When did earbuds start trying to be jewelry? Is this actually a thing now?
Was browsing for open ear earbuds and fell into this weird rabbit hole where a bunch of brands are making earbuds that are designed to look like jewelry instead of tech. Like clip on earrings, ear cuffs, stuff with crystals and metallic finishes
Saw that Bose did a collab with some jewelry designer, Motorola has a version with Swarovski crystals, and theres a bunch of smaller brands (mostly Chinese) going full fashion accessory with their designs. Some of them honestly look more like something youd see at a boutique than an electronics store.
Im kind of torn on it. Part of me thinks its cool that earbuds are finally moving past the "white plastic bean in your ear" look. But part of me wonders if the audio quality takes a back seat when the priority is looking good.
Has anyone actually tried any of these jewelry style earbuds? Do they sound decent or is it all vibes and no substance? Curious if this is a real trend or just a marketing gimmick targeting a specific audience.