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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Tammy Rogers

Why I prefer physical controls over touch panels on my headphones

The AirPods Max USB-C in a photo studio.

I am currently putting the Nothing Headphone (1) through their paces, and one thing has stood out to me. The physical controls. The audio cues that play when changing volume or activating features could be a bit less... piercing, but using them with my fingers is so much more satisfying than the swiping touch panels of the competition.

I've never made it a secret that I don't like touch controls on the best headphones, nor how much I far prefer actual, clicking buttons. But I've never gone into any kind of real detail about my preferences, and why they might matter to you, too.

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