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Engineer Brings Wires and USB-C Connector to AirPods

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Apr 12, 2001
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Hardware prototyping consultant Ken Pillonel has added wires and a USB-C connector to a set of AirPods, bypassing the need for its charging case.

airpods-with-wires-by-ken-pillonel.jpg

Repair site iFixit has given all versions of the AirPods and AirPods Pro a score of zero out of 10 for repairability. They are not designed to be serviced or repaired because no internal components can be accessed without damage to the device, making them a disposable item, especially since their three batteries degrade over time.

Pillonel's latest tongue-in-cheek project to add wires to AirPods is designed to raise awareness about these repairability issues, encouraging consumers to think more about simply buying a non-consumable pair of wired earbuds rather than Apple's wireless offering.



Last year, Pillonel undertook a similar project to highlight repairability issues with Apple's lightning connector by adding one to a Samsung Galaxy A51. He is also responsible for several other innovative projects that have captured the Apple community's interest in recent years, including adding USB-C ports to AirPods, AirPods Pro, and the iPhone X.

Article Link: Engineer Brings Wires and USB-C Connector to AirPods
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/04/01/engineer-brings-wires-to-airpods/
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PKFC

macrumors newbie
Jun 20, 2008
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That's what I find annoying about these things. If they are so power efficient, there wouldn't be anything stopping them from making wired earpods with noise cancelling.. My broke ass had to hold onto my SE1 until last year when I got a 13 mini, but the headphone jack was something I still used frequently.. I ended up getting APP2 more for the new job that has me sometimes sitting in server rooms with 70dB of fan noise... I'd imagine they could definitely make them if they leveraged additional power they could draw from lightning or USB-C.. Tangentially, I'm frustrated that somehow Apple dropped wired earpod in line mic support from macs since my M2 MBA doesn't support it... Not sure how much additional cost the combo analog digital 3.5mm ports were but those things disappearing were a net loss too...
 
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dwaite

dwaite

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Jun 11, 2008
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PKFC said:
That's what I find annoying about these things. If they are so power efficient, there wouldn't be anything stopping them from making wired earpods with noise cancelling.. My broke ass had to hold onto my SE1 until last year when I got a 13 mini, but the headphone jack was something I still used frequently..
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You can't power ANC from an analog audio signal without really butchering the sound quality. Thats why these hacks use USB-C.

I suspect they'll come up with wired USB-C AirPods Max, because that makes a lot more sense from a form-factor and lossless audio perspective.

<snip>
PKFC said:
Tangentially, I'm frustrated that somehow Apple dropped wired earpod in line mic support from macs since my M2 MBA doesn't support it... Not sure how much additional cost the combo analog digital 3.5mm ports were but those things disappearing were a net loss too...
Click to expand...

They dropped it from specs sometime before the 2017 MBP, but I don't know when it actually stopped shipping. Without it, there's no need for analog audio input circuitry at all; it isn't just saving a nickel on a longer connector.
 
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junior

junior

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Mar 25, 2003
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dwaite said:
You can't power ANC from an analog audio signal without really butchering the sound quality. Thats why these hacks use USB-C.

I suspect they'll come up with wired USB-C AirPods Max, because that makes a lot more sense from a form-factor and lossless audio perspective.

<snip>


They dropped it from specs sometime before the 2017 MBP, but I don't know when it actually stopped shipping. Without it, there's no need for analog audio input circuitry at all; it isn't just saving a nickel on a longer connector.
Click to expand...
Hold on, but there is an AD circuitry in there as it has an internal mic. Couldn't that AD share the load if a combo jack existed?
 
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MauiPa

macrumors 68040
Apr 18, 2018
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The next big thing? Looks like that stupid Samsung commercial where they forgot that AirPods were wireless and showed iPhone users with all these wires. When in reality the iPhone could charge, be left on a charger and play music while you roamed around the house with no wires. Classic Samsung!
 
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SkydiveGuy

macrumors regular
Oct 31, 2007
152
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I have had AirPods since 2017 and bought AirPod Pros in late 2019 and Im still using the Pros on a daily basis and they still hold their charge as well as they did 3.5 years ago.
I still keep my original AirPods next to my chair at home when I need to use headphones (very infrequently) to not disturb my wife and they have not had to be charged in almost a year.
So while these are "disposable" I have yet to need to dispose of them. Im actually amazed at how well they are holding up considering my Bose QC20 battery pack had its outside peeling off when I decided to upgrade that to the AirPod Pros.
 
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JosephAW

JosephAW

macrumors 603
May 14, 2012
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Imagine wired AirPods Pro :rolleyes:

What what? What happens if you try to provide power when they are outside the case? Do they power off so you can't wear them while charging with a cable?
 
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