Good news, consumers will splash out more money on true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds and headphones, according to a new Qualcomm survey of 7,000 consumers.

Survey respondents said they were open to spending more for buds and headphones that are comfortable, have premium sound, such as spatial audio, and a lengthier battery life.

The sales of TWS this year reflect the survey findings with a Tech Insights report finding that TWS shipments increased by 15% YoY in Q2 2023, and revenue went up by 5.1% YoY.

TWS earphones comprised 57% of the total revenue, and models that cost less than $30 represented 49% of the sales. Despite the decline of the smartphone market, IDC predicts that “earware” shipments will grow by 4.5% this year and will continue to rise by 3.1% until 2027.

“This year’s State of Sound responses showed that earbuds and headphones are now considered crucial for activities such as working, commuting, gaming, and exercising,” noted Dino Bekis, Qualcomm VP and GM, Wearables and Mixed Signals Solutions.

“Globally, the demand for true wireless earbuds and headphones is growing, with listeners using their devices more often and for longer periods of time, on a daily basis.”

Consumers surveyed said that comfort was the most desirable feature (45%), while 58% said they wear their buds daily, contrasting to just 22% last year, according to the Qualcomm survey.

Price was in second place, battery life was third, and, in the survey, 59% even said they’d spring for TWS buds over $100.

Higher music quality was also of the utmost importance for consumers, with 69% listing lossless audio quality as a probable purchase reason and 81% saying they’d heard of spatial audio.

“Clearly, premium audio experiences are continuing to grow in importance for listeners around the world,” the report concluded. “With the increased support for premium audio from streaming services and other types of media, paired with technological advancements across price points, this is likely to be influencing consumer awareness.”

Additionally, retailers take note that respondents said they want to try before they buy.

Hearing aids were also part of the survey, and the respondents worldwide (60%) and in the U.S. (66%) indicated that hearing personalization would influence their future buying decisions for earbuds or headphones.

The survey also uncovered that the majority of consumers (more than two-thirds) work in shared spaces, whether it is a shared home space, a coffee shop, or a coworking space, and because of this, they want audio devices to aid them to ‘hear and be heard’ both in the office and other work environments.

There was also a consensus of 68% of consumers saying they want to use the same buds or headphones for work and play.

“This year’s responses suggest that hearing enhancement could become more mainstream in the personal audio market in the future,” the survey concluded.