Why are wired headphones popular again?

When Apple removed the headphone jack from iPhones in 2016, it was like they sent me into exile, so to speak. I had no intention of letting a giant corporation dictate my listening habits. That's exactly why I bought an Android phone and clung to my wired headphones.

But my phone finally breathed its last breath the month that Google, one of the last companies to hold out, announced that it was removing the headphone jack.

I thought this was a sign of cosmic defeat. I went back to my iPhone, threw my wired headphones in a drawer, and joined the Bluetooth crowd.

I guess I gave up too easily. There's been a movement quietly growing in the shadows lately, and it's based on a controversial fact: Wired headphones are better than Bluetooth.

Sales have skyrocketed in recent months. Most of the time, you can find better sound quality in a wired model for the same money. But it's not just about being obsessed with sound quality.

Wired headphones are now truly a cultural trend; some see this as part of a broader "anti-technology" backlash.

The reason may be practical, political, or simply an aesthetic choice. But there is one thing we know well: wired headphones are back.