[Editorial] The comeback of wired headphones

May 2026 Editorial

Wireless Vs wired headphones: the comeback no one saw coming

Author: Lucio Cadeddu - TNT-Audio Italy
Published: May, 2026

What looked like the end of the road for wired headphones has taken an unexpected turn. By the second half of 2025, sales were already up by 10%, climbing to an astonishing +20% in the first six weeks of 2026. And that's not all: Google searches for the keyword “wired headphones” surged by +88% year‑on‑year, reaching 2.6 million queries in a single month.

So what's driving this reversal? Surprisingly, it's Gen Z - the very digital natives who were expected to bury cables forever. Their reasons are clear:

Lower prices compared with wireless models.
Superior audio quality and zero latency (a decisive edge for gaming).
Less risk of losing them.
Unlimited use with no battery anxiety.
Longer lifespan: wireless batteries die after a few years, wired headphones can last decades.
A stronger do not disturb signal: cables make your (un)availability obvious, wireless buds don't.
A rising vintage fascination: cassettes, Walkmans and LPs are back in fashion - cables included.

Wireless still commands roughly 80% of the market, but for the first time in seven years wired headphones are showing a real bounce. When Apple removed the headphone jack a decade ago, the verdict seemed final: cables were finished. Consumers, however, didn't agree - and the industry adapted. Enter dongles: compact, audiophile‑grade USB headphone amps that brought wired listening back from the brink. We've reviewed several already (iFi GO link Max, Fosi DS2, 7Hz 71) and demand keeps rising.

In the end, although I've often been sceptical about reviving old audio formats (vinyl aside), this time I'm firmly on board. Wireless headphones still have ground to cover before matching wired sound quality - and even if they do, pairing quirks and battery dependence remain a constant irritation.

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