Out with the new, in with the old. AirPods are out and wires are in.
Pepperdine students can be seen walking on main campus rocking the wires over their bluetooth alternative.
Sophomore Isabella Ferch said she is an advocate for wired headphones all the way from the Florence abroad program. Even across the globe, she continues to wear her wired headphones.
“I love wired headphones because I think they really represent how listening to music, style and connectivity is such an important part of my life,” Ferch said.
Function Forever
Apple first launched their bluetooth earbuds in 2016: AirPods. The innovation spread worldwide and AirPods quickly became one of the hottest Apple products to have, according to Gadgets Now.
Junior JT Longoria said he has relied on his wired headphones ever since he mistakenly fell victim to the bluetooth innovation.
“I had a pair of AirPods my junior year of high school,” Longoria said. “And the bluetooth stopped working so I switched to wires, and the wires have been a game changer.”
Airpods get lost, lose their charge and connect to unknown devices. Ferch said all these things would happen daily when she used AirPods. Now, with her wires, she never has to worry.
“I’ve had two pairs of AirPods in my life and I don’t have any right now because they’re just such a pain for me,” Ferch said. “It’s wired headphones all the way.”
Junior Sofia Llorca said she enjoys the fact that she can easily throw her wired headphones in any bag and not worry about losing them.
“They’re just so handy to carry around,” Llorca said. “It’s so much easier for me.”
The wires win the battle of sound quality and microphones, Longoria said.
Longoria said he enjoys taking phone calls with his wired headphones because the recipient can hear him better and it is easier to change the volume on the attached microphone.
Ferch said she has tested the durability of wired headphones over AirPods and found that her wired headphones stand the test of time and laundry washes.
“Wired headphones are just a whole lot sturdier,” Ferch said. “I think they also have better sound quality as well.”
Not only are they functional, but they are also cheaper. AirPods range from $100 to $150, whereas wired headphones range from $15 to $20 on the Apple website.
“The pricing is astronomically cheaper than paying $150 for AirPods,” Longoria said. “You can buy $30 headphones that’ll last you until you get a new phone.”
The Aesthetic
Llorca said she views her wired headphones as an accessory that adds to any outfit.
“You can pair them with literally anything,” Llorca said. “It’s an accessory, it’s not just headphones that I use to listen to music.”
Ferch said her style tends to lean more on a vintage side, and she enjoys the aesthetic that wired headphones bring.
“The visual aesthetic really drew me in,” Ferch said.
Llorca said her wired headphones automatically give her a confidence boost, as she feels cooler when strutting the halls with them in.
“I just imagine myself prancing around New York City and Los Angeles with wired headphones,” Llorca said. “It just seems like a vibe.”
Wired headphones can be a vibe for anyone who wears them, as Llorca said they add to anyone’s aesthetic.
“It gives such a cool aesthetic to any person who wears them,” Llorca said.
The Nostalgia
Llorca said that as a society, people became so focused on the new and improved that everyone should step back to their wired roots.
“They give me nostalgia,” Llorca said. “I feel like I’ve been using them forever.”
With the evolution of AirPods, AirPod Pros and AirPod Max’s, Longoria said Apple tends to innovate its bluetooth products to make them better, but wired headphones have always been the same.
“Wired headphones are still the exact same layout because they work,” Longoria said. “That’s exactly why I think people should start using wired headphones.”
Wired headphones have been a tried and true product for Ferch for years.
“I always had wired headphones since I’ve had a phone,” Ferch said.
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Contact Haylie Ross via email: haylie.ross@pepperdine.edu
