Wired headphones are making a comeback, and I don’t know how to feel

Once upon a time, wired headphones ran the world. Every device included a 3.5mm jack for headphones to plug in to. iPhones or iPods bought in the 00s to early 2010s came with both a charger for the device and a pair of wired earbuds. That was before the rise of wireless Bluetooth headphones, of course.

Since the release of AirPods in 2016, wired headphones went from mainstream to niche. Once AirPods hit the market, there became a joking distinct class differentiation between AirPods users and non-AirPods users — and internet memes dubbed those with AirPods or wireless earbuds as the “haves” and those without as the “have-nots.” There was even a trend where users were taking scissors to cut off their wired headphones and pretend they were wearing wireless buds.

However, as the younger Gen Z population continues to romanticize the 90s-00s, wired headphones aren’t as niche as they were just a couple of years ago. And as someone in the “have not” internet meme bucket who got teased in high school for not owning AirPods, I’m confused. Wired headphones were great in 2010, but with wireless headphones with the latest technology and Bluetooth capability, why is Gen-Z freaking out over the wired music listening aesthetic?

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From wired to wireless: A history lesson

Wired headphones first became mainstream in the 1970s with Sony’s introduction of the Walkman. The Walkman, which Sony introduced in 1979, quickly became a true marker of a generation. The Walkman allowed users to listen to cassette tapes on the go (I wonder how long it will take Gen Z to repopularize cassettes) with skinny headband headphones that connected to the device with a wire.

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Walkmans reigned supreme until 1997 with the rise of the MP3 player. And then everything changed in 2001, when Apple released its iPod, a hard disk device that digitally played music. iPod users also used wired headphones, but rather than using over-ear headband headphones, Apple sold wired earbuds that required a less intrusive headband.

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For years, music listeners continued to use wired headphones, even despite wireless Bluetooth over-ear headphones first becoming available in 2004. It wasn’t until the invention of wireless Bluetooth earbuds by Japanese company Onkyo in 2015 that audiophiles began cutting cords with wired headphones.

Since Onkyo released its Onkyo W800BT, every major company has followed. Apple, most notably releasing its flagship wireless earbuds in 2016, the AirPods. In an effort to evolve its products, Apple removed the 3.5 mm jack on all iPhones since the release of the iPhone 7 in 2016, unofficially declaring wired headphones a thing of the past. Apple’s efforts clearly paid off as Apple’s AirPods reportedly made the company over $14.5 billion in revenue in 2022 alone.

The TikTokification of wired headphones

After AirPods became mainstream, that differentiation simmered and now wearing wired earbuds makes a statement. Wired earbud wearers in the age of wireless earbuds went against the norm, being perceived as not succumbing to trends and mainstream society. Essentially, wired earbud users were the nonconformist hippies of the late 2010s-2020s — at least they saw themselves that way.

Now, wired earphones, along with other “retro” tech, is trendy. Specifically, the wired headphones trend started to emerge in 2021 with a TikTok video explaining the comeback of the wired headphones aesthetic, and now users all over are deeming that wired headphones are in, and wireless earbuds are, dare we say, out.

According to TikTok user, @thedigifairy, wired headphones appeal to younger Gen Z mainly because of the aesthetic it adds to listening to music. Hundreds of TikTokers only use wired headphones when making videos. TikToker @ohmontaine centers his video around wearing wired headphones while filming.

Even celebrities such as Jenna Ortega and Halle Bailey have been seen wearing wired headphones. In an interview with British Vogue where Bailey shows what’s in her Gucci bag, one of her items is a pair of wired headphones. “I know everyone is wearing those AirPods, but I love wired headphones and I think they sound louder for some reason,” Bailey said.

Internet and celeb trend? Or real life statement?

Sure, wired headphones permeated TikTok and the celebrity world, but I needed to know if college students were actually wearing these ‘retro’ headphones. In order to figure this out, I did what I always do when I have a question about what the kids are doing these days and I turned to my twenty-year-old college sister, Hannah. Although she’s only three years younger than me, sometimes, it feels like we’re living in different cultural worlds. When I asked her if wired headphones were in, she simply replied, “Yes.”

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“It’s still more common for wireless headphones to be worn, but people definitely wear wired headphones,” said Hannah. “I think it’s trendy to have the wired look, like how we all wore Apple’s wired headphones when we had iPods.”

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Wired headphones aren’t only seen while walking around college campuses, but also while walking around the streets of New York City. Local NYC resident and A/V Segment Lead Editor at Pocket-Lint as well as fellow Gen Zer, Christina Darby, definitely noticed wired headphones coming back in a big way.

“I’ve seen so many fashionable people walking down 5th Ave in their oversize blazers, Adidas Sambas, and cool shades. Their trendy outfits perfectly completed with wired headphones in an almost unofficial ‘cool uniform.’ Interestingly, their phone is in their pocket or bag instead of where it is usually for most people our age (myself included): their hand,” said Darby.

“At first, I thought I was noticing it more because I’m obsessed with fashion and headphones, but even my Investment Banking roommate noticed a resurgence at her office too, so there’s definitely something to it.”

Once the wired headphones trend got brought to my attention, I couldn’t help but notice that the trend made its way across the pond from NYC to London. Walking around the streets in London, it feels more common to see teens and those in their twenties wearing either bulky over-ear or in-ear wired headphones.

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To wire or not to wire?

With the rise in popularity of wired headphones once again, I find myself not knowing where I stand. I still own several sets of cheap wired headphones to use while flying, and I love my Bose 700 Noise-Cancelling headphones that include a 3.5mm jack and auxiliary cord that easily turns the headphones from wireless to wired.

But, at this point, I find myself wondering: isn’t it just easier to use wireless Bluetooth headphones like AirPods?

Every device I own no longer includes a 3.5mm jack for headphone wires to connect to. In order to listen to music using wired headphones, I either have to buy a lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter for my wired headphones I currently own, or I need to buy a whole new set of headphones. Now that Apple includes the USB-C charging port on all of its newest iPhones, my old lighting to 3.5mm jack adapter will no longer be relevant in a couple of years.

Ironically for me, a Gen Zer, wireless earbuds are more convenient, the smaller size making them easier to use while running and walking around.

Wireless has a major flaw that wired headphones don’t have: a wilting battery life

Wired headphones never die in battery (and possibly maybe style), they’re harder to lose and cheaper to replace, plus the microphone on Apple’s EarPods sometimes beats the microphone on my AirPods. Not to mention, they do add a 2012 Tumblr aesthetic, which, for better or worse, continues to make a comeback.

Although wired earphones don’t need to be recharged like AirPods do, wired headphones still have their flaws. Sometimes the audio simply stops working. I can’t tell you how many times in my pre-AirPods days that I needed to stretch the headphone wire in a specific way for the sound to start playing. On top of that, wires can get in the way of daily activities and can get tangled up with other items.

Wired headphones have their ups and downs, and I don’t hate the idea of wires making a resurgence, but I don’t think wired headphones are the most efficient way to listen to music. Users can still get the same music listening headphone aesthetic by wearing over-ear headphones such as AirPods Max, Bose or Sony, while also getting a more immersive ANC or Spatial Audio listening experience. Unless companies such as Apple begin adding a 3.5mm jack back to their devices, I think wired headphones may just need to stay in the past.