Choosing between wired and wireless speakers is not simply a trade-off between convenience and sound quality, as the connection type alone doesn't determine audio performance. Factors such as speaker design, amplification, source material and room acoustics all play a bigger role, while the way a speaker is powered (passive versus active) is a separate consideration from how it receives its signal.

Wired setups offer modularity, since separate amplifiers and speakers can be upgraded individually, and they avoid the latency that Bluetooth can introduce, which matters more for gaming than video. However, running cables for surround sound can be impractical. Wireless speakers, meanwhile, are easier to place and better suited to portable use or multi-room home setups via Wi-Fi apps such as HEOS, though they depend on network reliability and battery or mains power. Neither format guarantees better sound: lossy files remain lossy regardless of cable use, while technologies like Qualcomm's aptX Lossless and Wi-Fi streaming can deliver CD-quality audio wirelessly.