I think cheap ear buds are getting better to a point i dont mind a few set backs… also premium ear buds that i had experienced deteriorate fast after a year of use…
I think the next big step is a codec that allows lossless audio. I also like to see dual drivers. Using a balanced armature driver just gives the highs much better detail in ones I own with dual drivers. Love to hear your opinion.
@@hilmyakatsuki1665 Energy and space too, there is no space for air there, all is packed with battery, receiver/amp, microphones and drivers. So acoustically it just can't be comparable to IEM. The only thing TWS has on it's side (which limits space and energy as downside at the same time) - all electronics is integrated, so it can grow in another plane - DSP can do it's own magic in correction of those tight things which can't be IEMs, can have digital crossovers if they go multi-driver (what stops snapdragon from two DACs and amps integrated on bluetooth chip in future, if today chip with DSP needs 4mA of current? Only cost and fact it's useless with today's bit-rates and codecs so there is no demand for it.) But wireless IEM can be the thing someday. Plus xMEMS can evolve in something more useful in compact format to this time.
Earbuds will always be a necessity for me because I can't put on cans at work. One earbud is much less conspicuous and seems to be the norm in an office environment. I also enjoy the variety of earbuds and the competition. Even though I carry an iPhone, I have not bought the AirPods Pro, which is what most people seem to do. I access most music from my Pixel, and use the Pixel Buds and Buds Pro on an almost daily basis. I do like switching it up, so i always have Soundcore, OneMore and Edifier available. Earbuds ain't dead to me, at least not yet
the convenience of using one at a time in certain situations is great. Even if I were a full time iPhone user I don't think I could stick solely to a pair of Airpods or Airpods Pro. Too many great options out there
I believe that the market has slowly and surely been moving towards more affordable products, but also that consumers are getting more in the know about the limited lifespan of them as well. Oversaturation is also a fair problem, with so many options being available that it's hard for a potential buyer to make one decision, and then become regretful that something else is discovered that has more for less, or a feature that they would rather have. In the future, I believe that the earbud market won't necessarily crash, but a small re-emergence of 3.5mm wired earphones will go into effect.
The only thing holding the 3.5mm wired earphones from coming back is going to be lack of devices supporting the headphone jack. Most people aren't going to want to keep up with dongles. I would love to see the comeback for sure
@@OfficialGameskystick with audio. I think you should do wireless headphones, dacs, amps. I really like your input in audio. I feel like semi open earbuds are becoming good. The new one more and sound core semi open look cool
I agree the 3.5mm jack will return as leaving it out was to capture what was once a niche with wireless headphones. As the need for consumers to get quality for $$ spent + listening experience, I can agree the missing 3.5mm jack will return to attract audio purists, thus adding to differentiation in the market.
@@Criticalmazebut semi open earbuds aren’t uncomfortable ? don’t you feel they hurt your ears.? I’m curious to retry them though . I got way to used to fully in ear before earbuds that I’m not sure if I could use them again but I’m kind of curious to give them a second chance. What I just tried again and loved are on ear Bluetooth headphones and are wonderful. very good sound and incredibly comfortable. The only issue is portability but I’ll use those just for home use.
Great commentary on earbud history! I retired 4 years ago and got into the whole thing as a hobby at that point. I started with headphones, moved to earbuds, but lately have landed more on IEMs. As a guy who maintains the hobby by being budget oriented, IEMs provide amazing value for the money you spend! I also really enjoy my earbuds though, and I'm especially a fan of Soundcore that way. The need for a dongle for the IEMs is an issue but I've bought a couple for $15 and $7 and they sound perfect with my budget purchases. All this to say , l approach this from a hobby point of view so l will keep watching and enjoying your offerings😊
The market is saturated mostly by unknown brand names affordable & great quality. Yes I believe it will slow down.I mentioned on earlier comments, not paying for ridiculous prices.
There is something that you didn't consider in your talk: the obsolescence of the batteries. Unlike phones, wireless earbuds seem very difficult to repair, and this will create a need to replace them. Maybe the 300 will go down, unless new features come up. But for sure there will be replacement needs.
I will never go back to wired to my phone. I'm sure the sound is better but for working out, jogging, etc. It's not worth being tethered. Most of the time I'm using my watch LTE and leaving my phone at home.
The pursuit of comfort, that's the reason I keep upgrading my earbuds. My ears are highly sensitive to having anything put into them. So far my Jabra Elite 10 are the most comfortable pair I own. Technology is always advancing, so I don't think earbuds will ever die anymore than over the ear headphones have. I love watching this channel to find out what the next generation of earbuds have to offer, and also to see if just maybe there will be more comfortable options for my picky ears.
I initially got into tws for convenience. But tws my first introduction to listening to music outside of speakers or my phone. I chased the best sounding earbuds I could find, only to realize I was looking for something that tws can’t really provide. At least not right now. That’s when I got into the audiophile worlds. Headphones, amps, dacs, etc. Obviously not portable, but this wasn’t my goal really to begin with. For me, I don’t have a need to get nicer tws at this time, as I’ve purchased a few open back headphones that suit my needs. But tws and their marketing is what really got me into audio, and for that I’ll always appreciate them.
I’ve been using soundcore liberty 3 Pro and they’re pretty good for $80. You can just slip them into your pocket and get decent sound from the dual drivers. For me EQ is important so the app works fine. Then I don’t need to carry a little amp and a case with headphones and a case to hold the amp and the headphones.
You can get usb-c earphones from Moondrop, 7hz, Tanchjim, etc. Or get cables alone to add to existing earphones. And, the Apple, Samsung and Google dongle are very small and inexpensive, and you can just leave them connected to your headphones.
I have no idea how headphones/earbuds can last long? Wire ,phone jacket get destroyed, battery gets shorter with time so u have to buy new for it to last longer. So meh ,at least once a year there is a need for new earbud so ofc will search for something that is better or same value/audio that u already are used to. So I guess this subject is the same as smartphone,watches ,basically any tech that already is great BUT people still buy new when it come out ,they still search for something. So no,earbuds are not dying ,it become something that almost everyone is familiar and use for different purposes.
I agree with you that earbuds have reached sort of a peak when it comes to audio, features and price. This is great for the consumer and I don't see how some of the higher end brands will be able to profit from people outside of their fanbase. I definitely don't think that they are dying out. You have and continued to give very helpful and informational videos on this topic and myself love you for it. I have 12 earbuds at my disposal all from watching your videos. Your judgment has been on point! Like you, have a pair for different situations and occasions. From this point, I guess us consumers will continue to see more savings on these little ear pieces that we love. Thanks Gamesky!
My hope for any new generation of earbuds is that there will be removable or at least easier way to replace the battery. I noticed for most of my earbuds after not even a year of use, the battery health started to deteriorate very badly which is pretty bad if you buy the more expensive earbuds
For me tws has become a necessity. I used to buy really cheap wired earphones under 10 dollars that lasted 2-3 months and even when I started investing on decent earphones between 20-30 dollars they lasted around 6 months/a year (even IEMs). The main problem is the wire which will depreciate in rough use, I don't see this happening to tws earbuds. So I am really excited to get a Soundpeats capsule 3 pro (for now I think its my first choice since I prioritize battery life a lot)
Excellent conversation to get the thought buds going. Earbuds, as with all items, are evolving based on purpose + experience. Open-style will become a standard as it solves the comfort issue. Mainly it comes down to comfort, fit, experience, and Purpose to justify price. No such thing as a differentiating brand now vs differentiating features and apps to drive customer experience.
It just seems like earbuds are coming repetitive on somethings. Budget earbuds are stepping up, while bigger companies are coming up short. Hopefully 2024 will bring some new thing's out
I bought about $600 worth of earbuds until you recommended the Jabra Elite Active 75t, and I got off the train. Happy with the sound and features. I tried the xm4 and found them to sound terrible and fit horribly. Moved on IEMs after then and that market is unfettered. Even so, I’ve never spent more than $150 on any single in-ear purchase, thanks mainly to your reviews and outlook on the market as a whole. Can’t thank you enough for that, brother.
I'm sticking to headphones for a while and my 1st wireless pair I bought are the Tozo HT2 for $39.99 Tired of losing earbuds and popping out all the time. I might not buy a lot from anyone and I still watch/follow the content from you.
Those HT2’s are an amazing set of headphones at a ridiculously low price. Tozo hit another one out of the park with those. The noice canceling is spooky good, and they sound great. I prefer them to my Soundcore Q45’s, which were about 3x the price.
