iPhone 7 and the Audiophile Case For Lightning Headphones

[addictive]

I know it is wishful thinking to think Apple will get rid of the Lightning port because it is propriety and brings Apple billions of dollars but wouldn't it be great if Apple used USB-C on their iPhones instead and universally the 3.5 jack was succeeded by USB-C

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

3.5 mm jack is the price of evolution. Yes, we want lighter, thinner phones. Eventually even Samsung gets it, because bendable is really just very thin display. Apple gets it too and wants to move there, but Samsung is right, and Apple is wrong? Huh.
Just like the CD drive or PS2 connector. They were ubiquitous, easy to use, well known, whats else?
Did they survive? No. They were replaced by faster, better connectors and technologies. Just because you have some old headphones with 3.5 mm jack, doesn't mean that new connectors like Lightning should not be offered. If you don't like it, you may not buy iPhone 7. No one forces it. You may have an easy and elegant adaptor, you don't like it - don't buy.

Battery is the price of evolution. Yes, we want lighter, thinner phones. Kick the battery out and Apple can make the next iPhone much lighter and much thinner.

Camera is the price of evolution. Yes, we want lighter, thinner phones. Kick the camera out and Apple can make the next phone lighter and thinner.

Both technologies are older, more "antiquated" than 3.5mm. So where should that line be drawn?

Just because you have some old iPhones that came with the battery & camera INSIDE, doesn't mean iPhones without batteries & camera should not be offered. If you don't like it, you may not buy the iPhone 8 (or 9). No one force it. You may have an easy and elegant camera and/or battery adapter/accessory. You don't like it- don't buy.

See how that works? It's so easy to tow the company line here. But much of the very same arguments can be tweaked to apply to pretty much everything else INSIDE the box now. We could easily buy a separate camera accessory that could shoot better quality pictures. We could easily buy a wide variety of battery cases to get any amount of battery we want. Both seem just as fitting as this argument in support of jettisoning 3.5mm. Keep it up and we'll be spending our $1000 for an empty box... and rationalizing even that to each other.
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I don't buy money as Apple's reasoning for "maybe" ditching the 3.5mm jack. Money is never what drives Apple in their design phase of product. Sure, the cost of some product will drive a decision one way or the other, but the headphone jack is one of those legacy technologies that is ripe for change. And that is what Apple is great at doing - taking a legacy technology and tossing it to push the market forward. For all those people who complain that they then can't use their old, expensive, fill in the blank device, there will be countless adapters and the new technology drives new products that at some point you'll likely want to own.

Disruption is disruptive and very few people want to change if they can avoid it, but change will happen, especially when it comes to Apple.

OK. So very clearly, what's in this change for us consumers?

Almost every other part built inside an iPhone can be spun as "legacy" technology. So should camera and battery get jettisoned to accessory items next? Both are older technologies than 3.5mm and kicking out the battery would be especially helpful at making an iPhone much thinner & lighter.

Adapters in place of built-in utility is a poor tradeoff. That lets Apple have their 10 seconds to spin "thinnest & lightest ever" spiel in exchange for all us buyers getting to carry these adapters with us so we can use our Apple gear with anything else... even Apple's own Macs.

 

[bluespark]

They don't need to add it as it is already there unless you mean analogue audio through the Lightning port.

Fair point, if that capability already exists. I wasn't aware of it. My point still stands, though: the availability of this feature is not a reason to ditch the headphone jack anytime soon.

 

[kurkami]

Do people really care that much about quality of music on the phone? Is apple going to add a lightning port to macbooks as well?

I would prefer convenience of having a single headphones for mobile use and computer use over higher quality.

 

[Gaspode67]

Oh is that why my ATSC TV is compatible with a DVB signal -- oh wait, it's not.

Apple is not replacing 3.5mm with Lightning. They're simply dropping 3.5mm. If anything wireless is replacing 3.5mm. Digital is the new standard. The connector is merely the delivery method just like ATSC is for TV signals in North America and DVB in Europe. You need an adapter/converter to access that signal depending on your device.

Again, you have missed the point. A truer analogy to what Apple is deciding to do would be for Sony (as an example) to decide to change all the HDMI sockets on the back of their TV sets to be one that only they have the rights for, so that you need an adaptor to plug in your BD Player, your ATV4, your Cable Box, your Roku, etc.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

This is just a guess, but with the shocking amount of crappy earbuds and phones I see on public transport, I think only a very small percent of the population would even care or notice.

