I stopped buying wireless earbuds for one simple reason

I can’t count how many times I’ve pulled earbuds from my pocket, put them in, and found them dead — whether I’m stepping on a treadmill or boarding a long train. I end up stuck with the gym’s music or the train’s announcements. For years, I accepted this as the cost for true wireless stereo (TWS) convenience. AirPods and Galaxy Buds cut the cord and feel futuristic.

But recently, I looked in my drawer of doom, where I stored all my half-working or completely dead gadgets and cables, and realized I was no longer buying audio gear. I was practically paying a subscription fee for disposable hardware.

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Disposable nature is a key problem with wireless earbuds

The batteries are the real issue

Batteries are the center of most problems with TWS. From the cheapest Chinese knockoffs to the most expensive, best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds, they all suffer the same fate. It’s not that manufacturers aren’t trying, but the physics limitations aren’t letting them solve it.

Most TWS use tiny lithium-ion (Li-ion) or lithium-polymer (LiPo) batteries. Since they are physically so small, they are more susceptible to factors like heat during charging and discharging. A typical high-quality Li-ion battery lasts up to 500 full charge cycles before its health drops to 80%.

Phones have larger batteries that last a day or more, especially if you have the the proper battery optimization settings on. As a result, phone batteries take at least a year, sometimes two, to reach 500 cycles. Earbuds, with tiny batteries, need frequent charging. Since they charge every time they’re stored in the case, they hit cycle limits in under a year.

Credit: Keval Shukla / MUO

Another issue is non-replaceable batteries. Unlike some laptops and smartphones, most earbuds can’t have batteries replaced, as they’re glued shut for water resistance. Once one earbud’s battery degrades, it becomes e-waste.

Contrast this with a wired IEM (in-ear monitor) with zero batteries to deal with; they last longer unless you physically damage the drivers or the cable. A good pair of wired drivers you purchased today will function exactly the same even in 2036 with little to no extra care.

Latency adds to the issues

The difference of milliseconds to even seconds sometimes

Credit: Keval Shukla / MUO

After battery issues, my biggest gripe with the TWS (True Wireless Stereo) is the latency. It’s the aftermath of using Bluetooth as a connection option. When you listen to music wirelessly, your audio file is compressed, chopped up, transmitted through the air, and reassembled by a tiny chip in your ear. Sure, there are ways to make Bluetooth audio devices sound better, but even that is not perfect.

When your primary medium of transmission between TWS and phone is Bluetooth, even with high-res codecs like LDAC or aptX adaptive, the transmission is lossy. The main loss occurs when your devices try to compensate for bandwidth constraints, especially with older Bluetooth standards like 4.X or 5.0. No doubt Bluetooth has come a long way, and to a normal consumer, the difference is negligible.

But if I am playing an online FPS or editing a video, the difference of milliseconds also matters. If there’s a delay in audio, you will not know when to respond or make the cut. None of this matters with even a budget wired IEMs. Since the connection is analog, you just plug your IEMs into your phone, complete the loop, and they work as an extension of your phone’s physical audio system.

Better audio at a cheaper rate

Good TWS are getting costly, great IEMs are getting cheap

Credit: Keval Shukla / MUO

With the ongoing Chifi revolution, the IEM market has shifted dramatically. While the mainstream crowd was distracted by noise cancellation, the Chifi (Chinese Hi-Fi) market exploded. Brands like Moondrop, 7Hz, and Tangzu are producing budget IEMs that embarrass TWS buds costing ten times as much.

For example, a beginner-friendly $20 pair of IEMs (like the 7Hz Salnotes Zero) often adheres to a sound signature closer to the Harman Target curve (a gold standard for frequency response) than $250 wireless flagship buds. Why? Because your money is paying for high-quality dynamic or planar magnetic drivers, not Bluetooth licensing fees, batteries, ANC processors, and marketing campaigns.

Wireless earbuds are not all bad

I still keep a pair in my everyday carry

Despite the flaws and connection anxiety, whether the buds have connected or not, I still carry a pair in my everyday carry bag. Mainly because of two reasons: true freedom and ANC. The IEMs are absolute when it comes to sound quality and the convenience of not needing to charge the battery, but that strength is also the weakness of IEMs.

Since there’s no battery in wired IEMs, you are always bound by the cable. So when you are out on a run or lifting a heavy weight, the cable becomes a liability. You also need to keep your phone in your pocket at all times, which isn’t ideal while working out.

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IEMs also pack nothing but the sound drivers in their shell that go into your ears. And if you get a good pair, there might be a microphone and volume buttons to pick up calls and manage volume on the go. But this also limits my favorite smart feature in most modern TWS: Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

While passive noise cancellation is great, it can never match the ANC of a TWS. The ANC uses multiple microphones on the TWS to scan the surroundings and create a layer of anti-noise. This is an absolute must when I am in loud public places, like in a crowded bus or a packed local train in the morning.

IEMs are now my first choice

Despite the conveniences of ANC and the constant need to manage dangling cables, I have adapted to the IEM lifestyle. I have upgraded to the $2 foam eartips from Amazon, and I route my IEM cable from the phone in my pants through the inside of my shirt. This way, there is less chance of it getting stuck somewhere.

I was finally able to wash my perspective of wired tech being retro or outdated — after experiencing the peace of mind of never running out of battery on my earphones and the amazing sound quality I get without emptying my pocket.