When choosing a new pair of headphones, one of the first decisions you'll face is whether to go with a wired or wireless model. Each type has its advantages and limitations, and some headphones can work via both connection methods. In general, wired models are better when you need a low-latency connection, such as recording audio, or if you don't want to rely on a battery. On the other hand, wireless headphones are great when you need freedom of movement since there are no cables to get tangled up in. In this article, we'll explain the key differences between wired and wireless headphones and help you determine which best fits your needs.
Types of Wired and Wireless Connections
Wired headphones most commonly use 1/8" or 1/4" audio jacks, but also include more recent USB-C models—these models are often used in professional, studio, and audiophile contexts where consistent sound quality and low latency are essential. There are two kinds of wired connections: active and passive. When used passively, the headphones draw enough power just from being plugged into an analog AUX port. But when used actively, the headphones need to be turned on to produce audio.
There's no such thing as a passive wireless connection. All wireless headphones have to be actively powered on. Most consumer models use Bluetooth for broad compatibility and portability, while RF (radio frequency) headphones are popular for home theater setups due to their low latency. Many gaming headsets also use 2.4GHz USB dongles, which offer lower latency and more stable performance than Bluetooth, making them ideal for competitive play or video conferencing, though they lack the convenience and freedom Bluetooth provides. Many wireless models can also be used via a cable in either passive or active modes, or both.
 |  |  |  |  |
Freedom of Movement and Convenience
The most obvious advantage of wireless headphones is that they give you freedom from cables, making them more convenient for everyday activities like commuting, working out, or moving around the house. With wired headphones, you can only move the length of the cable away from your audio source. Even if that source is a phone in your pocket, the cable can still get snagged on things or caught up in your clothes. With no cable to manage, wireless headphones let you roam away from your audio source. Some wireless headphones we've measured have a range of 334.65 ft (102.00 m). Good luck finding a cable that long!
Bluetooth, in particular, lets you connect your headphones with most digital audio sources, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, enabling hands-free functionality. Bluetooth multipoint pairing even lets you keep your headphones connected to multiple devices at once, so you can easily switch from your laptop to your phone when you receive a call. Some wireless headphones also come with USB dongles, which provide a faster, more stable connection than Bluetooth and are often used in gaming or as office headsets for improved responsiveness and reliability. But those dongles typically can't plug into devices like phones, so you lose some of the flexibility Bluetooth brings. Similarly, RF headphones don't offer the same compatibility with consumer electronics, but they're designed specifically with low-latency uses in mind. More on that below.
Despite the many conveniences of wireless headphones, wired models still offer the advantage of plug-and-play simplicity (once upon a time, pretty much all wired headphones would even plug into your phone, if you can believe that!). There's no need to pair devices or troubleshoot dropouts. Bluetooth might have a long range, but it can also be easily impacted by objects or electrical interference. You also don't have to worry about battery life with wired models since most are passive, meaning they don't require power to operate—the only energy they need comes from the connected device. Battery life also tends to worsen over time, and most units don't have replaceable batteries, although there are some exceptions, like the Fairphone Fairbuds XL.
Wireless headphones, on the other hand, are always battery-powered, and even some models that support wired playback still need to be powered on to function. For casual listening at a desk, the ability to simply plug into a headphone jack and start listening can be a welcome relief from navigating annoying connection menus. And while certain high-impedance headphones (like the Sennheiser HD 600) may benefit from a dedicated headphone amp, most consumer models work just fine when plugged into a standard AUX port.
 |  |
Sound Quality
For most listeners, there's little noticeable difference in sound quality between wired and wireless headphones. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to prove decisively because models that can connect via both wired and wireless will often sound slightly different when used actively versus passively. When used actively, audio passes through digital signal processing (DSP) like equalization, which shapes the sound you hear. But when used passively, you bypass this processing. The result is headphones that produce slightly different frequency response profiles when used actively or passively, rather than differences in quality per se. For example, headphones like the Sony ULT WEAR are primarily designed for wireless use but also offer a wired connection. When used with a cable, their sound can vary noticeably depending on whether the headphones are powered on or off. In powered-off (passive) mode, the audio bypasses internal processing and can sound quite different. However, if you wish to use the headphones' active noise cancelling (ANC), you'd have to turn the headphones on. And in powered-on (active) mode, their wired and wireless sound profiles are nearly identical, as the signal still passes through the same internal DSP and amplification.
 |  |
As the frequency response graphs above show, well-designed headphones show little measurable difference between their wired and wireless outputs. Of course, every headphone is different, and many we've tested do show small differences. We always link to these extra measurements in our reviews.
Bluetooth audio has improved significantly, and with the right codec, modern wireless headphones can deliver high-quality sound that's virtually indistinguishable from a wired connection. That said, trained ears or audiophiles may still detect minute differences. These listeners might benefit from headphones that support one of the high-resolution Bluetooth codecs on the market, such as LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, or LHDC (Low Latency and High-Definition Audio Codec). These formats typically allow the transmission of more data with less compression. But, in order to truly benefit from these codecs, both the headphone and source device must support them. The source audio should also be high quality: that extra bandwidth serves no purpose if it's just being used to transmit an extremely compressed MP3 file.