In isolation of using some kind of earbuds with only an iPhone, nobody feels much effect with how the buds terminate. And "crappy" will likely nullify any arguments of actually hearing better sound.

It's when you try to get more utility out of your crappy or non-crappy headphones that will make a population care. I just took a business trip. I took one set of good headphones. In the course of travel and because they terminated with a thoroughly ubiquitous standard, I easily jacked into many devices I encountered:

• My own iDevices
• My Mac
• The clients Windows computer
• The airlines seatback video screen
• A video conference call device
• A video monitor

Now go on my same trip in this "the future" with the crappy (or non-crappy) earbuds included. Are you carrying 2 sets of headphones/earbuds? Are you carrying adapters? Hassle. For what exactly?

Will all the non-Apple players adopt Lightning so that we can go through this transition and get back to what we have now- a ubiquitous standard that doesn't require us lugging adapters or multiple sets of headphones? NO, because the cheaper "replacement" standard will be USB3 (because Intel is going to build that into their own chipsets). Lightning will never be as ubiquitous, so those who embrace this change will always be rolling with adapters or multiple sets of buds or phones.

 

[avanpelt]

Perhaps I am in the minority among people on this board, but since buying my iPhone 6 almost two years ago, I have used the headphone jack exactly zero times. I don't care if they take that port off the next iteration of the phone because for me, it's all bluetooth, all the time.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Talking about audiophile is just ridiculous. 90% of the iPhone users listen to mp3 with the delivered mediocre (at best) Apple earbuds. iTunes does not sell lossless music (and if they did, you couldn't save more than 3 songs on the 16gb devices). So please do not play the "audiophile" card.
p.s. How many people do you know, who own 800$ headphones (and listen to their music from an iPhone with it)

Same here $ 4.00 head phones whenever I can get them on sale. Mostly listening to talk anyway and to act as if the iPhone is for audiophiles is just dumb.

PS: I may have weird ears, but I cannot hold the plug type in my ears without that losing feeling.

 

[zhenya]

I'm sorry, but it doesn't make sense to me that they'd suddenly offer a Lightning-only headphone solution on the next iPhone while simultaneously being outright hostile to iPhone external DACs and Amps all this time. You refuse to give me a straight digital output for a DAC, but will gladly let headphone makers use Lightning cords for connectivity?

No, I'm sorry, but that's a pretty bad idea on their part. Don't preach to me about "it'll be good for quality!" when you've largely ignored such a point for years now. My only options for digital out shouldn't be Lightning Headphones or a $300 Wadia dock.

Apple has offered direct digital output from the lightning port for a couple of years now. Virtually any usb dac just works by using the lightning to usb adapter.

 

[randomplaydo]

But right now the iPhone is thicker than the 3.5mm because of apparently the phone parts. That means it's possible to keep making thinner phone parts until we get to the point of a phone as thin as the headphone port. So until we actually are at that point, removing the port for the argument of thinness has no basis.

I totally get your point, but I don't think apple is looking at 'now'. They're preparing for three - five years from now. Eliminating floppies wasn't about using CD...because a couple years later, they eliminated those too. Eliminating floppies was about transitioning to cloud based file transfer and storage that they wanted to get to at the same point they knew Wifi would be fast and ubiquitous enough that you didn't really 'need' ports and peripherals for data transfer.

If they cut the headphone jack now, that gives them a few years to get the rest of the industry on board while they then work on thinning the device. Again, my opinion based on their past long term practices.

 

[steve62388]

What twist? You are arguing audiophile minutiae that the "average Joe" probably has never even heard of before. And by zeroing in on that, you are trying to marginalize all the hoops those same masses will have to jump through to keep using iPhones and their other audio-producing gear exactly as they do now.

Shall I counter by suggesting we link the iPhone to home theater-quality amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers for far superior sound? That will crush just about any compact headphone... even the expensive ones. We could break out some scientific instruments and draw some waveforms comparing one to the other vs. the same performance live in the same room. I'm certain I can find a combination of equipment that will yield a better production of sound... and that will sound better... than any given set of headphones with a Lightning jack.

The problem: is the masses going to want the hassle of carrying around a room full of amplifiers, home theater speakers & subwoofers because I can show them some waveforms, etc that illustrate that it is a better production of sound? Of course not. Masses are not audiophiles or engineers. In other threads, we'll make passionate arguments to choose convenience over maximized quality (see iTunes music vs. CDs or iTunes video vs. BDs). Here we're arguing very fine variables in maximizing quality at a great expense of convenience. How do we reconcile that? In both kinds of threads, the way Apple wants to go is the way we want to argue.

