Earphones, earbuds, AirPods and headphones have been a staple in many people’s lifestyles for the past few years. From their sleek style to their amazing sound quality, these products have been popular for many reasons. As the music industry increases, so does the amount of people using these products. However, one has to be the best. But the question is, which one is it?
Headphones were created in 1880 and the technology surrounding audio has grown since.. New features like wireless headphones, noise control and lightweight comfort have been priorities in today’s earphones. The popularity of wireless earbuds skyrocketed in the 1950s because of wired earbuds getting tangled, and earbud companies took advantage of the new Bluetooth technology for many other products as well. The earphone, earbud and headphone game has increased profits, but it was not until Applefirst released the AirPod, this technology went viral. Zoe Taylor (10) chooses to use wireless earbuds from the variety of options for a few reasons.
“I use [wireless earbuds] because number one, the fact that my phone doesn’t have an earphone jack anymore because I upgraded,and two, the brand I use I believe are more practical and functional over AirPods,” Taylor said.
There are many pros to wireless earbuds such as convenience, durability and a sleek style. The flexibility of wireless earbuds have also been highly favored by many people since previous wired earphones had a cord limit and were restrictive. Wireless earbuds allow freedom of movement and omit the feeling of intense pressure on the ears, makingwireless earbuds are a top pick for many people.
“If you wanted to go some sort of distance without a phone in your hand, it would be easier since they are wireless and you aren’t really constrained to having your phone on your personnel at all times,” Taylor said.
However, there is one setback with wireless earbuds and AirPods: the battery life. Companies have been actively working on extending the battery life on many of their products. Since these products are used so regularly, a major problem arises of whether there is enough battery to last the day.
“There are cons because I feel like it is easier to lose your earphones, and when it comes to charging it’s more of a hassle since they can die at any point,” Taylor said. “And if you don’t have your charger then you are just going to have to go without your music for a while.”
Out of the three options, it is agreed by many students that AirPods are the most popular. This is due to the large population of students who use Apple products. AirPods are usually used with Apple products, however, they do have the option to connect to any bluetooth device. Similarly, any wireless earbud product can connect to Apple products. When it comes to earphone usage, though, companies restrict what kind of earphones people can use on their phone. For example, Apple strategically made it so earphones with a square earphone jack, like Apple’s earphones, could only be used on iPhones, iPads, etc. Android devices require a circular earphone jack, which many earphone companies do provide. This barrier also caused many people to go wireless, so they do not have to go through the hassle of finding a correct earphone jack or converter.
“The most popular has to be Airpods, like there’s no competition. You can’t walk four inches without seeing a person with one Airpod in [their ears],” Siddharth Vuppu (10) said. “[People like Airpods] because people say their sound quality is good and they are easier to carry around.”
Many products become famous and well known due to social media influence. Some might say that the purchasing of these products are solely based on whether or not they are trending. However, one could argue that earphones, wireless earbuds, Airpods and headphones have been popular for years and are always improving through innovative technology.
“I mean trends fade eventually but people have been buying them ever since they came out, so I don’t think it’s just because of that,” Vuppu said. “But also they are mad expensive so it may not just be because of that. People mostly buy them because of the hype.”
