Simple Enjoyment of Wireless Headphones
I’m not an audiophile, but I love convenience. And comfort. And this is quite inconvenient when you just want to use headphones to drown out the subway and find yourself entangled in a cord like invasive weed, or when the sound is dominated by the rustling stethoscopic vibrations of the said cord. It is more convenient without wires at all. If you are also a fan of convenience, you might want to try the wireless Bluetooth headphones.
I spend so much time every day looking at my phone, listening to music. Mostly when commuting, but I also spend a couple of hours every weekend walking in the park listening to podcasts. And, since I usually check my phone every few minutes, I often take the said device out of my pocket and then put it back in a moment later. Headphones add complexity to this pocket-sized challenge; I usually tuck the extra wire, as most earphone cords are longer than they should be, in my pocket along with my phone so it doesn’t wobble in the wind as I walk. Controlling the length of the wire is a slight annoyance, but it repeats itself every few minutes. Passing the wire under a jacket or shoulder strap adds another complication.
Consider wireless headphones.
With the wireless earbuds, I can easily grab my phone and put it back in my pocket without any problem. Phone, meet your pocket. And the absence of wires opens up other pocket-sized possibilities that would otherwise be difficult to use with a wired device. Back pocket. Inside jacket pocket. A completely new world is opening up – the world of pockets.
I say headphones, but I mean headphones, my favorite method of isolating reality from my ear canals. Specifically, I used the Anker Soundbuds Sport IE20 , recommended by The Wirecutter, as a cheap but reasonable $ 37 option. There are even cheaper models in the booming wireless headphone market. (Many of these are designed as fitness devices, and indeed, wireless is even more attractive when you’re running or otherwise doing something that can get in the way of a wildly dangling headphone cord.)
For $ 37, are you getting great sound quality with Ankers? No. You get adequate sound quality. Even decent! As a context, I’m using the ten dollar Monoprice headphones , which are widely known for their pretty good sound and stupidly cheap price tag. Still I like Koss PortaPros for everyday use at work and at home I use Grado SR60E . All this suggests that I am not an audiophile, but I have good taste. (And I have to clarify that I don’t use Bluetooth headphones when I’m sitting at my desk because wires don’t matter when you’re stationary.)
Anchors sound fine. This particular model has a smart magnetic mechanism that turns them on and off automatically, but it can easily be accidentally activated in your pocket. For less than forty dollars, though, it’s perfectly reasonable value for the price.
But I am defending the wrong particular model. Rather, I’m just trying to free you. No wires.
Many are reluctant to accept new technology, which arguably adds more complexity than it solves. Yes, they need to be charged every few days. Yes, the sound sometimes flickers due to invisible spectral interference or something else. But I like it when I’m not being wired. I like not messing with the wire under my winter coat while I try to check my phone. And I no longer hear the stethoscope effect that occurs when something rubs against the headphone cord. This is cute.
There is nothing good about being tethered to your device and you can be free.