I appreciate the audiophile arguments as much as anyone. I have not exactly "cheaped out" on my own AV purchases. But, as is almost always the case with these "tow the company line" arguments, those concerned with such minutiae can ALREADY buy Lightning-terminated headphones- even those exact ones referenced in the article- to enjoy whatever difference they can- or think they can- hear. I take no issue with such options. My issue is with killing the extraordinarily ubiquitous (and thus extraordinarily convenient) option of 3.5mm to try to somewhat "force" this change upon us.

If Apple really believes this change is necessary... that it is good for us consumers (instead of their own accessory and licensing revenue)... I'm with others in suggesting they should have done away with Lightning and embraced USB3C. As much as I don't care for this option, THAT would make it more palatable to me. Replacing extreme ubiquity for extreme proprietary is only a good change for one player here... especially since any of us that swallows that spin can ALREADY embrace the "superiority" of the Lightning-connected options if we really are concerned with "impedance" details and any such differences in optimizing drivers of headphones. You care about such details? Fine, there's an option for you. But we don't need to force such care upon everyone for "thinner" or whatever else... especially via a proprietary solution that should itself clash with "thinner" in how many more generations?

You're making a classic straw man argument. He explained clearly why your solution of a better DAC in the phone was not the answer. Your point is it's not worth losing the 3.5mm jack over that and you can make the case, but there is no point raging over something he didn't even say.

 

[kurkami]

Perhaps I am in the minority among people on this board, but since buying my iPhone 6 almost two years ago, I have used the headphone jack exactly zero times. I don't care if they take that port off the next iteration of the phone because for me, it's all bluetooth, all the time.

I totally get your point, but I don't think apple is looking at 'now'. They're preparing for three - five years from now. Eliminating floppies wasn't about using CD...because a couple years later, they eliminated those too. Eliminating floppies was about transitioning to cloud based file transfer and storage that they wanted to get to at the same point they knew Wifi would be fast and ubiquitous enough that you didn't really 'need' ports and peripherals for data transfer.

If they cut the headphone jack now, that gives them a few years to get the rest of the industry on board while they then work on thinning the device. Again, my opinion based on their past long term practices.

I don't know how about floppy disks, but I remember that Apple removed cd drive at a point where there was very little use for it (peaple were using flash drives). It was not a risky move.

Lightning port won't become a standard for audio. Wouldn't it be better if apple dropped lightning and moved to usb-c?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I know it is wishful thinking to think Apple will get rid of the Lightning port because it is propriety and brings Apple billions of dollars but wouldn't it be great if Apple used USB-C on their iPhones instead and universally the 3.5 jack was succeeded by USB-C

Yes. Since Apple has already embraced USBC on Macs and since we know Intel is embracing USBC for this same purpose in future chipsets, it would be much more palatable to endure the short-term hassles if Apple embraced USBC for this instead of Lightning.

Do we really want Lightning on Macs to be a headphone replacement jack? Or would we rather that precious slot of space be another USBC+Thunderbolt jack on Macs?

Do we really want USBC to Lightning adapters for using our iPhone headphones with Macs? And do we also want Lightning to 3.5mm adapter to use them with just about everything else?

Obviously, I'm not a fan of this change. The pros don't seem to come close to overtaking the cons... especially since almost all such pro arguments can ALREADY be realized now for anyone interested in Lightning-terminated headphones. But, if a change must be done, embracing what seems most favorable to be the more ubiquitous replacement standard (USB3) vs. a proprietary standard would be easier to swallow (IMO). As is, it keeps looking like mostly a money grab, riding the momentum of the masses love for Apple iDevices in spite of this kind of decision. That's a common Sony tactic too.

 

[niun]

I read through the Appl.. sorry, Verge article. It's pretty much up their with their usual weak twaddle.

Question though. Lightning? I've not seen lighting on anything else apart from the iPhone / iPad.
Will this remain a lightning connector on the iPhone / iPad going forward or move to USB-C?
Will the laptop's keep a now 'redundant' 3.5mm port?

This all seems horribly fragmented and loose.

Edit, Doh! Seems I was typing this at exactly the same time as the posters above.

 

[Jimmy James]

If true I see a discounted 6s in my future.

 

[danielwsmithee]

This whole argument misses the point.

Yes there are already two options for music listening the 3.5mm jack and a lightning cable.

People need to remember Apple is not removing the 3.5mm jack to improve everyone's audio quality. They want to remove it because it 1) limits the thickness of the device and 2) Makes it much more difficult to make waterproof device. Those are the criteria that Apple is trading.

