audio cables don’t matter beyond the $5 range. what you’re experiencing with expensive cables is placebo in that case. for me the annoyances with bluetooth are:
lag
a/v resync
high pitched hiss
having to keep headphones that used to just plug into the phone charged
the fact that bluetooth headphones degrade over time, giving them less longevity than wired
interference
i understand there are people in this thread that don’t miss headphone jacks, but to act like bluetooth is flat superior is to ignore that bluetooth has genuine downsides that just a wire doesn’t
I’m an avid fanboy of Bluetooth on mobile. Its not “better in every way” but when I’m out and about, it is.
I don’t have the lag issue because I only listen to music with it. But this is an issue, and while it’s better it’s still not consistent enough.
A/V resync maybe this is just luck but I have had resync issues with Bluetooth in like half a decade? Outside of my phone just sometimes not connecting to them or something.
High pitched hiss - actually not sure what you mean by this because anything better than $1 ear buds won’t have the hiss, and $1 wired ear buds are going to hiss after 1 month when the cable deteriorates
Wired headphones also degrade over time. Especially when you’re out on the go and they get snagged, tangled in pockets, etc. I got my current earbuds for Christmas in 2019 and they are still going strong.
Interference - again I’m curious to see what earbuds you’ve used in the last ~5 years. This really isn’t a problem any more unless you’re 10+ meters from your phone or leave it next to the microwave anymore.
Anyways, i don’t expect this to change your mind. It just seems like these “critiques” of Bluetooth earbuds have literally never changed even though the tech has gotten orders of magnitude better in the last decade or so.
my $40 bluetooth set needs resync like once a day. it happens automatically, but while it does everything stutters
i get high pitched hiss on ALL bluetooth, even $300 sets. i think i’m just sensitive to it. i hate it
when the cable degrades i buy a new cable
i run into issues with interference with all bluetooth devices about once a month here where i am. i’m near a military post though, so who knows what they’re pumping out
More reliable until the port fails. It’s just too small for daily use. They always break before anything else. Been that way since the days of the OG iPod and it’s maddening.
I actually liked using lightning plug/USB-C adaptors. The flat but thick enough form factor heavily reduces the wear and tear IME.
The fiddling I have to do when trying to get the audio sounding right on my computer when I plug in my headphones is absolute torture, and if I barely graze the wire with my feet then all of a sudden the audio comes from just the left side, or is muffled, or something else ;w;
Tbh i didn’t have any problems with 3.5mm. It always worked for me (even when used in odd ways and angles).
To be clear. I actually like BT and the ways it opens in terms of various accessories, but BT has its drawbacks while analog ports. That’s why i would prefer to have both BT and physical port (in case of BT failing)
Part of it is use case. You don’t (typically) pull the iPod or any music player out over and over 100 times a day like a phone, so it often sat in your pocket for longer stretches. Big risk to cables because you’d progressively bend the end of the cord or gradually fuck up the port itself.
It’s not about build quality, it’s that small/thin things are generally more liable to bend/warp/snap. If it was a quarter inch plug (absurd but bear with me) this would be a non-issue due to the sheer size.
BT is good, but anything wired is (and always will be) better and more reliable while being a little less convenient (with some exceptions)
Unless I’m paying for $1600 audio cables my noise-damaged ears can’t tell the difference and I like that I don’t rip things out of them.
audio cables don’t matter beyond the $5 range. what you’re experiencing with expensive cables is placebo in that case. for me the annoyances with bluetooth are:
i understand there are people in this thread that don’t miss headphone jacks, but to act like bluetooth is flat superior is to ignore that bluetooth has genuine downsides that just a wire doesn’t
Don’t forget audio quality drop when switching from audio only to audio + microphone. Shit drives me up the wall.
Does your fetish extend to pickles as well or in something vital lost in the pickling process?
oh god, it’s so noticable
I’m an avid fanboy of Bluetooth on mobile. Its not “better in every way” but when I’m out and about, it is.
Anyways, i don’t expect this to change your mind. It just seems like these “critiques” of Bluetooth earbuds have literally never changed even though the tech has gotten orders of magnitude better in the last decade or so.
Lag
So it essentially makes BT win vs wires by 2:1
More reliable until the port fails. It’s just too small for daily use. They always break before anything else. Been that way since the days of the OG iPod and it’s maddening.
I actually liked using lightning plug/USB-C adaptors. The flat but thick enough form factor heavily reduces the wear and tear IME.
I’ve never had a 3.5 fail, are you sure it’s not just getting clogged with dirt or something?
The fiddling I have to do when trying to get the audio sounding right on my computer when I plug in my headphones is absolute torture, and if I barely graze the wire with my feet then all of a sudden the audio comes from just the left side, or is muffled, or something else ;w;
that’s a broken headphone, treat yourself to a nice pair of IEMs, they’re not that expensive
You’ve never bent the end of the cable in port?
like the metal bit?? how???
Are you joking?
How have you bent a 3.5mm connector? They are solid metal. I’ve broke 3.5mm jacks but never bent the connector.
And so can BT
Tbh i didn’t have any problems with 3.5mm. It always worked for me (even when used in odd ways and angles).
To be clear. I actually like BT and the ways it opens in terms of various accessories, but BT has its drawbacks while analog ports. That’s why i would prefer to have both BT and physical port (in case of BT failing)
I have never had a port fail. Were iPods really that low quality? I use them just about every day
Part of it is use case. You don’t (typically) pull the iPod or any music player out over and over 100 times a day like a phone, so it often sat in your pocket for longer stretches. Big risk to cables because you’d progressively bend the end of the cord or gradually fuck up the port itself.
It’s not about build quality, it’s that small/thin things are generally more liable to bend/warp/snap. If it was a quarter inch plug (absurd but bear with me) this would be a non-issue due to the sheer size.