AirPods Max Lightening to USB-C Cable for Audio?

[arw]

I hear you but something doesn't make sense. You can use the 3.5mm cable to lightning to plug into an analog source and that cable will convert that analog audio to a digital signal that transmits to the AirPods Max over lightning. This implies to me that if I could just encode audio the same way as the ADC chip in the cable does before sending it to the AirPods Max, it would just play it.
Now it is possible that the DAC in the AirPods max simply don't support the decoding of any lossless or very high quality audio (although that seems unlikely) but as long as you can format the data properly and handshake correctly with the headphones it would seem that there must be a way to send digital audio over USB directly to the lightning port.

Someone, please hack this together so Apple realizes they simply need to make a cable.

I get what you mean and I’d happily see this happen as technically this sounds logical and feasible.

But I see 3 problems:
1. from my understanding, the digital connection between the lightning plug ADC and the APM is Apple proprietary and highly unlikely to be hacked (Apple knows their stuff and interest for this seems low; I haven‘t even found a 3rd party lightning-to-HDMI adapter that delivers lossless audio/video transmission like the original one)
2. As you mentioned, the existing “codec“ is capped at 48 kHz/24 bit so that’s already a bad starting point for true lossless (at least by definition)
3. No matter how great the source / codec, you‘d still be dependent on the DAC of the APM (which is a no-go for true audiophiles)

It would be more straight forward if Apple simply allowed to address the AirPods Max via USB as a DAC but that would still leave #3.

That being said, I‘m not sure I could hear a difference to the current solution anyway so I just enjoy them like they are.

 

[puggsly]

Yes obviously that would be nice . It won’t be enabled until there is a usb-c iPhone , apple probably see little point or they would have done it by now. Once they support it over usb-c and lightning is obsolete, no one will be asking them to make a lightning to lightning cable , something that will not sell in high volumes anyway. There exists a workaround that already works quite well anyway , though apple rightly admit is technically not lossless. This is all a bit of a nonissue.

Not sure why you think a USB c phone will change anything as we have a USB c iPad and USB c computers that should already allow for this if there isn't some technical reason to no allow it. I can't imagine it is a volume issue as they already make those cables and they choose to make a lightning to 3.5mm cable to get you half way there on your phone or iPad. This is not an Apple style solution.
Someone must know why I can plug in my USB c to lightning cable into my AirPods max and send properly encoded audio to that such that they will play. The headphones will take a digital signal in from the Lightning port and play that music, it is just that the only way to have it encoded properly is through a tiny ADC converter in the 3.5mm to lightning cable Apple sells for $35. It makes no sense.

 

[puggsly]

I get what you mean and I’d happily see this happen as technically this sounds logical and feasible.

But I see 3 problems:
1. from my understanding, the digital connection between the lightning plug ADC and the APM is Apple proprietary and highly unlikely to be hacked (Apple knows their stuff and interest for this seems low; I haven‘t even found a 3rd party lightning-to-HDMI adapter that delivers lossless audio/video transmission like the original one)
2. As you mentioned, the existing “codec“ is capped at 48 kHz/24 bit so that’s already a bad starting point for true lossless (at least by definition)
3. No matter how great the source / codec, you‘d still be dependent on the DAC of the APM (which is a no-go for true audiophiles)

It would be more straight forward if Apple simply allowed to address the AirPods Max via USB as a DAC but that would still leave #3.

That being said, I‘m not sure I could hear a difference to the current solution anyway so I just enjoy them like they are.

Ok, so point 1 is the biggest question mark. I get that if Apple is doing some sort of encryption/protection in their ADC that hacking it would be difficult but it begs the question why would they? And even if they did, there is no reason they couldn't encode it in software exactly the same way. So lets all agree there is no technical reason why we can't plug these headphones in via USB to lightning.
Point 2, we sort of disagree on. I know the Max support a 48 kHz/24 Bluetooth codec, but it is unlikely that is the only codec they support. So as long as you can transmit a supported format we should be golden.
Pont 3 about how good Apple's DAC is? I have no idea but it appears to be capable of better sound than what is delivered via Bluetooth so my question still stands. Why hasn't Apple been called out on this obvious side step? Why take the heat of users who paid top dollar for head phones and not give a simple solution to deliver lossless audio without forcing the extra conversion from Analog to digital?

 

[venom600]

The simple answer is that if you want a pure signal you look elsewhere. There are other bluetooth headphones on the market that do what you are looking for, arguably sound better, and may even be built as well. Take a look at the Master and Dynamic MW75, for instance.

 

[ct2k7]

The simple answer is that if you want a pure signal you look elsewhere. There are other bluetooth headphones on the market that do what you are looking for, arguably sound better, and may even be built as well. Take a look at the Master and Dynamic MW75, for instance.

Damn, the MW75 looks beautiful

 

[arw]

Point 2, we sort of disagree on. I know the Max support a 48 kHz/24 Bluetooth codec, but it is unlikely that is the only codec they support. So as long as you can transmit a supported format we should be golden.

- Bluetooth on Apple headphones is always lossy AAC 256 kbps for music and HFP for voice calls is even worse (at least Airpods Pro got upgraded to AAC-ELD).
- The mentioned audio cable contains a DAC 48 kHz/24 bit (for lightning devices to analogue speakers)
- Apple mentions no details on the ADC which is relevant for the Airpods Max. They only say lossless & hi-res lossless capable although not truely lossless due to the A-D-conversion.

About lossless audio in Apple Music - Apple Support

Learn about lossless audio in Apple Music and how to turn it on or off for your device.

support.apple.com

 

[puggsly]

The simple answer is that if you want a pure signal you look elsewhere. There are other bluetooth headphones on the market that do what you are looking for, arguably sound better, and may even be built as well. Take a look at the Master and Dynamic MW75, for instance.

That in no way answers my question. My question is a technical one of why isn't it supported? Is there a technical reason or is Apple artificially keeping it from it's users? I have not heard a technical reason why it is not supported and can't think why if there isn't one why apple wouldn't deliver it. That is my question? Not what headphones I want to own, I have made that choice and am happy with it, regardless of how this question is answered.

 

[jsgg]

i come from the future, yesterday Apple present the Iphone 15 and change the old

Lightening to USB C finnaly, No more a niche, now i have a question , The airpods max support lossless audio from​

Lightening to USB - C directly from the Iphone?​

 

[Rnd-chars]

I doubt it, otherwise they could have implemented that for both Mac and iPad, which already had USB C.

 

[cmChimera]

i come from the future, yesterday Apple present the Iphone 15 and change the old

Lightening to USB C finnaly, No more a niche, now i have a question , The airpods max support lossless audio from​

Lightening to USB - C directly from the Iphone?​

No.