisely. The outstanding comfort allows you to wear the headphones for long hours without feeling tired on your head.

Sony WH-1000XM3

This is probably the best product in terms of noise-canceling, which helps it beat competitors on the market. These headphones feature a comfortable, snug fit that you can wear all day long. There are a bunch of features coming with this pair such as the Atmospheric Pressure Optimizer that maximizes noise canceling at high altitude.

This model also delivers outstanding sound quality thanks to the analogue amplification with great effect. The resulting sound you get is a sense of spaciousness, a great deal of detail, as well as enhanced dynamics, making you feel like you’re in the same room with the band.

Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless

While a battery life of 17 hours is not the longest one you can find on the market, this seems like the only downside of these headphones. They feature thick leather earpads that are really comfortable to wear and great at canceling noises. The on-cup controls and collapsible design make the product convenient and extremely easy to use and carry around.

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