Wireless on ear headphones are wonderful. My mom just gifted me a cheap pair she says never used at All and I’m loving them, still I’ll use my tws for outside gym and anytime I’ll need earphones when I’m not at home. But uff I’ve realized the most comfortable are on ear Bluetooth headphones. Just put them to charge an hour and you are good to use them for a long while. I’m loving by Bluetooth headphones for home use.
I've pretty much went to over-ear headphones. I still have a lot of TWS earbuds, but I rarely use them now. I just get tired of not having an equal feeling seal and always having to fidget with them.
No more wired accidents was intoxicating. I now rotate about a dozen pairs 😁 Still love keeping up with the technology trends, but have enough now to last years. Only something really special gets my wallet out - like the Earfun Free Pro 3. Love the original little ear cannons and had been waiting on them to evolve, get app support and better build/features.
Damn and i feel slightly guilty for owning two pairs. I first bought a pair of huawei 4i freebuds and i just recently got my galaxy buds Fe. Honestly the only reason i bought the samsung ones are because i changed my phone. When i got the huawei earbuds i had a nova 3 but that nova three died and I got now the galaxy A54 But actually both of my earbuds work fine.
@@outermarker5801 can understand that. Actually I want a cheapie pair just for the gym, im scared on running my Samsung ones with sweat. Since i go on the trademill for 45 mins. I started with just 20. To create myself the routine and no miss a day but now I’m going for 40 or 45 minutes. So hey now that you have so many which are the best just for the gym.
Thanks Gamesky! There are some great budget models out there with lots of features but, when it comes to sound quality, the very best sound does not come cheap.
when the Status Between Pros are sitting at $99 most of the time those are hard to compete even at double the price. There are lots of great budget options out there
I’ve been using buds since about 2017 with some Fiil T1 buds. Awesome sound, or so I thought, for about $40. These things were amazing, balanced highs and mids and bass you could put wherever you want with the app EQ. I thought they were unbeatable. Then I splurged after all the hype for the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pros. About $130, and WOW. I didn’t know what I was missing. They certainly live up to the hype and I still use them everyday. I’m also always on the lookout for the next best bang for the buck. It definitely helps to up your price range to the $125-$150 mark as far as sound quality goes. ANC and phonecalls couldn’t matter less to me, it’s all about the sound. I’m pretty sure the market, while saturated, will live on as folks hear better buds for reasonable prices. Great video.
It’s a pleasure to ear Gamesky remember some of the TWS reviewed during the videos many of their are really awesome some others good but with problems,now I use Sony XM5 and Shure SE 846 with BT adapter and I’m really satisfied,long life to TWS and to Gamesky videos 😊
Earbuds is at its prime. But are there newer tech tools to replace earbuds, I don't think so. We just wait and see. Earbuds, got one thing, its battery will eventually die off... Cannot be charged anymore. Time to change a new pair. No matter how much we paid, once its battery is gone, it is gone forever. I'm still excited for any new earbuds
I got a pair of Lypertek TEVIs around 2years ago. It is literally falling apart by now. I’m pretty sure that because of the many very similar designs of the glued together casing and the constant stress from your fingers pulling it out of the magnetic case, many people experience something similar.
@Gamesky, I don’t think earbuds are dying. I remember people saying back in the day the headphones people wear were going to be extinct and replaced by wireless and other things. They’re still around so I think earbuds will still be around. A true classic will never go out of style.
I think most people are noticing battery lifespan is hitting a brick wall. I’ve gone back to wired earbuds for this very purpose. A cheap $20 pair of wired IEMs obliterate most wireless earbuds triple the price.
I have the moon drop quarks non dsp version that uses the 3.5 mm headphone jack with the built in mic from amazon for $14.99 that I bought awhile ago since I still use the headphone jack all the time. Every device that I use still has a headphone jack since I still carry my portable sony walkman disc man around with rechargeable batteries and my cd case for swapping out my cds. I like carrying around my portable cd player so I can focus on listening to music and not be distracted on my phone and being able to enjoy music but in a portable and convenient way when traveling.
I don’t think they’re dying. I think they’re at a standstill until lossless or new features start coming out. Majority of people with Apple devices just get AirPods due to the feature pack and ecosystem. Everything new is more of the same, better drivers but that’s it.
I don't understand the hype about tws earbuds anyway. Neckband style earbuds are far superior. 1. They are more practical. You don't have to fumble them back into the case every time you want to stop listening. Just plug them out of your ears and and they will click together magnetically. 2. They are aren't as overpriced as many tws earbuds are. 3. And most important for me. The battery life is just so so much better on those. Mine have a claimed battery life of 120 hours. And they do last that long. I can go a month listening to them almost every day for several hours without charging.
Side topic, I follow your channel when 27k subs or 70k subs, your channel just exploded that time. Only recently, TH-cam doesn't push your videos. Because every time I visit your channel, I will check your subscribers numbers. TH-cam is doing nasty things on your channel
I appreciate you following the channel for so long. Hopefully it will all turn but there is definitely something going on behind the scenes that is affecting my channel
I think the best gauge of TWS earbuds interest, is the number of manufacturers making them, and the number of models being released. It seems to me, they’re cranking them out like crazy, and I doubt they would be if people weren’t buying them.
TWS earbuds aren't dying. The market is saturated. Also if you remember Amazon cracked down on all the Chinese companies that were bribing people to write reviews and make TH-cam reviews. The market is saturated that's all. Also keep in mind the economy is crap now. So people won't buy the latest and greatest until they have disposable income.
The thing that always kept me from using TWS full time was sound quality. It definitely improved over time but I would always get way better sound quality from my $20 IEMs than $100+ TWS earbududs. Mainly I just use them for low volume music listening while I sleep.
I've tried so many ear buds over the and none stay steady in my ear when I'm on the move...so I jusy gave up looking to invest any more money and just use my headphones 🎧 when I'm on the go...I can listen to my music without the worry of constantly pushing anything back in my ears
I just think it’s silly to pay over £150 for wireless earbuds because eventually the batteries will run out, and you will have a paperweight for earbuds & the case….These big companies should be looking at how to replace the batteries in the earbuds yourself or make a little slider to pop the new battery in.. They all go on about electronic waste, so make a true planet friendly earbud with interchangeable batteries…. but I very much doubt anyone would, because where is the profit in that?
Got my first pair of earbuds in 2019. $25 for Funcl F1 earbuds. They still work and aren't bad. Touch controls and small. I think more earbuds should be moldable and fit everyones unique ear perfectly. Ultimate Ears had a couple options. Plus a few expensive options as well. I think that's such a fledging space in the world of earbuds.
I always buy mine 2nd hand because of the deep discount you can find them for. I refuse to pay over $100 for any buds that will inevitably die due to short lifespans of batteries.
I’ve been using buds since about 2017 with some Fiil T1 buds. Awesome sound, or so I thought, for about $40. These things were amazing, balanced highs and mids and bass you could put wherever you want with the app EQ. I thought they were unbeatable. Then I splurged after all the hype for the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pros. About $130, and WOW. I didn’t know what I was missing. They certainly live up to the hype and I still use them everyday. I’m also always on the lookout for the next best bang for the buck. It definitely helps to up your price range to the $125-$150 mark as far as sound quality goes. ANC and phonecalls couldn’t matter less to me, it’s all about the sound. I’m pretty sure the market, while saturated, will live on as folks hear better buds for reasonable prices. Great video.😃
I think the next move will be to have multiple drivers build inside for bass mid range and treble after that I then think the market will die off. Plus earphones under £100 are so good there is no reason to spend more
Measurements and tuning, cutting back on jamming in features, codecs, basically the same cycle that happened to headphones and iems. ANC or anything that intercepts the signal is gonna hurt sound quality. Earbuds are also getting more bland because the magic has worn off. And for ANC headphones I still think just does a better job because of the physical conduction of the earbuds to your ears which leads to other noise that is going through your bones while headphones doesn’t have as intense of a “bone conduction effect”.
Completely agree. I understand that alot of people look to have as many features as possible but I am not sure most know that they are sacrificing sound quality in the process. I choose sound over features any day
Hi, I'm a huge fan since I first got into wireless earbuds in summer 2019 & have bought so many earbuds off your great reviews. Keep up the good work man 👌🏼
I'm an IEM person, so whenever I see these premium TWS, I always think of what a good IEM I would get for that price that would have really high sound quality and would last me many many years. I however admire all the work that is done to build them. I also realise the fact that they have to cost more for the sound quality they bring than IEMs because, they also bring a battery, Bluetooth comms (of which there's licensing issues), built in mics, an intergrated DAC/Amp and then of course the transducers/speakers, all that costs money.
