News + Trends

If you're cool, you still wear wired headphones

25/1/2023

Translation: machine translated

A new trend from the past is served up every day. On the menu today: Cable salad.

"Forget Airpods - Bella Hadid is bringing back the humble wired headphones," announced "Vogue" in a polarising article three years ago, triggering a series of questions. First and foremost: did they ever leave? That's debatable. What is clear, however, is that they have been technically overtaken by Bluetooth models, which have dominated the market for some time. At the same time, a counter-movement has emerged in recent years that celebrates the wired existence and even sees it as a fashionable choice.

Fashion girl Emma Chamberlain with the ultra-popular Porta Pros from Koss.
Source: Instagram: @emmachamberlain

Inspired by this, the Instagram account @wireditgirls was created at the end of 2021 - in other words, wired it-girls. In one year, the profile has gained around 13,000 followers and has since regularly shown photos of wired celebrities. In addition to top model Bella Hadid, it also includes the hippest of the celebrity kids, Zoe Kravitz and Lily Rose Depp, "Wednesday" main character Jenna Ortega and social media star Emma Chamberlain - the usual trendsetters. But also Hollywood legend Al Pacino, who likes to talk expressively on the phone with his earpods in public, or actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who in turn likes to chew on his expressionlessly.

Even the tech-savvy Parisian high-fashion brand Coperni has recognised the fashion potential of wired headphones. For its 2023 summer collection, the label presented a silver necklace that depicts earpods wrapped messily around the neck. Hair like fresh out of bed was yesterday - today, cables like fresh out of the bag are the order of the day. The more tangled and tangled, the better. One thing is certain: wired headphones are the antithesis of stressed-out finance and tech bros with Airpods in their ears: carefree, casual, cool.

The Parisian label Coperni likes to draw inspiration from the world of technology.
Source: Coperni via Spotlight

The trend is not yet noticeable in sales

However, the trend has not yet arrived in our shop, as Senior Category Manager Claudio tells me. He is responsible for purchasing headphones at Digitec Galaxus. "We do still sell some wired headphones, but with a few exceptions they are in the lower price segment. With wired models starting at around 80 francs, we're already talking about a niche product," says Claudio.

In his opinion, this will not change any time soon: "As long as mobile manufacturers don't bring back the jack socket, wired models will have a hard time on the mass market - trend or no trend. Especially if we assume that wireless transmission will continue to make progress." However, there are definitely niche companies that can make a very good living from wired headphones. "And of course we won't let them gather dust in the corner either," emphasises Claudio.

After all, there are numerous practical reasons in favour of cables. The earbuds don't fail in the middle of a song due to battery failure, they don't randomly connect to other devices in the vicinity, they are less likely to be trampled or misplaced because they fall out of the ear, they don't cause any radiation and they are available at a lower price. Bonus points also go to the fact that they have saved many a mobile from a fall.

Model and celebrity daughter Iris Law probably never untangles her earpods.
Source: Instagram: @lirisaw

Nostalgia makes old electronics modern

Claudio also points out that wired headphones definitely have a certain retro-nostalgic touch, which is currently booming again. The 2000s revival, probably the strongest trend movement of recent years, has made outdated technologies contemporary again. Thanks to Generation Z's fascination with vintage electronics, videos about noughties relics such as flip phones and ipods are generating hundreds of millions of views on Tiktok. This phenomenon can be understood as a rebellion against the fast pace of technological innovation, against the notion that newer must always be better. As a clinging to the tried and tested and the imperfect. As a desire to make this complex, networked world a little more tangible.

Because everything appears more beautiful, simpler and better when viewed through nostalgic glasses. The love of retro devices is therefore not a new trend. Whether analogue cameras, typewriters or record players - technologies from the past with their charming quirks have always had their appeal and a loyal, enthusiastic group of fans. Now cable headphones are also part of it.

Want to join the fan club too? These seven models make a particularly good fashion accessory:

Apple Earpods

Headphones

EUR21,90

Apple EarPods Lightning Ap-Earpods-Light

No noise cancellation, Cable

Dangling from Bella Hadid's ears, earpods are what started the hype in the first place. They are still the third best-selling headphones in our country this month, more than ten years after their market launch.

Koss Porta Pro

Headphones

EUR59,–

Koss Porta Pro

No noise cancellation, Cable

According to Claudio, these headphones from the 80s have been a favourite for what feels like forever. They have an unmistakable retro vibe and are something of an "it bag" among cable-bound headphones right now.

Sennheiser HD 599

Headphones

−6%

EUR134,61 was EUR142,78

Sennheiser HD 599

Cable

The colour combination of brown and beige as well as the matt silver details give this model a trendy touch of vintage.

FiiO FD3

Headphones

EUR149,–

FiiO FD3

No noise cancellation, Cable

A braided cable that runs over the ear and ear tips with pearloid and gold accents make these in-ears almost a piece of jewellery.

Beyerdynamic DT 1770

Headphones

Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro

No noise cancellation, Cable

These oversized pro earphones deliver first-class sound quality and come with a coiled cable. Coiled cable!

Sony WH-1000XM4

Headphones

EUR228,77

Sony WH-1000XM4

ANC, 30 h, Wireless

One of the bestsellers in the shop and actress Jenna Ortega's over-ears of choice. The creamy white option looks particularly stylish. They work both with and without a cable.

Shure SE215

Headphones

EUR131,05

Shure SE215 Pro

NC, Cable

This model with its cool transparent look was originally developed for the stage and is sound-isolating - a good alternative to noise-cancelling technology that only runs on battery power.

Opening image: Instagram: @koss

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