When I went and bought my high end headphones I auditioned many. Quite a few of them (Grados especially) sound much better driven by an external amplifier.

Also the DSP built into Audeze is the biggest improvement in my opinion. With built in DSP the headphones can be calibrated on a unit by unit basis using PEQ. That makes a big difference to audio quality.

 

[niun]

People need to remember Apple is not removing the 3.5mm jack to improve everyone's audio quality. They want to remove it because it 1) limits the thickness of the device and 2) Makes it much more difficult to make waterproof device. Those are the criteria that Apple is trading.

Don't samsung have a thin waterproof device with a 3.5 mm port?

 

[timber]

Nobody (and, no, I don't mean that literally) cares about quality.

People care about convenience.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Lightning port won't become a standard for audio. Wouldn't it be better if apple dropped lightning and moved to usb-c?

The only real difference between Lightning and USB-C is a more standard connector. I would imagine it would be very cheap to create an adapter, but yeah I see your point I'd rather see them jump to USB-C across all their devices.

 

[nope7308]

This article/coverage is fundamentally misguided.

An external DAC/AMP will always better than an internal DAC/AMP, whether it's located inside the source (iPhone) or inside the headphone/cable. This is no surprise. An external DAC/AMP is not subject to the same space, heat and power constraints as an internal component. Most have their own dedicated power source, for example.

What lightening cable headphones offer is better sound quality for a portable setup. That is, the internal DAC/AMP on the headphone/cable will be better than the internal DAC/AMP on the iPhone. When compared to the 3.5mm and external DAC/AMP setup, however, it will not sound better.

So the question becomes, is the improvement in (portable) SQ sufficient to justify the move to lightening headphones? The convenience is better sound quality, without the need for an external DAC/AMP.

The downside is that headphones will likely cost substantially more (more components), you cannot charge your phone while listening to music, and your headphones are only compatible with Apple devices. Now, consider that most users listen to compressed music files (e.g., 256kbps), and there's little reason to prioritize SQ over other factors (i.e., you cannot retrieve audio detail that has been removed during compression).

In my view, the benefit to switching to lightening headphones isn't greater than the amount of concessions you have to make. No thanks, Apple.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Don't samsung have a thin waterproof device with a 3.5 mm port?

Yes, and it certainly is possible to waterproof a device with a 3.5mm jack. In order to do that you have to make trade offs. Notice the difference in the design/thickness between the Samsung on the top and the iPhone on the bottom? It is possible to waterproof it, probably not to do it without increasing the thickness of the device as Samsung has done.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

People need to remember Apple is not removing the 3.5mm jack to improve everyone's audio quality. They want to remove it because it 1) limits the thickness of the device and 2) Makes it much more difficult to make waterproof device. Those are the criteria that Apple is trading.

Ignoring for a moment that other devices with 3.5mm have been made that cover waterproofing issues (I'm certain Apple can do it too)...

A little round hole makes it have waterproofing issues but a bigger rectangular hole just millimeters away doesn't? Water only wants to enter round holes?

 

[Kiwikat88]

What lightening cable headphones offer is better sound quality for a portable setup. That is, the internal DAC/AMP on the headphone/cable will be better than the internal DAC/AMP on the iPhone.

You're making a bit of an assumption there. I have no reason to believe that cheap lightning headphones will come with a dac/amp that is better than what is currently onboard. Expensive lightning cable headphones will offer noticeably better sound quality.

 

[niun]

Yes, and it certainly is possible to waterproof a device with a 3.5mm jack. In order to do that you have to make trade offs. Notice the difference in the design/thickness between the Samsung on the top and the iPhone on the bottom? It is possible to waterproof it, probably not to do it without increasing the thickness of the device as Samsung has done.

Good, thickness isn't an issue. A mm here and there has never been an issue outside of Cupertino.

Do we really need/gain anything from a phone being thinner than the iPhone 6?

Other than the marketing spin of being the, 'thinnest device ever'.

 

[BruceEBonus]

Lets hope Lightning is a flash in the pan (geddit?) and only strikes once. Once people realise the human ear can't actually discern the difference between the daft wee connector from Apple and the 3.5mm standard mini jack with compressed audio files, eh? Like 4k tellies. It's a nice thing to "brag" to your technically ignorant chums, agreed but practically is about as impressive and with a similar resale value as an electric car, readers 😵 But until genuinely practical and new features come out then this is yer lot I'm afraid. Cheers!