I don't know if my comment is relevant, but I was at a doctors appointment today to get my ears checked because my ears are the type to produce alot of earwax, especially when you use earbuds a lot then can bring out more earwax from your ears and high volume music can obviously damage your eardrum, actually pop it. The nurse felt that earbuds should never have been invented despite the many amazing benefits because they can cause hearing problems. It makes sense why some people hear a high-pitched sound when they are not using earbuds, which is dangerous, of course. Earbuds have benefited my life in numerous ways, especially my focus and attention, including a whole host of reasons.
Great conversation. I think there is still an opportunity for earbud vendors to maintain a high level of acoustics and begin to tap into what actual consumers really want. Like comfort. Most all fit similar to one another and most are uncomfortable over time. I would like to see more features that I would actually use. For example, a feature that would allow you to control the max DB level while still having control over the volume. I often watch video content and a lot of old-time radio shows. Currently, I can get the volume where I want it, only to have an intro or action scene generate an absurd amount of volume that I would need to quickly turn down because it becomes harsh, painful, or overly loud quickly and without warning. Maybe a small "clicky" to switch between phone and content, or between ANC and pass-thru mode rather than trying to remember the menu of swipes in a hurry. I just think they should at times ask what consumers want and not necessarily what reviewers want. Just my two cents.
I picked up the Oneplus Pro with my Oneplus 9 phone and I don’t think I will ever buy another pair. Not a huge fan of the falling out or feeling like they are, never mind the cost. I keep turning to my over the ear Bose QC35. I bought them for flying and they are superb and comfortable.
Personally, I think there are diminishing returns the higher you go in the market. I've been tempted by the Linkbuds S, but my TOZO Golden X1s are good enough in terms of sound quality and noise cancelling. (I'm > 50, so I'm not sure whether I'd even hear improved sound quality at this point). I do like "good" noise cancelling, but when I go out in my wheelchair rolling, 100% noise cancellation would be dangerous. I need decent ANC to hear my music, but not so much that a car going 60MPH could sneak up on me when I'm crossing the street. :) I think most people are going to settle for "good enough", which means they'll take whatever's in the box with their phones. It's people who are really into music and people with very specific needs who'll go out and get new earbuds.
I agree that most people are going to be fine with "good enough". The TOZO X1's are excellent when it comes to sound and definitely above the "good enough" category
Totally agree on what you're saying there is absolute no reason to buy expensive earbuds cause they all run by batteries eventually will became landfill, are you going to pay $300 for something that doesn't last? Arthur's brand name manufacturer should think about it.
One feature they could have kept to themselves is that damn haptic feedback!! Give me my good old Jabre physical button earbuds please. Nothing like being on an urgent call perhaps overseas and having to adjust your earbuds only to accidentally hangup on a call you waited 30 minutes on hold to establish! 😳
I switched from earbuds to open ear / air transmission earphones a few months ago. So much happier with them than my old in ear earbuds or even my old Samsung beans.
I agree that a decent pair pf buds will last you a couple of years. But I disagree that buds are going away. There are still improvements being made and they are getting better and better. Not to mention the huge marketing machine to keep us wanting the latest and greatest
Big companies like Sennheiser take too long to adopt new technology( spatial audio) and their earbuds are way too expensive.I think the future is in the $100 price tag since earbuds barely last 2 years Earbuds shouldnt cost too much
I think we've seen so many rehashes of the same earbuds from companies over and over that people have become less sensitive to minor upgrades. For as much as we talk about audio codecs, sound quality, battery life...and more, there's been very little to no significant innovation in the space. Understandably, a pair of wireless earbuds isn't a piece of tech that is comparable to phones, laptops, and tablets because they're not required to be upgraded yearly. I think true wireless earbuds reached their peak 1-2 years ago.
The budget and mid-tier have evolved so quickly that it's saturated the market (in a good way) The premium headphones and buds are probably just for status at this point. The only AMAZING feature the budget devices don't have yet is "native on headset" google assistant. Just the normal "tap to activate assistant" The cheaper options have made themselves so appealing that it's reaching that late stage of progress like current phones. Usually just small upgrades. LDAC has become the norm, great anc, great transparency, and multipoint. The only thing left is having higher res, better battery life, and 3+ drivers becoming the new standard. Which "Status" has already done to jumpstart the evolution. The BIGGEST problem I've notice is that premium headphones have MORE drawbacks than the cheaper options. Things like: no full control a poorly made app lack of firmware updates bugs that have been brought up and don't get fixed until the next version releases no EQ
I don't think earbuds are dying, because depending on how often some get used, they wear out quickly, I think there will always be a need for them, until something else comes along.
Air Pods Pro 2 are no slouch. They dont have the best sound quality but they are decent and they dont sound like crap. They have one of the BEST active noise cancelling out there. They are also one of the best for phone calls. I am a collector of earbuds and IEMS and while wired headsets are good, convenience is also a huge market. One time I was listening to earbuds while walking through a construction site and having the good ANC earbuds are important. If you are in loud environments, ANC comes into consideration. Sometimes decent earbuds are all you need for everyday use and I feel like that's where Air Pods, Sony, Bose come in. I would say it is worth the price if ANC is a priority.
As a Tech/Earbud Reviewer Myself I couldn’t disagree with you more Keith when I started my Channel on camera gear it didn’t take off until I opened a pair of earbuds for the 1st time in my channel. Only then did it start taking off and still does well each and every time I post a earbud or headphones video. Look at your channel you’re pushing almost 170k and the views are still coming every time you talk about buds. I’ve had many comments of people who are just so interested in earbud tech. I don’t believe it’s dying I think we’re just gettin Started My Friend😉
I wasn’t just talking about the Sub count it looks like your views are pretty strong I’m sure you would know best you’ve been at it way longer then I have for sure. Stay Creative Brother🙏
Love this video! I consider myself to be a tech geek but I refuse to spend 100 plus for earbuds when I know I can get the equivalent for MUCH CHEAPER! My wife not happy with the 40 pair of earbuds but I do like what's new and what sounds the best. Especially working in a noisy environment!
They are made for CONVENIENCE!! Ive never thought ANY type of headphones were made to wear for hours. Up until this point EVERYONE had wired earbuds… I think this is more of shot at Apple than anything… being that they are the true pioneers of true wireless earbuds… a lot of ppl hate on that 😅
Interesting stuff and your correct just look at 1more buds with all features and sound quality at a fraction of the price compared to big companies.thank for your review.👍
I think we have come full circle. While convenient, the audio quality on earbuds is not great compared to IEMs. Even cheap ChiFi IEMs sound better than most earbuds. There are exceptions, of course, with premium earbuds sounding really good. My preference now is to use a good IEM with a good dongle DAC and the sound quality blows my mind.
Listening on my Sound Peats Go Free 2...I have more than 30 ear buds I've bought through thus channel all under $100 and most under $50. Like you, I'm addicted to ear buds, but I will never spend big money on them because if they get lost, stolen, or broken, I'm not out a lot of money and I still have many for back up. Besides I have some for all my various devices around the house😂😂
I love my Soundcore Q35 headphones. They're so comfortable and the sound and noise cancelation are great. I have wireless earbuds too but nothing compares to the sound of headphones in my opinion.
I pretty much ditched my Bluetooth earbuds, I run a Fiio BTR15 and can run anything from my iems to my big over ear cans either Bluetooth or use as a dongle... And the sound quality is so much better, just my 2 cents
The tech just isn't advancing fast enough anymore because there isn't much else to do other than get a pair of true wireless that can play bit perfect for a bargain price. A lot of people won't pay $350 for Denon's. Until someone unlocks that for cheaper there is only so much more to do. I've since gone to wireless monitors for music since they have better sound and use cheaper earbuds for phone calls and podcasts on the go.
I was a late adopter of TWS because the sound quality, price and lifespan ratios didn't make sense for me. But these last two years has been really a big change, I started with really cheap Skullcandy and Redmi that needed lots of EQ to sound just decent but have good build quality, then I bought a cheap Earfun, nice sound but bad build quality. And last year bought the Edifier W340TN, which are amazing in sound, solid and reasonably priced, first earbuds I would compare in sound quality to the stars of affordable cabled headphones from Koss and Sennheiser I had in the past. For me, portable things should be good, solid and affordable. By the way, those old marvels also died after a few years, give TWS a break, they're incredibly convenient. We have nice affordable options now.
