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There are several reasons

Posted by Alan Sircom (R) on July 8, 2014 at 01:13:53

In Reply to: Why have wireless speakers and headphones never caught on? To a layman, posted by tinear on July 6, 2014 at 16:16:30:

1. Each country allocates different sections of the RF band to different devices. There is no consistency and because the numbers are low, they get allocated the bands that remain after garage door remote controls and wireless photographic flash triggers have their allotted frequencies

2. Wireless loudspeakers are a good idea, but they still need to be powered, so they are never completely 'wireless'

3. Wireless headphones are mostly focused on the portable and gaming markets, often with bluetooth connections between smartphone and headset. There is less interest in high-performance home wireless headphones, because unlike portable audio, home headphone listening tends to be static and frequently within reach of the equipment being played through the headphones. Good systems exist, but they are of low priority in the home because the headphone user isn't moving around enough when they are using them to justify the additional expense. Wireless gaming headsets being a notable exception, and where sales are higher than you might expect, but these don't register in the audio domain, because they need to have a two-way connection for speech.

4. There is something like a feedback loop in place here. Good wireless systems exist, but they don't sell as well to enthusiasts as their wired counterparts. This lack of demand results in headphone makers concentrating their wireless efforts on lower-cost wireless headphone systems that do have some traction. This proves to the enthusiast that wireless is convenience-led rather than quality-driven, which makes the next wireless headphone system directed at enthusiasts more likely to be dismissed out of hand and sell less well than wired alternatives

This is changing - I've recently tested good systems from Audiovector and ELAC, and there are more coming. Whether these overcome the obstacles remains to be seen.
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Editor, Hi-Fi Plus magazine, Lun-duhnn, Ingerland, innit

Edits: 07/08/14

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