The Crack in My XM3's Headband, and a Subtle Tale of "Need"

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Why We Talk With Our Hands

When Math Became the Monster Under the Bed

An unconventional way to sleep better

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My XM3, it finally gave way on a trip, cracking like an unwilling wound, almost broken. I’ve never had much attachment to electronic products, always feeling they are objects destined for consumption, with upgrades being an inevitable fate.

But this time, it’s different.

Because the XM5, it no longer folds. On a trip, it’s like an unwelcome guest, occupying the precious, limited space in my backpack, which I find unacceptable.

The context in which I use active noise-cancelling headphones is actually very specific: long-haul flights. At home, I have better monitoring headphones; for short trips, AirPods are superior in terms of sound quality, noise cancellation, and convenience. So, my requirements for active noise-cancelling headphones are simple to the point of being harsh:

1. foldable, the smaller the better;

2. the active noise cancellation is good enough, after all, I need to combat the roar of the plane;

3. the sound quality is decent.

Just these three points, and if you carefully search the market, you'll find that the choices are almost non-existent. When I went to the store to try them out, the XM5 and Bose’s Soundlink Ultra had good enough noise cancellation and sound quality, but they were almost non-foldable, and their carrying cases were also bigger, which made me feel strangely discouraged. As for the others? Either the active noise cancellation was subpar, or the headphones themselves were too heavy.

Even in this era of rampant consumerism, when you truly understand what your needs are for a product, you'll find that what you need is often a vacuum in the market.