I think the market is still rich but most consumers are firmly in their ecosystem or brand. I personally love headphone and at this stage could switch everyday and not use the same set for almost a month. I think cheap headphones are getting good and good headphones are getting cheap. I think I will always go up and down the brands to check in.
Maybe focus more on news and collabs content going forward with channel, for example: Dhrme (dutch indian guys) are killing it, with their latest master dynamics neuro headphone interview and they have high expectations for Sennheisers polar sport earbud in there 2024 product line, me too 😊 inthe meantime iam rocking the earbuds pro free 3 for sport and bowers and Wilkens S2es
I don't agree with that "earbuds are dying", they have reached a plataeu now that they widely available and at different price brackets. Same thing happened to headphones. Same thing with smartphones.
Market is kinda saturated. I'm content right now with Samsung buds plus and buds fe. Using it for work and multimedia. I got other buds bud having bt security issues so not using others for now.
Great video. I would love a pair of TWS earbuds that offer a physical button, volume control on each ear buds, and multipoint!!! The Bose Quiet Comfort II come close but not my unicorn.
@OfficialGamesky I can honestly say ever time I watch a video on earbuds by you I 🤞🏾 that this pair might be the one, lol. My collection is a little crazy.
X-Mems technology is already here Noble and Creative have earbuds on the way. The days of multiple driver earbuds being big and bulky will be a thing of the past. This is what I'm looking forward to. 💯🇺🇸
Why do people buy over one hundred, two hundred or three hundred dollar earbuds? Name brand. The majority of Apple fans will buy Apple anything. Apple uses high quality material, but I'm a guy whose anti-apple. I refuse to pay more than I have and even if I have the money, I refuse to buy expensive phones, headphones or earbuds. My phone is the Moto G Stylus 5G 2023 which I got back in November for $249. My earbuds are from Capoxo, and they cost less than $29. I'm planning to buy headphones, but they too will be around from $20 to $50. I subscribe to channels like yours to see what new in the budget world. Furthermore, I'm now looking into buying open earbuds as I don't like earbuds that stick into the ear canals which causes irritation and discomfort.
Totally agree with comment on ear canals, irration and discomfort. I have switched to Shokz bone conduction headphones and then just add ear plugs if outside world is too noisy.
I own from $40 to $300 earbuds, cheap ones don't do it for me, because of my job, my traveling and because I call people a lot I need something that work, also I am an audiophile, I like my music to sound good, also, having a wire is not convenient for me, in the end is convenience for some people.
Im aint apple too (🤮) but i just bought the airpods pro 2 this weekend and added them to the collection. I decided to make this purchase because of their leading transparency mode that no other company has been able to match. And let me tell you they are worth every penny even on Android. I was blown away. I use to be the same. I refused to pay so much for earbuds when you got companies like soundpeats produce great sounding earbuds at the fraction of the cost. Then i realized that sound is not everything. The more expensive buds offer features that cheap ones cant compete. Like To me transparency mode is king. What good is earbuds if you constantly got take em out. I use my earbuds all day while at working and driving, and cheap earbuds just wont cut it when it comes to transparency. I think back in days it was okay to rock a pair of cheap earbuds because the technology was pretty much new so there was no major difference between bigger companies and smaller ones. But now in days you really missing out on a lot of features if you not willing to cuff up the extra dollars.
I would say to each their own bc we spend our money how we want to spend it when we have it I’m not anti apple bc I was all about android I can deal with both
I started using wireless at work first and then gravitated into the higher end ones. It really did spoil me to not catching the cord on the edge of my workbench as I moved around! I have wired IEM's as well as Wired pretty good Headphones such as Hifiman Ananda... but they do not appeal to me as much as wireless. The slight loss in fidelity is a fair trade off for the freedom of movement and convenience. As others have said here, I am looking forward to the technology getting to the point where we can have real High Resolution with wireless. It is getting better all the time. For the life of me I still don't know why Apple went to High Resolution and none of their devices support a high resolution codec. It must have to do with 95% of people think that the current offerings are good enough. There is a lot of common sense in that approach. I still want to get the higher resolutions though...
I finally paid the apple tax and bought a set of AirPods Pro 2nd gen; but still intend to support you and your channel no matter what the landscape looks like!
Wireless audio is here to stay for sure. It's convenient and audio quality is improving. Short of brain implants and people to adopt that, I can't see wireless earbuds (and wireless audio glasses) really loosing ground. Even if sales slow at some point- they'll still be being used. I do remember the press laughing about the design of the first airpods. However, they were very practical and many companies followed Apple's lead. I prefer wired for audio quality and my android LG v60 is probably the last phone I'll have with a 3.5mm headphone socket (though Asus & Sony still have them). And I realised that the audio out from the iPhone, using truebit audio, is better than most android phones as android natively down samples and with a decent thin inline cable dac my iphone sounds better than my LG V60 without having s separate brick. The first company to do away with the 3.5mm headphone socket was Motorola. to make a thinner phone (they didn't make a big deal of it). Appel did away with the headphone socket (though parallel ran the lightning and 3.5mm socket for wired audio for a while). Samsung said it would never get rid of the 3.5mm socket and produced adverts to mock Apple's move. But eventually Samsung followed Apple's move too). Rolling on to today- I use wired and wireless. Wireless are tangle free and have features like transparency & noise cancelling. Wired gives me audio quality benefits (though wireless has improved a lot). I have the excellent Status Between ANC, the brilliant all rounder Apple Air pods pro 2, the fun and cheaper Earfun pro 3 and Shure wireless ear hooks which allow me to use my 10 year old ear buds on wires (3.5mm, 4.4mm, lightning, usb C...) as well as on bluetooth hooks (which i can replace without loosing the buds at a alter stage eg for supporting aptx lossless or when the battery eventually dies. The Sony WFXM03 has a battery that can be replaced but not easily. However replaceable batteries would be handy for longevity.
I just picked up the meta-Ray-Ban’s. I believe that is the next big thing. It makes my AirPods and my bose irrelevant. Especially with that technology getting better.
Sorry Keith, you don't know why Apple (who were the 1st) and other companies followed, got rid of the 3.5mm jack? To sell more air pods. It was all a marketing ploy by Apple. But to your point, no I don't think they're dying, but you're right about possible saturation. I use my earbuds every day and always looking for the next pair, but I have found myself looking at a fiio btr5/7 and some decent iems. Maybe you could do a video along those lines in the future?
I think cheap ear buds are getting better to a point i dont mind a few set backs… also premium ear buds that i had experienced deteriorate fast after a year of use…
I think the next big step is a codec that allows lossless audio. I also like to see dual drivers. Using a balanced armature driver just gives the highs much better detail in ones I own with dual drivers. Love to hear your opinion.
Agreed. I am a huge fan of multiple drivers and high end codecs. Sound has come a long way with earbuds
Yes but energy limitations won't make earbuds comparable to iems
@@hilmyakatsuki1665 many people use earbud and IEM to refer to the same exact headset.
@@OfficialGamesky Yes but I've heard the basic codecs sound fantastic just by good old tuning right? And I hate the way LDAC runs down my battery.
@@hilmyakatsuki1665 Energy and space too, there is no space for air there, all is packed with battery, receiver/amp, microphones and drivers. So acoustically it just can't be comparable to IEM. The only thing TWS has on it's side (which limits space and energy as downside at the same time) - all electronics is integrated, so it can grow in another plane - DSP can do it's own magic in correction of those tight things which can't be IEMs, can have digital crossovers if they go multi-driver (what stops snapdragon from two DACs and amps integrated on bluetooth chip in future, if today chip with DSP needs 4mA of current? Only cost and fact it's useless with today's bit-rates and codecs so there is no demand for it.) But wireless IEM can be the thing someday. Plus xMEMS can evolve in something more useful in compact format to this time.
Earbuds will always be a necessity for me because I can't put on cans at work. One earbud is much less conspicuous and seems to be the norm in an office environment. I also enjoy the variety of earbuds and the competition. Even though I carry an iPhone, I have not bought the AirPods Pro, which is what most people seem to do. I access most music from my Pixel, and use the Pixel Buds and Buds Pro on an almost daily basis. I do like switching it up, so i always have Soundcore, OneMore and Edifier available. Earbuds ain't dead to me, at least not yet
the convenience of using one at a time in certain situations is great. Even if I were a full time iPhone user I don't think I could stick solely to a pair of Airpods or Airpods Pro. Too many great options out there
I believe that the market has slowly and surely been moving towards more affordable products, but also that consumers are getting more in the know about the limited lifespan of them as well. Oversaturation is also a fair problem, with so many options being available that it's hard for a potential buyer to make one decision, and then become regretful that something else is discovered that has more for less, or a feature that they would rather have. In the future, I believe that the earbud market won't necessarily crash, but a small re-emergence of 3.5mm wired earphones will go into effect.
