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ZDNET Highlights
- If you’re considering a headphone upgrade, try these tips first.
- Updating firmware fixes more performance issues than you might expect.
- Audio performance can be brought to life by using different EQ settings for different media.
New headphones hit the market regularly, and as someone who frequently wears the latest and greatest headphones, I can attest that the novelty wears off more quickly than other consumer electronics. Headphones have a surprisingly long lifespan, and if curiosity alone is prompting you to consider purchasing a new pair, try tinkering with your current pair before welcoming a potential case of buyer’s remorse.
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If your headphones are still comfortable, their battery lasts well, and you’re satisfied with their audio performance, but you’re feeling bored with them, here are some tips to rekindle the romance between you and your daily driver.
Problem: Buggy, poor performance, or connectivity issues
Solution: Update Your Firmware
Headphone firmware updates don’t come often, but when they do, they can include significant changes that completely change your experience within minutes. Your headphones’ digital signal processing is usually updated via firmware, which can improve frequency response, noise cancellation, Bluetooth connection stability, and power management.
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After a firmware update, it’s not unusual to notice that your headphones sound better, their noise canceling seems easier, their microphone call quality has increased, or their transparency mode feels more natural. By keeping your headphones updated, you may find that they are a completely different pair than when you first bought them.
It’s easy to turn on your headphones, have them automatically connect to your phone, and rarely open their companion app. However, you probably missed the notification to update your headphones’ firmware, and they won’t update themselves.
Problem: They look boring
Solution: Tinker with the EQ
Maintaining the same EQ settings across different media you use can result in a flat or boring-sounding response. However, a well-applied EQ setting can bring out parts of a song you never noticed before, or make your favorite podcast sound clearer than ever.
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Some people avoid their headphones’ equalizers because they feel intimidated by the numbers and symbols representing frequency components. Many headphone apps include a five- or six-band equalizer, and even if you don’t understand what you’re seeing, your ears will translate the different frequencies for you.
You’ll immediately notice a sound difference, and the changed EQ settings can be more impactful than buying new headphones, especially if your budget is under $450.
Problem: You can’t get that new pair out of your mind
Solution: Spend one-on-one time with your current partner
When you get a new pair of headphones, you’re more likely to wear them and pay attention to how they feel and sound. Then, you fall back into your normal pattern of wearing them while completing other tasks like work, commuting, exercising, or traveling, and the headphones fade into the background again.
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Once you’ve updated your headphones and tinkered with the audio settings, sit down and carefully focus on their audio response. Reset the headband of your headphones and make sure they are in optimal condition for audio performance and comfort. Chances are you’re craving an upgrade because you’ve exhausted one mode of listening, and you need a refresh to fall in love with it again.
bottom line
Modern headphones are priority-focused, and hardware or software upgrades are incremental. Thus, some brands produce headphones tailored to specific lifestyles or software ecosystems. Once you find the brand that works best for you, there’s a good chance you won’t need to upgrade to the same brand right now.
Apple’s AirPods Max (2020), Sony’s WH-1000XM4 (2020), and Bose’s QuietComfort 45 (2021) are great examples; They each serve their target audiences well, and constant updates only make them better. If you met anyone with these headphones, I’m sure they would tell you that they have had these for years and have no desire to upgrade.
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To put this idea in perspective, reissue AirPods Max (2024) Apart from the introduction of a USB-C port, it features the same hardware as the 2020 version. Bose hasn’t updated the drivers in its premium headphones since 2019, but has released two new pairs since then.
If your headphones are five years old or less, don’t rush to upgrade just yet. It’s unlikely that you’ll need a completely new pair; You may just need new experiences with your current pair. when it Is It’s time to upgrade, ZDNET has tested dozens of headphones and picked the best of the best.
