Can You Get Headphones That Are Both Wired And Wireless?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When shopping for headphones, it may seem like you're stuck with either wired or wireless, but that's not entirely accurate. There's the best of both worlds. Hybrid two-in-one headphones offer both wired and wireless connection options, and they are as versatile as they seem. When you want the audio quality of a wired connection, or only have a device that supports wired headphones, you can plug in a cord and get to listening. When you want to go wire-free, you can pair via Bluetooth. Some examples include the OneOdio A70, Belkin Soundform Surround, and Soundcore Q20i by Anker.

Best of all, they're not really any more expensive than other pairs of headphones. In fact, you can find a range of two-in-one options from budget-friendly to premium ones. It's just a matter of what you're looking for in terms of features, quality, and price. In this way, you don't have to worry about whether wireless headphones are better than wired; the answer doesn't matter because you're getting both options.

The biggest downside is that if you want to use the wired connection, you will have to carry or pack the cable everywhere you go. If you travel or commute for work, you'll need to make sure the cable is with you; otherwise, you're restricted to Bluetooth-only connections. It's an extra item to remember and lug around, but other than that, it shouldn't bog you down too much.

At their most basic, two-in-one headphones contain the hardware for both wireless and wired connectivity internally. Like any other pair of wireless headphones, they have a Bluetooth receiver for the wireless connections, a rechargeable battery and power amplifier to power everything, and a digital-to-analog converter to convert signals between analog and digital audio streams. They also contain port for a cable, which acts as a switch, routing the audio signal between the appropriate connections.

When plugged in, the audio is sent to the jack. When unplugged, the audio re-routes to the wireless receiver by way of the DAC. It's important to note that the wired connection may sound better or offer higher sound quality because it doesn't need Bluetooth compression. Bluetooth compresses audio to make the data packets smaller and more efficient to send over the airwaves, which can reduce audio quality. That's why Audiophiles have been known to choose wired headphones over Bluetooth ones. But this is not a hard and fast rule.

With the right pair of headphones, the compression won't matter much, and the wired and wireless connections can sound just as good as one another. It's really about how the two-in-one headphones handle the Bluetooth and wireless connection versus the wired one. However, if the headphones have a built-in microphone, most of the time the mic will only work in wireless mode or with wireless connections. So, if you're looking for a headset for gaming communications, conferences, or phone calls, keep that in mind.

Hybrid models may allow you to choose between wired and wireless, but not all models are the same. The cable or port in question might be your standard 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C, or occasionally a Lightning connector. The most common is the 3.5mm cable. You also have to be mindful of both wired and wireless headphone features. It's easy to miss the common mistakes people make when buying wired headphones, as well as wireless headphones.

Each type has distinct considerations. With wired, you have to think about things like the connector, cable length, impedance, and analog versus lossless streams. With wireless, you have to consider battery life, supported codecs, the Bluetooth version, and active noise cancellation. Absolutely all of that matters with two-in-one models. Furthermore, the wired connection can be active or passive.

Passive wired headphones don't need battery power — they get it from the device they're plugged into. Active wired headphones still need an extra power source – the internal battery — even when plugged in. When the battery dies in active headphones, they won't work, or the volume will be reduced because the internal components aren't getting the power they need. Basically, when choosing a pair of two-in-one headphones, you'll want to consider what type of cable or connection you need, what audio features matter most to you, and which type of wired headphones you want — active or passive.