The only thing holding the 3.5mm wired earphones from coming back is going to be lack of devices supporting the headphone jack. Most people aren't going to want to keep up with dongles. I would love to see the comeback for sure
@@OfficialGameskystick with audio. I think you should do wireless headphones, dacs, amps. I really like your input in audio. I feel like semi open earbuds are becoming good. The new one more and sound core semi open look cool
I agree the 3.5mm jack will return as leaving it out was to capture what was once a niche with wireless headphones. As the need for consumers to get quality for $$ spent + listening experience, I can agree the missing 3.5mm jack will return to attract audio purists, thus adding to differentiation in the market.
@@Criticalmazebut semi open earbuds aren’t uncomfortable ? don’t you feel they hurt your ears.?
I’m curious to retry them though . I got way to used to fully in ear before earbuds that I’m not sure if I could use them again but I’m kind of curious to give them a second chance.
What I just tried again and loved are on ear Bluetooth headphones and are wonderful. very good sound and incredibly comfortable. The only issue is portability but I’ll use those just for home use.
Great commentary on earbud history!
I retired 4 years ago and got into the whole thing as a hobby at that point. I started with headphones, moved to earbuds, but lately have landed more on IEMs. As a guy who maintains the hobby by being budget oriented, IEMs provide amazing value for the money you spend! I also really enjoy my earbuds though, and I'm especially a fan of Soundcore that way. The need for a dongle for the IEMs is an issue but I've bought a couple for $15 and $7 and they sound perfect with my budget purchases. All this to say , l approach this from a hobby point of view so l will keep watching and enjoying your offerings😊
The market is saturated mostly by unknown brand names affordable & great quality. Yes I believe it will slow down.I mentioned on earlier comments, not paying for ridiculous prices.
There is something that you didn't consider in your talk: the obsolescence of the batteries.
Unlike phones, wireless earbuds seem very difficult to repair, and this will create a need to replace them.
Maybe the 300 will go down, unless new features come up. But for sure there will be replacement needs.
I will never go back to wired to my phone. I'm sure the sound is better but for working out, jogging, etc. It's not worth being tethered. Most of the time I'm using my watch LTE and leaving my phone at home.
The pursuit of comfort, that's the reason I keep upgrading my earbuds. My ears are highly sensitive to having anything put into them. So far my Jabra Elite 10 are the most comfortable pair I own.
Technology is always advancing, so I don't think earbuds will ever die anymore than over the ear headphones have.
I love watching this channel to find out what the next generation of earbuds have to offer, and also to see if just maybe there will be more comfortable options for my picky ears.
I initially got into tws for convenience. But tws my first introduction to listening to music outside of speakers or my phone. I chased the best sounding earbuds I could find, only to realize I was looking for something that tws can’t really provide. At least not right now. That’s when I got into the audiophile worlds. Headphones, amps, dacs, etc. Obviously not portable, but this wasn’t my goal really to begin with. For me, I don’t have a need to get nicer tws at this time, as I’ve purchased a few open back headphones that suit my needs. But tws and their marketing is what really got me into audio, and for that I’ll always appreciate them.
Agreed that tws just can't replace a good amp and a good pair of wired iems or headphones
I’ve been using soundcore liberty 3 Pro and they’re pretty good for $80. You can just slip them into your pocket and get decent sound from the dual drivers. For me EQ is important so the app works fine. Then I don’t need to carry a little amp and a case with headphones and a case to hold the amp and the headphones.
You can get usb-c earphones from Moondrop, 7hz, Tanchjim, etc. Or get cables alone to add to existing earphones. And, the Apple, Samsung and Google dongle are very small and inexpensive, and you can just leave them connected to your headphones.
I have no idea how headphones/earbuds can last long? Wire ,phone jacket get destroyed, battery gets shorter with time so u have to buy new for it to last longer. So meh ,at least once a year there is a need for new earbud so ofc will search for something that is better or same value/audio that u already are used to. So I guess this subject is the same as smartphone,watches ,basically any tech that already is great BUT people still buy new when it come out ,they still search for something. So no,earbuds are not dying ,it become something that almost everyone is familiar and use for different purposes.
I agree with you that earbuds have reached sort of a peak when it comes to audio, features and price. This is great for the consumer and I don't see how some of the higher end brands will be able to profit from people outside of their fanbase. I definitely don't think that they are dying out. You have and continued to give very helpful and informational videos on this topic and myself love you for it. I have 12 earbuds at my disposal all from watching your videos. Your judgment has been on point! Like you, have a pair for different situations and occasions. From this point, I guess us consumers will continue to see more savings on these little ear pieces that we love. Thanks Gamesky!
My hope for any new generation of earbuds is that there will be removable or at least easier way to replace the battery. I noticed for most of my earbuds after not even a year of use, the battery health started to deteriorate very badly which is pretty bad if you buy the more expensive earbuds
For me tws has become a necessity. I used to buy really cheap wired earphones under 10 dollars that lasted 2-3 months and even when I started investing on decent earphones between 20-30 dollars they lasted around 6 months/a year (even IEMs). The main problem is the wire which will depreciate in rough use, I don't see this happening to tws earbuds. So I am really excited to get a Soundpeats capsule 3 pro (for now I think its my first choice since I prioritize battery life a lot)
Excellent conversation to get the thought buds going. Earbuds, as with all items, are evolving based on purpose + experience. Open-style will become a standard as it solves the comfort issue. Mainly it comes down to comfort, fit, experience, and Purpose to justify price. No such thing as a differentiating brand now vs differentiating features and apps to drive customer experience.
It just seems like earbuds are coming repetitive on somethings. Budget earbuds are stepping up, while bigger companies are coming up short. Hopefully 2024 will bring some new thing's out
I bought about $600 worth of earbuds until you recommended the Jabra Elite Active 75t, and I got off the train. Happy with the sound and features. I tried the xm4 and found them to sound terrible and fit horribly. Moved on IEMs after then and that market is unfettered. Even so, I’ve never spent more than $150 on any single in-ear purchase, thanks mainly to your reviews and outlook on the market as a whole. Can’t thank you enough for that, brother.
I'm sticking to headphones for a while and my 1st wireless pair I bought are the Tozo HT2 for $39.99 Tired of losing earbuds and popping out all the time. I might not buy a lot from anyone and I still watch/follow the content from you.
And I appreciate that you still come back to watch
Those HT2’s are an amazing set of headphones at a ridiculously low price. Tozo hit another one out of the park with those. The noice canceling is spooky good, and they sound great. I prefer them to my Soundcore Q45’s, which were about 3x the price.
Wireless on ear headphones are wonderful. My mom just gifted me a cheap pair she says never used at All and I’m loving them, still I’ll use my tws for outside gym and anytime I’ll need earphones when I’m not at home.
But uff I’ve realized the most comfortable are on ear Bluetooth headphones. Just put them to charge an hour and you are good to use them for a long while. I’m loving by Bluetooth headphones for home use.
About a year and a half ago I wasn't aware of all the different earbuds out there until I got a new phone. Now I have almost over 50 earbuds.
I've pretty much went to over-ear headphones. I still have a lot of TWS earbuds, but I rarely use them now. I just get tired of not having an equal feeling seal and always having to fidget with them.
Are there any earbuds that do simultaneous dual audio?
No more wired accidents was intoxicating. I now rotate about a dozen pairs 😁
Still love keeping up with the technology trends, but have enough now to last years. Only something really special gets my wallet out - like the Earfun Free Pro 3. Love the original little ear cannons and had been waiting on them to evolve, get app support and better build/features.
That is definitely a pretty special pair for the price
@@OfficialGameskyCan I have your opinion please 🙏? For the same price would you take 1more fit open buds s50 or nothing ear stick for sound?
Damn and i feel slightly guilty for owning two pairs.
I first bought a pair of huawei 4i freebuds and i just recently got my galaxy buds Fe.
Honestly the only reason i bought the samsung ones are because i changed my phone.
When i got the huawei earbuds i had a nova 3 but that nova three died and I got now the galaxy A54
But actually both of my earbuds work fine.
