The resurgence of wired headphones in the face of criticism against wireless ones

When Apple removed headphone jacks from iPhones in 2016, I switched sides. I wasn’t about to let a giant company dictate my listening habits, so I bought an Android phone and clung to my wired headphones for dear life.

But eventually, my phone breathed its last in the exact same month that Google, one of the last bastions, announced that it would also be removing the headphone jack from its phones.

I felt it like a sign of defeat that the universe was sending me. So I went back to the iPhone, threw my wired headphones in a drawer, and joined the Bluetooth hordes.

Perhaps I gave up too easily because lately a discrete motion based in a controversial truth: wired headphones are better than bluetooth ones.

Sales have skyrocketed in recent months. You can often get better sound quality for the same price with a pair of wired headphones, but it’s not just for audio snobs, either.

Wired headphones have become a real cultural trend; a resurgence that some link to a broader backlash against technology.

Whether for practical, political or aesthetic reasons, one thing is clear: wired headphones are back.

“I have convinced myself”says Aryn Grusin, a social worker in Portland, Oregon, who is a fan of wired headphones. A few months ago, she asked her fiancé to borrow some traditional wired in-ear headphones and there was no turning back.

“I just find it comforting. I like that it shows the world that I’m listening to something.”he adds.

Grusin is not alone. After five consecutive years of declining sales, purchases of wired headphones they skyrocketed in the second half of 2025according to the analysis firm Circana, and revenue from wired headphones increased by 20% in the first six weeks of 2026.

“It seems like a lot of people are almost turning against technology, because of how advanced it is becoming.”says Grusin. “I think there’s a general mentality that we don’t like the way this feels and we want to go back to the last place we felt comfortable.”.

Sound quality can be a big plus in wired life, says Chris Thomas, managing editor of headphone review website SoundGuys.

“This is the theme that I have been repeating for many years”he states.

Wireless headphones have improved dramatically, according to Thomas, but the best ones often come from niche brands aimed at sound lovers.

When it comes to conventional products found in an electronics store, it ensures that you will still get better sound quality for your money if you opt for the best wired option.

Additionally, even the highest-end Bluetooth headsets may not deliver their maximum audio performance due to poor connections or compatibility issues with your device.

“With a cable, you just plug it in and it works”, dice.

But sound quality is not enough to explain the trend. In some ways, it seems like Bluetooth has become deeply unsexy. If you don’t believe me, ask actress Zoë Kravitz.

“Bluetooth not working”Kravitz said in a recent interview, and it’s not just headphones, but Bluetooth connections in general.

In fact, wired headphones are now a must-have fashion accessory in some circles.

There is a popular Instagram account on the topic called Wired It Girlsdedicated to women who look stylish and comfortable with wires hanging from their ears, from everyday people to celebrities like Ariana Grande and Charli XCX.

Wired headphones have become so omnipresent among the rich and famous that some see these tangles of plastic and wire as a cultural symbol. A social media user posted a viral tweet with photos of actors Robert Pattinson and Lily-Rose Depp wearing wired headphones.

“It’s becoming a class thing.”they said. “Using wireless 24/7 tells me you don’t own any land.”.

Of course, there’s something liberating about wireless, untethered listening. But the batteries run out at the most inopportune moment. The small headphones are lost. The devices do not pair.

“People say it’s easier, but it never seems easier to me”says Ailene Doloboff, an editor in the Los Angeles film industry. “With Bluetooth it is always one more step”.

Wired headphones join a list of seemingly obsolete technologies that have roared back in recent years, just as we fall into the coming digital age.

People young and old are adopting retro products such as DVDs, cassettes, old tube televisions and even typewriters.

At a recent concert, I saw a guy in the audience recording the show not with a phone, but with a 1970s 16mm film camera.

“I don’t know why, but we all collectively went through this change. I think the presence of AI is making people nervous.”says Grusin.

“Which is ironic, in a way. I’m uncomfortable with technology, so I want to use a different piece of technology. But maybe plug-in headphones will feel as close to analog as we can get”.

But how to connect them? You can now buy wired headphones with a built-in USB or Lightning connection.

Or you can use headphones with the traditional 3.5mm jack via a charging port adapter, often called a “dongle,” a word so unworthy that I spent years refusing to try one.

Apple removed the headphone jack from its phones in 2016 with the launch of the iPhone7, which many saw as the end of wired listening. But even Apple hasn’t given up on wired headphones yet.

“Oh we still sell them“The company’s chief executive, Tim Cook, the man who killed the headphone jack on phones, told my BBC colleague Zoe Kleinman a few years ago.”“People still buy them.”.

I stopped by an Apple store on the way home from the office to pick up a cheap pair with a USB connection for myself. One employee told me he’s been selling more wired headphones than ever.

I spent a few days with the cables. I liked the feeling. Being tethered to my device made me feel a little more present with my listening, and it also fit better in my ears than the heavy Bluetooth headphones.

But our relationship was short. I have never lost a pair of Bluetooth headphones. The case for my AirPods is bulky enough that I’ll notice if I don’t have them with me.

Not so for lightweight wired headphones. They escaped from my pocket somewhere on the streets of my neighborhood. I hope they found a more loving home.

Determined, I thought changing to something better would make me more careful. So I visited a headphone specialty store in New York called Audio 46, hidden behind a narrow window.

Delaney Czernikowski, who reviews headphones for the company’s website, greeted me at the counter. “Many people are joining the trend. They believe that cable is better and they want to try it”dice.

“But sometimes they worry about losing the convenience of Bluetooth. I tell them that Bluetooth can be very good, you don’t have to lose”.

Czernikowski let me try out some of the store’s fanciest Bluetooth headphones, with incredible sound quality and similar prices. They were enough to make even the most religious of sound lovers drool.

“But to be fair, many of the wired headphones are better and there are plenty more to choose from. And they have better qualities that are not conditioned by the technological need for Bluetooth.”, dice.

I planned to buy something cheap. Within about a minute, Czernikowski convinced me to try on a $130 pair of headphones from a specialty Chinese brand with a thick, gorgeous, braided cable.

“Don’t give in,” he says. They sound excellent for the price, but the BBC does not recommend products as part of its commitment to impartiality. So you’ll have to do your own research.

I handed over my credit card, bought a USB dongle to go with the headphones, and headed out to plug them in.