The last couple of years I have tested a lot of wireless headsets models (Bluetooth)and headphones with wires from different price classes.
Especially, when your favorite brand releases another interesting model, it is simply impossible to stay away.
As a result, I can accurately name the strengths and weaknesses of Bluetooth headphones by comparing them with wired models.
Today I will compare them and figure out what headphones are safer.
Table of Contents
Wired Headphones VS Bluetooth Headphones Technical Comparison
Wires
Let’s start with the most obvious point: Wires.
The absence of naughty, annoying, fragile, brittle, tangled cables – this is precisely an advantage for which the owners of Bluetooth headphones agree to all compromises.
It is very convenient to transmit music over the air, you can free your hands and yourself from a cord clinging to everything in the world, you can go in for sports, you can move away from the sound source to a certain distance, which would be provided only by a cable of 5-10 meters, you can even go to another room.
I suspect that over time, if technology continues to improve, wired headphones may become as rare as wired phones.
It is too early to talk about this, but it is already obvious that they will not leave the market, because there is the audience who loves them.
Definitely, the point goes to the wireless models.
Assortment
So far, the choice of Bluetooth headphones is relatively small.
Of course, the budget, mid-range, and top-end segments are gradually filling up, and new items of this particular form factor receive maximum innovation, but there are still not so many models in terms of numbers.
But wired headphones can be found for every taste, the experience of their production by the most famous companies is measured in decades.
The variety of musical characters, speaker configurations, design and purpose – all this gives the buyer a lot of space for maneuver. So here the victory is for wired headphones.
Сompatibility
This is an ambiguous point, but I still give a point to the wireless option.
There is only one condition for headphones of this format: the source must have Bluetooth.
The developers of modern technology have long taken this into account.
At the moment, wireless headphones work quietly with any smartphones, players, stationary DACs, computers, TVs, game consoles, etc.
But for wired models you need a connector, and it is still unknown what it will be – standard 3.5 or USB, balanced 2.5 or 4.4, stationary 6.3 or XLR.
Experienced connoisseurs of high-quality sound inevitably have a bunch of adapters in their collection, and they are of high quality, but this, of course, is an additional hassle.
In addition, how many smartphones and laptops have lost outputs for wired headphones, but they still have the built-in Bluetooth of the latest version. It turns out that the Bluetooth version is easier.
Autonomy
Very unexpectedly, but wired headphones win.
They depend only on the charge level of the source, but Bluetooth models will have to be charged separately.
The main task of manufacturers is to increase the battery life of wireless headphones on a single charge, and also to expand the resource of the TWS case, while maintaining its compact size.
Other useful technologies are also used, for example, support for wireless charging of the case, detachable cables for full-sized Bluetooth, so that, if necessary, directly connect them to the source and listen to music without using the headphone battery, fast charging, when you can get it in 10-15 minutes several hours of work.
Functionality
Obviously, the point goes to the wireless models.
Wired headphones are just headphones, they play music and that’s it. Sometimes there is a headset unit with buttons on the cable, which at the very least will help you answer calls, change the volume or switch tracks.
But Bluetooth models are not only acoustic playback devices, but also useful gadgets.
They offer a wide variety of technologies: custom active noise reduction, transparency mode, voice prompts, “smart” pause when the music stops by itself if you remove the headphones, equalizer, call a virtual assistant, moisture protection, firmware update through a proprietary application, connection with two sources simultaneously, automatic connection to a familiar device, microphones for calls with their own noise reduction, adjusting the frequency response when changing the volume.
Control on wireless headphones is usually more convenient because it is implemented using a sensor, and in some models, through applications, you can even customize the commands how you like.
And over time, TWS or Bluetooth-full sizes become just as necessary and familiar to the owner in everyday life as a smartphone.
Sound
Let’s be honest – according to this criterion, wireless is definitely better.
Firstly, connecting headphones to a source via a cable provides a lossless digital signal transmission, which means that there will be enough musical information to listen to songs at the highest bitrate.
Bluetooth technology is not so perfect, it cannot be achieved with it. Secondly, since wireless headphones use their own digital-to-analog chips, their electronic components perform a certain sound processing that an audiophile Hi-Res player would do better.
In wired versions, only drivers, types of their membranes and magnetic systems, and acoustic chambers, are responsible for the sound.
Here I want to say the main thing: when choosing Bluetooth and wired models there is no universal solution in terms of technical characteristics.
Someone needs a tool for flawless music playback, and someone needs a multifunctional modern gadget that can not only play, but also greatly facilitates other tasks.
Someone is ready to keep different types of headphones in the collection, while the other is looking for the only favorite pair once and for a long time.
Now Let’s look at them in terms of health…
Are Wired Headphones Safer Than Bluetooth?
Yes, Wired Headphones are a safer and better option.
In-ears (vacuum) are the safest wireless headphones. It is a type that is inserted into the ear canal and completely isolates it from external noise.
And it is better and safer for your hearing to use large on-ear or full-size headphones that cover the auricle.
They transmit a less dense sound to the ear, making it possible to spread the sound wave more evenly.
Do Wired Headsets Give Off Radiation?
No, Wired Headsets don’t give any radiation.
But Bluetooth Headphones can give the potential risk from electromagnetic waves, but only if a person is in direct contact with them for a long continuous period of time.
How Do Headphones Affect the Brain?
The use of headphones negatively affects the central nervous system.
Irritability, nervousness, emotional instability, lack of sleep, headaches and migraines are not a complete list of symptoms of CNS dysfunction.
They are all caused by prolonged exposure to noise ranging from 60 to 90 decibels.
Do Bluetooth Headphones Reduce Radiation?
Yes. Bluetooth devices emit less radiation than others, but still increase the risk of developing diseases, in particular cancer.
How Long Should You Wear Bluetooth Headphones?
You should wear Bluetooth headphones 2-3 hours a day.
But how many hours a day you can wear headphones is an individual question. But, according to experts, wired and wireless headphones can be worn for no more than 2-3 hours a day.
At the same time, the volume level should not reach a critical level of 80 dB – this is the critical level of sound impact on human hearing.
Is It Safe to Wear Bluetooth Headphones All Day?
No, it is not safe to wear Bluetooth headphones all Day.
If you wear them all day there may be a sharp loss of hearing, migraines, nervousness.
The main harm of headphones is the volume of sound and pressure on the eardrum and organs of the inner ear. Constant influence at high volume reduces the sensitivity when perceiving sound too.
Are Air Tube Headsets Safe?
Yes. They are also called an anti-radiation headset that can protect people from phone radiation.
What’s An Air Tube Headset?
That’s a headset without wires close the user’s brain.