@@sarizonana I did get a little obsessed for a while😁 But it did teach me what I like/need in earbuds
@@outermarker5801 can understand that. Actually I want a cheapie pair just for the gym, im scared on running my Samsung ones with sweat. Since i go on the trademill for 45 mins. I started with just 20. To create myself the routine and no miss a day but now I’m going for 40 or 45 minutes.
So hey now that you have so many which are the best just for the gym.
I love the practicality of wireless earbuds.
Cheap wireless earbuds are so good now i can't justify spending hundreds of pounds on earbuds.
Thanks Gamesky! There are some great budget models out there with lots of features but, when it comes to sound quality, the very best sound does not come cheap.
when the Status Between Pros are sitting at $99 most of the time those are hard to compete even at double the price. There are lots of great budget options out there
@@OfficialGamesky This is very true but even this exceptional pair cannot quite match the top tier SQ of the Denon PerL Pro.
I’ve been using buds since about 2017 with some Fiil T1 buds. Awesome sound, or so I thought, for about $40. These things were amazing, balanced highs and mids and bass you could put wherever you want with the app EQ. I thought they were unbeatable. Then I splurged after all the hype for the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pros. About $130, and WOW. I didn’t know what I was missing. They certainly live up to the hype and I still use them everyday. I’m also always on the lookout for the next best bang for the buck. It definitely helps to up your price range to the $125-$150 mark as far as sound quality goes. ANC and phonecalls couldn’t matter less to me, it’s all about the sound. I’m pretty sure the market, while saturated, will live on as folks hear better buds for reasonable prices. Great video.
It’s a pleasure to ear Gamesky remember some of the TWS reviewed during the videos many of their are really awesome some others good but with problems,now I use Sony XM5 and Shure SE 846 with BT adapter and I’m really satisfied,long life to TWS and to Gamesky videos 😊
Earbuds is at its prime. But are there newer tech tools to replace earbuds, I don't think so. We just wait and see. Earbuds, got one thing, its battery will eventually die off... Cannot be charged anymore. Time to change a new pair. No matter how much we paid, once its battery is gone, it is gone forever. I'm still excited for any new earbuds
Agreed. Until we have chips somehow implanted in us where we can just hear music from within I think we are good
I got a pair of Lypertek TEVIs around 2years ago. It is literally falling apart by now. I’m pretty sure that because of the many very similar designs of the glued together casing and the constant stress from your fingers pulling it out of the magnetic case, many people experience something similar.
@Gamesky, I don’t think earbuds are dying. I remember people saying back in the day the headphones people wear were going to be extinct and replaced by wireless and other things. They’re still around so I think earbuds will still be around. A true classic will never go out of style.
I use a tws earbuds with 80 hrs battery life and with aac codec costs 9 $ only and with good audio which was manufactured in my country ❤
I think most people are noticing battery lifespan is hitting a brick wall. I’ve gone back to wired earbuds for this very purpose. A cheap $20 pair of wired IEMs obliterate most wireless earbuds triple the price.
Tell me that IEM name because I tried three very recommended cheap ones and still my $50 Edifiers sound noticeably better without dongles and cables.
I have the moon drop quarks non dsp version that uses the 3.5 mm headphone jack with the built in mic from amazon for $14.99 that I bought awhile ago since I still use the headphone jack all the time. Every device that I use still has a headphone jack since I still carry my portable sony walkman disc man around with rechargeable batteries and my cd case for swapping out my cds. I like carrying around my portable cd player so I can focus on listening to music and not be distracted on my phone and being able to enjoy music but in a portable and convenient way when traveling.
I don’t think they’re dying. I think they’re at a standstill until lossless or new features start coming out. Majority of people with Apple devices just get AirPods due to the feature pack and ecosystem. Everything new is more of the same, better drivers but that’s it.
I don't understand the hype about tws earbuds anyway. Neckband style earbuds are far superior.
1. They are more practical. You don't have to fumble them back into the case every time you want to stop listening. Just plug them out of your ears and and they will click together magnetically.
2. They are aren't as overpriced as many tws earbuds are.
3. And most important for me. The battery life is just so so much better on those. Mine have a claimed battery life of 120 hours. And they do last that long. I can go a month listening to them almost every day for several hours without charging.
Side topic, I follow your channel when 27k subs or 70k subs, your channel just exploded that time. Only recently, TH-cam doesn't push your videos. Because every time I visit your channel, I will check your subscribers numbers. TH-cam is doing nasty things on your channel
I appreciate you following the channel for so long. Hopefully it will all turn but there is definitely something going on behind the scenes that is affecting my channel
I think the best gauge of TWS earbuds interest, is the number of manufacturers making them, and the number of models being released. It seems to me, they’re cranking them out like crazy, and I doubt they would be if people weren’t buying them.
TWS earbuds aren't dying. The market is saturated. Also if you remember Amazon cracked down on all the Chinese companies that were bribing people to write reviews and make TH-cam reviews. The market is saturated that's all. Also keep in mind the economy is crap now. So people won't buy the latest and greatest until they have disposable income.
The thing that always kept me from using TWS full time was sound quality. It definitely improved over time but I would always get way better sound quality from my $20 IEMs than $100+ TWS earbududs. Mainly I just use them for low volume music listening while I sleep.
I've tried so many ear buds over the and none stay steady in my ear when I'm on the move...so I jusy gave up looking to invest any more money and just use my headphones 🎧 when I'm on the go...I can listen to my music without the worry of constantly pushing anything back in my ears
I just think it’s silly to pay over £150 for wireless earbuds because eventually the batteries will run out, and you will have a paperweight for earbuds & the case….These big companies should be looking at how to replace the batteries in the earbuds yourself or make a little slider to pop the new battery in.. They all go on about electronic waste, so make a true planet friendly earbud with interchangeable batteries…. but I very much doubt anyone would, because where is the profit in that?
Definitely a good point. one company had removable/swappable batteries and it worked great. It just never caught on to the mainstream brands
Got my first pair of earbuds in 2019.
$25 for Funcl F1 earbuds. They still work and aren't bad. Touch controls and small.
I think more earbuds should be moldable and fit everyones unique ear perfectly. Ultimate Ears had a couple options. Plus a few expensive options as well. I think that's such a fledging space in the world of earbuds.
I always buy mine 2nd hand because of the deep discount you can find them for. I refuse to pay over $100 for any buds that will inevitably die due to short lifespans of batteries.
I’ve been using buds since about 2017 with some Fiil T1 buds. Awesome sound, or so I thought, for about $40. These things were amazing, balanced highs and mids and bass you could put wherever you want with the app EQ. I thought they were unbeatable. Then I splurged after all the hype for the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pros. About $130, and WOW. I didn’t know what I was missing. They certainly live up to the hype and I still use them everyday. I’m also always on the lookout for the next best bang for the buck. It definitely helps to up your price range to the $125-$150 mark as far as sound quality goes. ANC and phonecalls couldn’t matter less to me, it’s all about the sound. I’m pretty sure the market, while saturated, will live on as folks hear better buds for reasonable prices. Great video.😃
I think the next move will be to have multiple drivers build inside for bass mid range and treble after that I then think the market will die off. Plus earphones under £100 are so good there is no reason to spend more
Measurements and tuning, cutting back on jamming in features, codecs, basically the same cycle that happened to headphones and iems. ANC or anything that intercepts the signal is gonna hurt sound quality. Earbuds are also getting more bland because the magic has worn off. And for ANC headphones I still think just does a better job because of the physical conduction of the earbuds to your ears which leads to other noise that is going through your bones while headphones doesn’t have as intense of a “bone conduction effect”.
Completely agree. I understand that alot of people look to have as many features as possible but I am not sure most know that they are sacrificing sound quality in the process. I choose sound over features any day
Hi, I'm a huge fan since I first got into wireless earbuds in summer 2019 & have bought so many earbuds off your great reviews. Keep up the good work man 👌🏼
I'm an IEM person, so whenever I see these premium TWS, I always think of what a good IEM I would get for that price that would have really high sound quality and would last me many many years. I however admire all the work that is done to build them. I also realise the fact that they have to cost more for the sound quality they bring than IEMs because, they also bring a battery, Bluetooth comms (of which there's licensing issues), built in mics, an intergrated DAC/Amp and then of course the transducers/speakers, all that costs money.
