Bluetooth backlash and nostalgia helped Bose launch wired headphones that keep selling out
Last fall, Raza Haider, president of premium consumer audio at Bose, noticed something peculiar when dropping his daughter off at college: more students were wearing wired headphones than he’d seen in recent years. “Even [my daughter] made a comment like, ‘this is nuts. When I was in high school, we would have made fun of kids who had wired headphones, and now it feels like all the cool kids have…
Last fall, Bose's president Raza Haider noticed an unusual trend as he dropped his daughter off at college: more students were wearing wired headphones than he had seen in recent years. This growing popularity of wired headphones isn't just anecdotal, with sales increasing by 15% year-over-year, reaching $354 million in 2026, according to market research firm Circana.
Paul Gagnon, VP of Consumer Technology at Circana, notes that for the first time in years, wired headphones are seeing a growth comeback after a decade of declining sales.
Bose's return to wired headphones is a response to a renewed interest in the classic design, which combines the benefits of nostalgia with modern features. The company's latest release, the Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds, were released in late September and sold out within two months of pre-orders due to overwhelming demand. The headphones are priced at $99 and feature advanced noise-canceling technology.
The resurgence of wired headphones is also tied to a general fatigue with modern technology. People are becoming frustrated with the need to constantly charge devices and locate them when they're misplaced. In this context, wired headphones offer a simpler, more reliable solution.
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