In an increasingly cordless world I wish to put forward an argument in support of cords. I suspect many owners of Apple AirPods will find it compelling. These tiny and expensive devices are so damn easy to lose, whether it be at home or down the side of a plane seat. If you lose one you'll need to talk to Apple to organise a $99 replacement; the technology is such that each AirPod is only designed to be used with its pair. If you lose both you're looking at $229 for a whole new set.

The nice thing about pods joined by a cable is that they're harder to lose. Easier to find too. Find one and you've found both.

I pondered this while listening to SoundSport Frees, the Bose answer to AirPods. What would I do if one of them dropped into the innards of the cross trainer while I'm down at the gym? If it bounced onto the floor would someone step on it before I could rescue it? At just 15 grams it could well wind up in the gym's vacuum cleaner bag. I'd fret over all the possibilities if I'd parted with the $299.95 involved. Mind you, the SoundSports have a wing that nestles into the upper ridge of the ear to lock them in place most securely. They're comfortable too.

The best advice, obviously, is not to lose them. But listen; with Bose, if you lose one SoundSport while still under warranty (18 months) you can call the customer service number and if you generate enough sympathy you'll get a new pair for free provided you return what's left of the old. If they're out of warranty and one is lost or damaged you'll get a 25 per cent discount on a new pair in exchange for what's left of the old. Anyway, there's an app to show where they were last used. Handy as long as that place is not travelling back to LA at 800 kmh.

I guess you need to weigh the risk of loss against the considerable improvement in convenience these offer. And despite my propensity for losing stuff I'd take the risk because I sure liked the SoundSports. Great high range definition and detail, and powerful, punchy bass that adds heaps of excitement and presence without ever overwhelming the mids and highs. They sound terrific and go louder than AirPods. To my ears the sound quality improvement justifies the extra $70.95.