I don't know if my comment is relevant, but I was at a doctors appointment today to get my ears checked because my ears are the type to produce alot of earwax, especially when you use earbuds a lot then can bring out more earwax from your ears and high volume music can obviously damage your eardrum, actually pop it. The nurse felt that earbuds should never have been invented despite the many amazing benefits because they can cause hearing problems. It makes sense why some people hear a high-pitched sound when they are not using earbuds, which is dangerous, of course. Earbuds have benefited my life in numerous ways, especially my focus and attention, including a whole host of reasons.
Great conversation. I think there is still an opportunity for earbud vendors to maintain a high level of acoustics and begin to tap into what actual consumers really want. Like comfort. Most all fit similar to one another and most are uncomfortable over time. I would like to see more features that I would actually use. For example, a feature that would allow you to control the max DB level while still having control over the volume. I often watch video content and a lot of old-time radio shows. Currently, I can get the volume where I want it, only to have an intro or action scene generate an absurd amount of volume that I would need to quickly turn down because it becomes harsh, painful, or overly loud quickly and without warning. Maybe a small "clicky" to switch between phone and content, or between ANC and pass-thru mode rather than trying to remember the menu of swipes in a hurry. I just think they should at times ask what consumers want and not necessarily what reviewers want. Just my two cents.
I picked up the Oneplus Pro with my Oneplus 9 phone and I don’t think I will ever buy another pair. Not a huge fan of the falling out or feeling like they are, never mind the cost. I keep turning to my over the ear Bose QC35. I bought them for flying and they are superb and comfortable.
Personally, I think there are diminishing returns the higher you go in the market. I've been tempted by the Linkbuds S, but my TOZO Golden X1s are good enough in terms of sound quality and noise cancelling. (I'm > 50, so I'm not sure whether I'd even hear improved sound quality at this point). I do like "good" noise cancelling, but when I go out in my wheelchair rolling, 100% noise cancellation would be dangerous. I need decent ANC to hear my music, but not so much that a car going 60MPH could sneak up on me when I'm crossing the street. :)
I think most people are going to settle for "good enough", which means they'll take whatever's in the box with their phones. It's people who are really into music and people with very specific needs who'll go out and get new earbuds.
I agree that most people are going to be fine with "good enough". The TOZO X1's are excellent when it comes to sound and definitely above the "good enough" category
@@OfficialGamesky Oh, sure. I lvoe my X1s. :) I'm just saying I'm not the best judge of sound quality.
Totally agree on what you're saying there is absolute no reason to buy expensive earbuds cause they all run by batteries eventually will became landfill, are you going to pay $300 for something that doesn't last? Arthur's brand name manufacturer should think about it.
Unfortunately you can’t replace the battery in them when they die so you have to fork out another $250 to replace them
One feature they could have kept to themselves is that damn haptic feedback!! Give me my good old Jabre physical button earbuds please. Nothing like being on an urgent call perhaps overseas and having to adjust your earbuds only to accidentally hangup on a call you waited 30 minutes on hold to establish! 😳
I switched from earbuds to open ear / air transmission earphones a few months ago. So much happier with them than my old in ear earbuds or even my old Samsung beans.
I agree that a decent pair pf buds will last you a couple of years. But I disagree that buds are going away. There are still improvements being made and they are getting better and better. Not to mention the huge marketing machine to keep us wanting the latest and greatest
Big companies like Sennheiser take too long to adopt new technology( spatial audio) and their earbuds are way too expensive.I think the future is in the $100 price tag since earbuds barely last 2 years Earbuds shouldnt cost too much
I think we've seen so many rehashes of the same earbuds from companies over and over that people have become less sensitive to minor upgrades. For as much as we talk about audio codecs, sound quality, battery life...and more, there's been very little to no significant innovation in the space. Understandably, a pair of wireless earbuds isn't a piece of tech that is comparable to phones, laptops, and tablets because they're not required to be upgraded yearly. I think true wireless earbuds reached their peak 1-2 years ago.
comfort,sound,and battery life.My main reasons i been buying from Soundcore,samsung,sony(Wf1004))only pair i ever use.and the jaybird vista 2.
The budget and mid-tier have evolved so quickly that it's saturated the market (in a good way) The premium headphones and buds are probably just for status at this point.
The only AMAZING feature the budget devices don't have yet is "native on headset" google assistant. Just the normal "tap to activate assistant"
The cheaper options have made themselves so appealing that it's reaching that late stage of progress like current phones. Usually just small upgrades.
LDAC has become the norm, great anc, great transparency, and multipoint. The only thing left is having higher res, better battery life, and 3+ drivers becoming the new standard.
Which "Status" has already done to jumpstart the evolution.
The BIGGEST problem I've notice is that premium headphones have MORE drawbacks than the cheaper options.
Things like:
no full control
a poorly made app
lack of firmware updates
bugs that have been brought up and don't get fixed until the next version releases
no EQ
I don't think earbuds are dying, because depending on how often some get used, they wear out quickly, I think there will always be a need for them, until something else comes along.
Air Pods Pro 2 are no slouch. They dont have the best sound quality but they are decent and they dont sound like crap. They have one of the BEST active noise cancelling out there. They are also one of the best for phone calls.
I am a collector of earbuds and IEMS and while wired headsets are good, convenience is also a huge market. One time I was listening to earbuds while walking through a construction site and having the good ANC earbuds are important. If you are in loud environments, ANC comes into consideration. Sometimes decent earbuds are all you need for everyday use and I feel like that's where Air Pods, Sony, Bose come in. I would say it is worth the price if ANC is a priority.
Hi gamesky! What do you think is better in terms of sound quality between the Sony wfxm3 vs wf c700n?
As a Tech/Earbud Reviewer Myself I couldn’t disagree with you more Keith when I started my Channel on camera gear it didn’t take off until I opened a pair of earbuds for the 1st time in my channel. Only then did it start taking off and still does well each and every time I post a earbud or headphones video. Look at your channel you’re pushing almost 170k and the views are still coming every time you talk about buds.
I’ve had many comments of people who are just so interested in earbud tech. I don’t believe it’s dying I think we’re just gettin Started My Friend😉
The subscriber count is one thing...but the view count is nowhere near what it was at the peak of when earbuds took off.
I wasn’t just talking about the Sub count it looks like your views are pretty strong I’m sure you would know best you’ve been at it way longer then I have for sure. Stay Creative Brother🙏
Love this video! I consider myself to be a tech geek but I refuse to spend 100 plus for earbuds when I know I can get the equivalent for MUCH CHEAPER! My wife not happy with the 40 pair of earbuds but I do like what's new and what sounds the best. Especially working in a noisy environment!
I'm actually thinking IEM's are getting obsolete and wireless earbuds are only getting even better especially with the Snapdragon sound
Trends and fashion. This years 'all the rage' product, seems to be the semi- in ear, open style, sport buds.
They are made for CONVENIENCE!! Ive never thought ANY type of headphones were made to wear for hours. Up until this point EVERYONE had wired earbuds… I think this is more of shot at Apple than anything… being that they are the true pioneers of true wireless earbuds… a lot of ppl hate on that 😅
Interesting stuff and your correct just look at 1more buds with all features and sound quality at a fraction of the price compared to big companies.thank for your review.👍
I think we have come full circle. While convenient, the audio quality on earbuds is not great compared to IEMs. Even cheap ChiFi IEMs sound better than most earbuds. There are exceptions, of course, with premium earbuds sounding really good. My preference now is to use a good IEM with a good dongle DAC and the sound quality blows my mind.
I wonder if it is saturation.
Listening on my Sound Peats Go Free 2...I have more than 30 ear buds I've bought through thus channel all under $100 and most under $50. Like you, I'm addicted to ear buds, but I will never spend big money on them because if they get lost, stolen, or broken, I'm not out a lot of money and I still have many for back up. Besides I have some for all my various devices around the house😂😂
I love my Soundcore Q35 headphones. They're so comfortable and the sound and noise cancelation are great. I have wireless earbuds too but nothing compares to the sound of headphones in my opinion.
Thanks for sharing. I enjoy the newest earbuds. Blessings on your day.
Thanks Jeff
I pretty much ditched my Bluetooth earbuds, I run a Fiio BTR15 and can run anything from my iems to my big over ear cans either Bluetooth or use as a dongle... And the sound quality is so much better, just my 2 cents
Every time Ived used earbuds I always gotten infections in my ears for using earbuds.
I've switched to open ear air conduction for almost everything.
The tech just isn't advancing fast enough anymore because there isn't much else to do other than get a pair of true wireless that can play bit perfect for a bargain price. A lot of people won't pay $350 for Denon's. Until someone unlocks that for cheaper there is only so much more to do. I've since gone to wireless monitors for music since they have better sound and use cheaper earbuds for phone calls and podcasts on the go.
