Table of Contents
Why neckband style over TWS ??
When we are in the market for a wireless earphone the first Question you should address is whether you want to go with the new TWS (True Wireless) style earbuds or stick with the old neckband style earbuds
It is true that the TWS models came a long way in the past two years but still I prefer the neckband style ones especially if I am on a tight budget (say 2000 or 3000rs)
In this post, we will be looking at some of the major disadvantages of true wireless earphones compared to neckband style earbuds.
TWS is not as convenient as it looks:
- You always have to carry the case with you to store and recharge the buds
- You have to place the earbuds back in case every time you remove it from your ear
- Many TWS headsets works in master / slave mode so if you want to use only one bud you should always use the master
Comfort:
- As we know the true wireless earbuds houses a battery in each buds so in most cases its heavier and bulkier on ears (Some of the neckband style earbuds also places battery inside the buds but most of them have battery on the neckband itself) compared to the neckband counterparts
- Some TWS earbuds heat up a little, which can be uncomfortable to your ears
- The buttons (if any) are also in the earbuds so sometimes the controls can be a little inconvenient and uncomfortable (as you have to press against your ears)
Price to performance ratio:
- Even though TWS pricings are coming down, it is still pricier than its neckband counterparts. In other words, you can find a better Quality Neckband style earphone on any budget compared to truly wireless earphones
- If you are on a budget of say 2000 to 3000 rs Don’t even consider the true wireless options
Connection stability:
- In general neckband style headsets provides better connection stability compared to TWS
Mic / Call Quality :
- The mic Quality of Bluetooth earphones cannot be compared to wired ones but if our choice is between neckband style and TWS, most of the time neckband style earbuds will win.
- The mics of the TWS sets are placed on the earbuds and is way away from our mouth.
- Most of the old neckband style earbuds have mics on the neckband, which is also at a considerable distance from your mouth, but you can always bring that closer to your mouth. You do not have that choice with TWS models
- When the mics are away from our mouth it will pick up less of our sound and more of the background noises
- The apple air pods style tws are a bit better on that aspect as it brings the mic closer to your mouth
- New neckband style headsets like oneplus bullets wireless z have mic on the cable which brings it closer to our mouth and greatly improve the call Quality
Durability:
- As we know the major failure point of any Bluetooth headset is its battery. In tws headsets we get 3 batteries (failure points) instead of one (2 on each buds and one on the case)
- Many TWS headsets work in master / slave mode in that case if you lose or damage the master the other one is useless.
- The probability losing one bud is high
Battery life :
- Even Though some manufacturers boast of 10, 20 or even 30 hours of playtime it’s just for the case. The actual earbuds only last around 2-5 hours (which will also decrease with time).
- If you take them for long travels or watch many movies it may not last enough
The true wireless systems are evolving fast and I hope we will get better budget TWS headsets in the future but as of now in my opinion, the neckband style earphones provide better value for your money. Even at a price of 2000rs earphones like One plus Bullets Wireless z, Oppo Enco M31 & Realme Buds Wireless brings many good features into the table.
