There's no doubt that technological advancements are making devices and accessories leave cables behind, with headphones being a prime example. However, when we compare the sound quality of a Bluetooth and a wired headset, things change.
A study by SoundGuys reports that Bluetooth (wireless) headphones are not even close to beating wired ones in terms of sound quality.
To conduct this research, the research team used a high-resolution Bluetooth interface with S/PDIF output to test the Bluetooth output of four flagship phones. They tested 24-bit as well as 16-bit files to see how each codec performed differently. After extensive testing, they concluded that each Bluetooth codec had audio quality issues.
“There is no codec available that can compete with wired signal quality,” SoundGuys said in its research. It also concluded that audiophiles should avoid the ACC codec. In short, this means that someone should avoid the AirPods if they are looking for Bluetooth headphones with good sound quality.
However, this research doesn't matter if you're over 24 or don't care about sound quality at all. It seems that most people over the age of 24 can't tell the difference between minor quality issues in their headphones unless they're using an ACC.
In a world where many people have now accepted smartphones without a headphone jack, it's probably a little difficult to go back to the wired headphone model.