The main thing that should improve is latency at good audio quality, so it can be used for PC gaming.
Agreed. I have found myself using the true wireless earbuds that also come with the usb dongles to fight off latency. love the convenience of that
Have you heard anything about KICKER 50KTW2 True Wireless Earbuds
I was a late adopter of TWS because the sound quality, price and lifespan ratios didn't make sense for me. But these last two years has been really a big change, I started with really cheap Skullcandy and Redmi that needed lots of EQ to sound just decent but have good build quality, then I bought a cheap Earfun, nice sound but bad build quality. And last year bought the Edifier W340TN, which are amazing in sound, solid and reasonably priced, first earbuds I would compare in sound quality to the stars of affordable cabled headphones from Koss and Sennheiser I had in the past. For me, portable things should be good, solid and affordable. By the way, those old marvels also died after a few years, give TWS a break, they're incredibly convenient. We have nice affordable options now.
I think the market is still rich but most consumers are firmly in their ecosystem or brand. I personally love headphone and at this stage could switch everyday and not use the same set for almost a month. I think cheap headphones are getting good and good headphones are getting cheap. I think I will always go up and down the brands to check in.
there’s brand name apple airpods, samsung ones, then there’s the rest fighting for the left overs
Maybe focus more on news and collabs content going forward with channel, for example: Dhrme (dutch indian guys) are killing it, with their latest master dynamics neuro headphone interview and they have high expectations for Sennheisers polar sport earbud in there 2024 product line, me too 😊 inthe meantime iam rocking the earbuds pro free 3 for sport and bowers and Wilkens S2es
The DHRME guys are great, I enjoy their content
well for me i had own several pair of samsungs in the past like first, second & also buds live, buds pro & now i own a sony wf1000xm4s & i love them
No, they’ve just reached a point where no new technology/improvements have been made in a long time in tech time…
I’ve been using a pair of Onn. open ears from Walmart. Similar to the tozo open ears. They were $40 and are surprisingly good.
The Onn earbuds can be both great options or a waste of money. I will have to check out the open ear version they offer
@@OfficialGamesky definitely worth it
@@OfficialGamesky make sure they are blue and built like the Tozo variant.
I don't agree with that "earbuds are dying", they have reached a plataeu now that they widely available and at different price brackets. Same thing happened to headphones. Same thing with smartphones.
Space A40's have ended my search for daily driver earbuds that just work and are affordable. If I want anything more, I'll go wired.
Market is kinda saturated. I'm content right now with Samsung buds plus and buds fe. Using it for work and multimedia. I got other buds bud having bt security issues so not using others for now.
I'd like to see the videos on different scenarios for ear buds i.e. gaming, hip hop, metal, etc.
Actually plan on having some of these come out soon
Great video. I would love a pair of TWS earbuds that offer a physical button, volume control on each ear buds, and multipoint!!! The Bose Quiet Comfort II come close but not my unicorn.
ahhhh....the endless search for the "unicorn" earbuds. I have been on that search for many years
@OfficialGamesky I can honestly say ever time I watch a video on earbuds by you I 🤞🏾 that this pair might be the one, lol. My collection is a little crazy.
X-Mems technology is already here Noble and Creative have earbuds on the way. The days of multiple driver earbuds being big and bulky will be a thing of the past. This is what I'm looking forward to. 💯🇺🇸
Why do people buy over one hundred, two hundred or three hundred dollar earbuds? Name brand. The majority of Apple fans will buy Apple anything. Apple uses high quality material, but I'm a guy whose anti-apple. I refuse to pay more than I have and even if I have the money, I refuse to buy expensive phones, headphones or earbuds. My phone is the Moto G Stylus 5G 2023 which I got back in November for $249. My earbuds are from Capoxo, and they cost less than $29. I'm planning to buy headphones, but they too will be around from $20 to $50. I subscribe to channels like yours to see what new in the budget world. Furthermore, I'm now looking into buying open earbuds as I don't like earbuds that stick into the ear canals which causes irritation and discomfort.
Totally agree with comment on ear canals, irration and discomfort. I have switched to Shokz bone conduction headphones and then just add ear plugs if outside world is too noisy.
I own from $40 to $300 earbuds, cheap ones don't do it for me, because of my job, my traveling and because I call people a lot I need something that work, also I am an audiophile, I like my music to sound good, also, having a wire is not convenient for me, in the end is convenience for some people.
Im aint apple too (🤮) but i just bought the airpods pro 2 this weekend and added them to the collection. I decided to make this purchase because of their leading transparency mode that no other company has been able to match. And let me tell you they are worth every penny even on Android. I was blown away.
I use to be the same. I refused to pay so much for earbuds when you got companies like soundpeats produce great sounding earbuds at the fraction of the cost. Then i realized that sound is not everything. The more expensive buds offer features that cheap ones cant compete.
Like To me transparency mode is king. What good is earbuds if you constantly got take em out. I use my earbuds all day while at working and driving, and cheap earbuds just wont cut it when it comes to transparency.
I think back in days it was okay to rock a pair of cheap earbuds because the technology was pretty much new so there was no major difference between bigger companies and smaller ones. But now in days you really missing out on a lot of features if you not willing to cuff up the extra dollars.
I would say to each their own bc we spend our money how we want to spend it when we have it I’m not anti apple bc I was all about android I can deal with both
Cheap ass boiiiii
I started using wireless at work first and then gravitated into the higher end ones. It really did spoil me to not catching the cord on the edge of my workbench as I moved around! I have wired IEM's as well as Wired pretty good Headphones such as Hifiman Ananda... but they do not appeal to me as much as wireless. The slight loss in fidelity is a fair trade off for the freedom of movement and convenience.
As others have said here, I am looking forward to the technology getting to the point where we can have real High Resolution with wireless. It is getting better all the time. For the life of me I still don't know why Apple went to High Resolution and none of their devices support a high resolution codec. It must have to do with 95% of people think that the current offerings are good enough. There is a lot of common sense in that approach. I still want to get the higher resolutions though...
I finally paid the apple tax and bought a set of AirPods Pro 2nd gen; but still intend to support you and your channel no matter what the landscape looks like!
I think the market is getting bigger, Thank you for posting.
Wireless audio is here to stay for sure. It's convenient and audio quality is improving. Short of brain implants and people to adopt that, I can't see wireless earbuds (and wireless audio glasses) really loosing ground. Even if sales slow at some point- they'll still be being used.
I do remember the press laughing about the design of the first airpods. However, they were very practical and many companies followed Apple's lead.
I prefer wired for audio quality and my android LG v60 is probably the last phone I'll have with a 3.5mm headphone socket (though Asus & Sony still have them). And I realised that the audio out from the iPhone, using truebit audio, is better than most android phones as android natively down samples and with a decent thin inline cable dac my iphone sounds better than my LG V60 without having s separate brick.
The first company to do away with the 3.5mm headphone socket was Motorola. to make a thinner phone (they didn't make a big deal of it). Appel did away with the headphone socket (though parallel ran the lightning and 3.5mm socket for wired audio for a while). Samsung said it would never get rid of the 3.5mm socket and produced adverts to mock Apple's move. But eventually Samsung followed Apple's move too).
Rolling on to today- I use wired and wireless. Wireless are tangle free and have features like transparency & noise cancelling. Wired gives me audio quality benefits (though wireless has improved a lot). I have the excellent Status Between ANC, the brilliant all rounder Apple Air pods pro 2, the fun and cheaper Earfun pro 3 and Shure wireless ear hooks which allow me to use my 10 year old ear buds on wires (3.5mm, 4.4mm, lightning, usb C...) as well as on bluetooth hooks (which i can replace without loosing the buds at a alter stage eg for supporting aptx lossless or when the battery eventually dies. The Sony WFXM03 has a battery that can be replaced but not easily. However replaceable batteries would be handy for longevity.
I just picked up the meta-Ray-Ban’s. I believe that is the next big thing. It makes my AirPods and my bose irrelevant. Especially with that technology getting better.
Sorry Keith, you don't know why Apple (who were the 1st) and other companies followed, got rid of the 3.5mm jack? To sell more air pods. It was all a marketing ploy by Apple.
But to your point, no I don't think they're dying, but you're right about possible saturation. I use my earbuds every day and always looking for the next pair, but I have found myself looking at a fiio btr5/7 and some decent iems. Maybe you could do a video along those lines in the future?
Not dying but more like settling down for budget and not being the hot thing anymore.