‘Why I’m making the case for bringing back wired headphones’
Updated
Bose has answered our prayers. Bose
All hail the return of wired headphones!
If you’re like me, this day is one that has been a long time coming.
Call me a Luddite, but it took me a while to get onboard with AirPods and wireless earbuds when they were initially introduced. So, I am rejoicing at the return, with Bose announcing the release of its Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds – the brand’s first wired headphones since discontinuing them in 2015.
What we’re talking about... Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds
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While I can appreciate the upsides of the now ubiquitous AirPods and wireless earbuds and the advanced technology that was needed to completely do away with wires (and bravo on that account), tech companies failed to consider one glaring problem: not all of us have our lives together enough to own wireless headphones.
I eventually acquiesced and bought a pair of AirPods, (what can I say, I’m easily influenced) but hit a speed bump almost immediately. Turns out, you need to actually charge AirPods to keep them working as intended. A simple task you could say, but one I regularly forgot to do after decades of relying on analogue headphones that are always ready to roll whenever I dug them out.
Then there was that time I accidentally lost the charging case itself. It meant the AirPods couldn’t be charged at all and even though you can buy a replacement charging case, it was still pretty exxy and I grumbled the entire time I typed in my credit card details.
I also struggled with losing the AirPod buds themselves – when housed in their case but especially when I just casually chucked them somewhere while they were loose.
Are they at the bottom of my hand bag? Stuck between couch cushions? Thrown into a hidden cupboard that houses a portal to the magical realm of Narnia and now I have a needle-in-a-haystack chance of finding them again? I can’t be sure, but what I am certain of is this never happened to me with wired headphones. Back then, I could just tug on the wires to see where they lead and find exactly what I was looking for.
Bose’s Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds solve many of these (arguably self-inflicted) woes. The attached wires are obviously a huge tick for me as is the fact that the need to charge the headphones has been completely eliminated.
But the product hasn’t simply gone back to its roots and called it a day. The headphones rival its wireless counterparts with its features. For example, its Bose QuietControl noise cancellation which is designed to reduce unwanted sounds while in use – a feature that is not typically standard with many wired headphones.
You can also connect to devices via USB-C and the earbuds have been designed to be customised and comfortable. If you’ve become attached to having a charging case with wireless earbuds, then don’t sweat: there’s a carry case included with the purchase of Bose’s Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds. This also helps to keep them protected when not in use.
The Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds will set you back $169.95. Its black version is available to pre-order now (set to be dispatched on Tuesday, October 13) while the white version as well as the dewdrop mint iteration are advertised as “coming soon.”
SHOP NOW: Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds
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