My most recent purchase

Like most people, I cannot do without my phone, but my headphones are equally important to me and serve multiple purposes.

Music, phone calls (side-eye to all who use the speakerphone for both in public), and of course, pretending I’m on an important call to avoid interactions - I can't be the only one.

My AirPods have served me quite well but recently I found myself wanting something simpler, and in an age of rapid change, I dare say - retro.

Switching AirPods between devices, keeping them charged, and my personal hell - one earbud running out of battery - was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I was on the lookout for an alternative, and despite all the technology available, my options seemed surprisingly limited.

One Sunday afternoon, as I walked past my local CEX, the answer appeared through the shop window as clear as day - the original Apple wired headphones.

No crossover issues. No charging required. No losing one earbud, or spending five minutes on the Find My app before leaving the house.

For £20 I bought brand-new Apple headphones. Ironically, the wires - once the feature that put me off - became the very reason I wanted them.

I am currently loving the retro feeling of wired earphones again, with my AirPods handy in case I ever need to go back to the future.

Thankfully, I won’t need a DeLorean to make the switch.

The funny thing is, I bought them because they’re old.

Somewhere along the way, technology became so advanced that listening to music started requiring maintenance.

For now, I’m enjoying simply plugging in a pair of headphones and knowing they’ll just work.