As wired headphones make an unlikely comeback among Gen Z and celebrities, Independent readers have been debating whether the trend is a genuine rejection of “Big Tech” – or simply nostalgia and fashion repackaged as rebellion.
Many readers argued wired headphones remain popular for practical reasons rather than style, pointing to lower prices, better durability and the fact they cannot run out of battery or be easily lost.
Several said they still prefer owning music through MP3 players or downloads instead of relying on streaming services, while others described wireless earbuds as expensive, stressful and easy to misplace.
At the same time, many commenters were sceptical of claims that wired headphones have become a major cultural movement. Some insisted wireless AirPods still dominate among younger people, particularly in gyms and cities, and suggested the trend had been exaggerated by influencers and fashion media.
Several commenters ultimately concluded that while older technology may feel simpler or more authentic, modern tech became dominant because it is usually more convenient.
Here’s what you had to say:
Best gym purchase ever
Bose wireless noise-cancelling earphones were the best purchase I made for the gym. No more having to tape the wire to my chest so it didn’t get in the way. God, I’m so unfashionable.
Blacko
Wired headphones still make more sense
I’ve always preferred wired over wireless. I’m extremely forgetful and I know I would forget to charge them and, given the cost, I would be gutted if I lost one or both of them. You can get good wired ones for around £20–30 with decent bass and tangle-free wire. My current pair have lasted four years and are still going strong. I doubt the battery in wireless headphones will still give a good charge after four years. Btw, I’m 56, so hardly down with the kids.
Northerners
Where are they plugging them in?
Where are they plugging the headphones in? Walkman? Or some kind of Bluetooth-to-3.5mm jack adapter?
JustOneMoreThing
Technology for practical purposes, not fashion
I use wired headphones because they are more convenient (I can’t lose them and they can’t run out of power).
I use a separate MP3 player, so the presence of music isn’t tied to my phone’s battery (and vice versa).
I don’t use Spotify, as I like the idea of owning my music and buying it from artists if I like it (so they get money).
I don’t miss cassettes, as a massive MP3 library in my pocket is much better than a bag full of tapes.
I use technology for its practical purposes, not fashion.
But I was born in ’79, so I can appreciate the benefits of things that make life easier over what came before.
Music is certainly way more accessible now than it ever was before (same with the number of streaming services offering almost everything I could want over four TV channels and owning videos or DVDs).
I don’t have Spotify, but I do have YouTube Premium, so I get new music that way.
Someone182
Wireless still dominates at the gym
Everybody who uses wireless earphones knows how incredibly easy they are to misplace, and me and most of my friends keep backup wired earphones in our backpack or bag in case we mislay or lose the wireless ones.
I carry a small amount of cash for the same reason, in case I lose my phone or there is an issue with using plastic.
My guess is that this isn’t the celebrity social phenomenon it is being made out to be, but more likely a fashionista story based on spotting a few influencers who couldn’t find their AirPods.
The MP3 player has never entirely disappeared and, again, among my circle of friends, people have been tending to drop Spotify and other music streaming subscriptions and put the music they want to listen to on iPods or similar devices.
I go to a pretty busy city-centre gym three or four times a week, and it is heavily used by people I would class as well-dressed and fairly fashionable young professionals, as it isn’t the cheapest. Most people you see wear wireless earphones or over-the-ear wireless headphones, with a smaller number just listening to whatever beats are on the audio system. I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone wearing wired earphones there or when I’m out jogging along the river, where hundreds of people work out.
CanPeopleReallyBeThisStupid
Whatever works for you
Whatever works for you, I guess. I don’t miss the sensation of a snagged wire forcibly pulling out the earbud, or the untangling of cables, and the wireless phones tend to pack in a lot of features that most wired sets didn’t. Still, the hype around this will shift a bit of back stock from warehouses, and fashionistas will make their vital statement about cool.
WorkshyFop
Maybe the old ways are best
A primitive rebellion against big tech, maybe. Charging the headphones, finding where they are – it seems a more irritating way to live for the convenience of no wire. The old ways are the best, with all the patience, dexterity and physical coordination. Maybe if people were less stressed, they wouldn’t feel so clumsy.
TheRedSquirrel
Nostalgia only goes so far
I find this current trend for using old tech interesting – the time when tech had wires and physical buttons.
It’s less exciting if you were there the first time and you know the flaws. It’s not retro tech if you were there the first time, it’s just old tech.
I rebought a MiniDisc player. Not the kind with a chewing-gum battery, as was the trend then, but one of the few that takes a regular AA. I was pleased, bought a dozen MiniDiscs and worked out which software takes MP3s and converts them to MiniDiscs. It worked rather well.
I then realised that, with modern streaming, I would end up getting bored of the 12–24 albums (you can store one to two albums per disc depending on compression) compared with modern streaming.
The quality is the same and I didn’t want to have mountains of MiniDiscs.
What I was leaning on was nostalgia. The MiniDisc player was a great piece of kit.
Until MP3 players – the iPod – killed it.
Bradavon
Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.
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