Bose used to make lots of wired headphones. But it’s been a minute. Specifically, it’s been 11 years. Since then, wired headphones entered 2026 having a serious moment, with sales up for the first time in five years—10 percent in the back half of 2025 and 20 percent at the start of 2026. Young people are driving the trend, including celebrities sporting wired earbuds and literally writing songs about them.
\n\nBose president of consumer audio Raza Haider (among others at the company) noticed. He dropped off his teen at college last year and saw wired earbuds left and right. A return to wired earbuds seems to be a national trend—it’s certainly popular among the Gen Z and Gen A of New York City, and the teenage kids of WIRED staffers too.
\n\nThe new Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds come to the market just in time to capitalize on this trend. Launching them, from idea to final product, took the company around eight or nine months, said Haider. This is much faster than most audio releases I’m familiar with. Haider explained that Bose has been working toward enabling faster, more efficient production to accelerate new product launches, revisions, and collaborations.
\n\nI…
Original source: https://www.wired.com/