When it comes to sound quality, the biggest advantage of wired headphones is their consistency. With a direct physical connection, there's no risk of signal drops, pairing issues, or codec mismatches. On the other hand, Bluetooth connections can vary in bitrate depending on the codec in use, the device's settings, and even wireless interference, which can subtly affect audio quality and stability. Unlike wireless models that may occasionally suffer from latency, connection hiccups, or fluctuating bitrates, wired headphones offer a stable, no-fuss listening experience that's especially valuable in professional or distraction-free settings.
Audio Codecs
These are the main Bluetooth audio codecs you'll encounter:
- SBC: The default sub-band coding for all Bluetooth headphones.
- aptX: A proprietary codec for more efficient audio encoding than SBC. aptX Low Latency and aptX HD are specialized variations of this codec.
- aptX Adaptive (HQ and LL): A flexible codec that adjusts bitrate to balance audio quality and connection stability, with support for low latency.
- aptX Low Latency: A variation of aptX designed to reduce audio delay, making it suitable for watching videos or gaming.
- AAC: An alternative to SBC, with slightly better sound quality but typically reserved for non-wireless applications.
- LDAC: A high-resolution Bluetooth codec developed by Sony that supports higher bitrates for improved audio quality.
- LHDC: A less common high-resolution codec that supports higher bitrates and sampling rates, mostly found on select Android devices.
- LC3: The default codec for Bluetooth LE Audio, designed to deliver better sound quality than SBC at lower bitrates while using less power.
Latency
Latency refers to the delay between when a sound is produced and when you actually hear it through your headphones. Wired headphones have virtually no latency when used in passive mode, since there's no signal compression, DSP, or wireless transmission involved. However, some wired headphones that operate in active mode, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless, still process the signal internally (for features like EQ or ANC), which can introduce a small amount of latency even when plugged in. This makes traditional passive wired analog headphones ideal for latency-sensitive tasks like recording audio, gaming, video editing, or watching fast-paced content, where even small sync issues between audio and visuals can be distracting. To better understand how latency will affect your listening and viewing experience or to see how we test latency, check out our Bluetooth Connectivity article.
Wireless headphones introduce latency since the processes of encoding, transmitting, and decoding the audio signal take a little bit of time. For most audio listening, this delay isn't noticeable. But if you're watching a video, even a small delay can cause lip-sync issues, and gaming can become very tough if the lag is noticeable. Some people are sensitive to latency as low as 30 ms. Musicians in the studio will often want latency even lower than that so they can keep time. But when consuming content, a latency of 30 to 40 ms is generally fine. The standard SBC codec regularly introduces over 200 ms of latency, but codecs like aptX Low Latency or aptX Adaptive aim to lower that number.
For lower-latency performance, some users turn to RF (radio frequency) headphones, which typically offer faster transmission than Bluetooth, or dongle-based wireless headsets that use proprietary 2.4GHz protocols with much lower lag. These setups are especially common in situations where minimal lip-sync is desired, such as home theater systems. Still, if latency-free performance is critical, a wired connection remains the most reliable option.
Codec LATENCY
In general, lower-complexity codecs like SBC and AAC typically have higher latency (often over 200 ms), which can make lip-sync issues more common. aptX sometimes provides a modest improvement on SBC, while aptX Low Latency sometimes reduces delay to as low as 30–40 ms, making it more suitable for activities like gaming. aptX Adaptive adjusts dynamically, offering a middle ground. High-resolution codecs like LDAC and LHDC prioritize sound quality but often exceed 250 ms of latency. LC3, the new standard for Bluetooth LE Audio, promises better latency and efficiency than SBC, though real-world data is still limited.
While no single pair of headphones we've reviewed is compatible with all the Bluetooth codecs out there, some do support a number of them. In the following table, we've listed the latency produced by a few different codecs for two different headphones, the Sonos Ace and the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless:
| Bluetooth Codec | Sonos Ace latency (ms) | Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless latency (ms) |
|---|---|---|
| SBC | 272 | 241 |
| aptX | 265 | |
| aptX Adaptive (High Quality) | 353 | |
| aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) | 75 | |
| LDAC | 233 |
Conclusion
Choosing between wired and wireless headphones comes down to how you plan to use them and what trade-offs you're willing to make. Wireless headphones—especially those using Bluetooth—offer excellent mobility, convenience, and modern features like multipoint pairing and hands-free control. They're a great fit for everyday use, commuting, workouts, and casual listening. For more responsive performance, RF and dongle-based models can offer lower latency and better stability, particularly in gaming or home theater setups.
On the other hand, wired headphones offer reliable, consistent performance with virtually zero latency and no need for pairing or battery management. The lack of a battery also means they're usually better for the environment, too. Most wired models are passive, meaning they don't contain internal processing or amplification. This simplicity is a key reason why wired headphones are often preferred in studio settings or for critical listening tasks. Some wired models are active, using onboard electronics for features like noise cancellation or spatial processing, which can introduce a small amount of latency even when plugged in, slightly reducing the benefit of a wired connection. For users who value simplicity, signal integrity, and low latency, wired headphones (especially passive ones) remain the most dependable choice.
Ultimately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Your ideal pair of headphones will depend on where, how, and what you listen to. For many people, it may even make sense to own both.
Recent Updates
18-06-2025: We rewrote this article to bring it into line with our latest test benches, provide more recent examples, and offer more useful advice to our readers.
