I should know better than to buy cheap headphones. The earbuds that come with most devices never work properly, and the big, expensive ones are, well, big and expensive.
On a recent bus trip in Thailand, only one channel on my cheapies worked, which severely impeded my listening pleasure. However, keeping them both in drowned out the discomforting groans and rattles emanating from the ageing vehicle.
Coincidentally, a social-media friend posted this on Facebook today during flight: “I’ve seen adaptors so you can use your personal headphones on the inflight entertainment. But the lady next to me has an adaptor so she can use the Qantas provided terrible headphones on her iPhone.”
He wanted to know why she would do such a thing. I had a think about it, and replied: “I think I know why. Headphones, in general, suck. The good ones are expensive, but can be lost or damaged. The cheap ones are sh-t and often stop working. If the ones Qantas give you don’t work, you can get another set. So carrying the adaptor means you can always listen to your favourite music/ podcasts while flying.”
My friend declared this a “sound theory”. High praise, indeed.
Anyway, it got me wondering what the best solution is for portable music. Are we better off buying the cheap earphones that so easily turn into landfill (along with myriad other cables and whatsits we use to link our devices), or should we invest in a decent set of headphones and pray that we don’t lose or damage them?
And what about those Bluetooth ones? There are quality issues, and while a cable to your phone may be inconvenient, at least it helps you keep track of the earpieces. Apart from the inevitable brain implant that will solve the problem permanently, what’s the best way to go?
