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[Lord Error]

I've had these beoplay h8 for a year now. Charge them once a week. Have had my iPhone 6 for almost 2 years now, have never once put anything into the 3.5mm headphone jacks. iPhone connects to my car by bluetooth, if I care about it then I'll connect by lightning for carplay.

The future is to be completely wireless, power included. But you people want to hold innovation back by wanting to keep living in the 90s.

Man, it's your money and all... but you payed $400 for these things that, when paired with an iphone, only transmit the SBC BT audio, which sounds like compressed crap. At the danger of sounding like a jerk, I'd say the 3.5mm connector should be the last of your worries of what's holding you back in this scenario.

 

[Maximus.]

The problem is not really about getting rid of the headphone jack itself.
The real problem is that the current technology they're trying to replace it with is nowhere near the quality and/or convenience a wired headphone offers.

If there were other alternatives as reliable (and affordable) as headphones I assure you people wouldn't have too much of a trouble accepting its removal from the phone.

I agree, but maybe this will spur the advancements needed to get to that point. I only have wired headphones, so it isn't like I am benefiting from this choice. I just think that sometimes companies have to make these leaps.

 

[Yeoman]

Be honest, you think the iphone 7, which is a redesign year which usually does the best, will have worse sales?

I do this time. Normally I scorn sentiments like "no removable battery so no one will buy it!" or no "SD card", "no CD drive" e.t.c
The market has proven that the consumer doesn't really care about those features. I think that's largely because they have an obvious benefit, or have had an adequate replacement at the time of release.

Now that I think about it - Bluetooth could work but Apple need to release a really good pair of Bluetooth headphones with good battery life and a fast way of connecting them to the device. If they manage to do that we might see other companies following their trend.

Otherwise, I genuinely think this will put off quite a fair portion of consumers.

 

[EviLore]

As much as I want to see USB-C bury Lightning (and most connectors, really), removing that jack seems unnecessary to further that goal.

I mean, there's probably a scenario in which they introduce a phone with a single USB-C port and a new "headphone over USB-C" standard where they somehow add nice features to headphones while being transparent to analog signals, but at face value I expect a Lightning-only deal with no particular end-user benefits.

It's tangentially related since it'd be a much better transitional solution for "legacy" 3.5mm audio equipment than running through lightning with some DAC dongle.

The fundamental point though is that untethered > tethered, conceptually, period. We don't need 3.5mm in the mobile space and we *can* successfully ditch it and move on for everyone's benefit. Current shortcomings with wireless audio gear will be 100% addressed over time (and premium gear already has some great options; not so much at entry level), and the most powerful and influential consumer electronics company ditching 3.5mm will push wireless audio standards and adoption along faster. Sure would help if they also did something about maybe, I dunno, making Bluetooth suck less or creating a new open standard that is reliable, has no pairing issues, and can transmit losslessly. But I doubt we'll be anywhere near that lucky.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Suddenly everything will sound better, we've been listening to music incorrectly all these years!

Bluetooth has serious bandwidth issues so watching videos wirelessly will be a hot mess.

 

[Beer Monkey]

What the fuck...and people support this?

It's a port with three metal contacts on it. You plug something in and it stays put, and you can pull it out easily too. What's to improve?

Damned straight. I guess some people hate having literally thousands of industry-standard headphones to choose from.

 

[minor effort]

Also, Apple has a vested interest in signing up people for Apple Music and selling people music via iTunes. This creates another barrier between that. Creating obstacles like this might discourage many consumers from using their iPhone 7 as a music player.

 

[Bgamer90]

The phone better come with a jack that connects to the lightning port if true.

Doesn't seem like a wise move after heavily pushing iOS devices as music players with Apple Music.

 

[EthanC]

Also, Apple has a vested interest in signing up people for Apple Music and selling people music via iTunes. This creates another barrier between that. Creating obstacles like this might discourage many consumers from using their iPhone 7 as a music player.

They can still sell them Apple Music on Android.

I wonder if today's announcement that iPhone sales are floundering, forcing them to cut production by 30 percent will have any effect on the decision to cut a port a lot of people still use. Wouldn't want to give your consumers another reason to not upgrade from the old hardware.

 

[Somnid]

Also, Apple has a vested interest in signing up people for Apple Music and selling people music via iTunes. This creates another barrier between that. Creating obstacles like this might discourage many consumers from using their iPhone 7 as a music player.

The rumor is they want to add higher quality audio to Apple Music and could make it exclusive to or at least more relevant with lightning compatible headphones. High quality audio has always been niche but ironically part of that blame falls on Apple and iPod and the sheep that followed it's success. They'd likely be the one to suddenly make it relevant with some quotable buzzwords. I can definitely see a stupid Verge editorial about how life-changing it is.

 

[EatinOlives]

Damned straight. I guess some people hate having literally thousands of industry-standard headphones to choose from.

I think it's more like people have been accustomed to electronics companies selling them incremental upgrades for years that offer little to no practical improvement. We've attained a culture that upgrades their shit even if it's not at all better, but just because it's new.

Some people are just looking at the 3.5mm jack and are starting to think "hey, I just realized this is old! Where's the new? I need my new!!"

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

The rumor is they want to add higher quality audio to Apple Music and could make it exclusive to or at least more relevant with lightning compatible headphones. High quality audio has always been niche but ironically part of that blame falls on Apple and iPod and the sheep that followed it's success. They'd likely be the one to suddenly make it relevant with some quotable buzzwords. I can definitely see a stupid Verge editorial about how life-changing it is.

You can use former Verge/now Wired's David Pierce as a sneak preview of this upcoming editorial: http://www.wired.com/2015/03/wireless-headphones-sol-republic-shadow/

 

[Aurongel]

The rumor is they want to add higher quality audio to Apple Music and could make it exclusive to or at least more relevant with lightning compatible headphones. High quality audio has always been niche but ironically part of that blame falls on Apple and iPod and the sheep that followed it's success. They'd likely be the one to suddenly make it relevant with some quotable buzzwords. I can definitely see a stupid Verge editorial about how life-changing it is.

This just seems nuts to me because most people are already blowing their data caps by streaming 64/128kbps audio. I could see this working though if Apple and US carriers make Apple Music streaming free. But anyone who'd really want a high quality audio experience is already doing it... At home. Not during their commute.

The future of phone audio is in convenience, not fidelity.

 

[Frozenprince]

Can't wait for the inevitable iPhone 7h that you can pay an extra $50 for a headphone jack.

 

[Somnid]

This just seems nuts to me because most people are already blowing their data caps by streaming 64/128kbps audio. I could see this working though if Apple and US carriers make Apple Music streaming free. But anyone who'd really want a high quality audio experience is already doing it... At home. Not during their commute.

The future of phone audio is in convenience, not fidelity.

People have been blowing through caps since caps existed, behavior is what continually caused those caps and speeds to raise. That and what does the home have to do with audio quality? Expectations change. It used to be you listen to the radio on the go because that's all that could be supported, then tapes of your own music, then higher quality CDs, then a couple of your favorite albums on MP3, then your whole collection on an iPod, then every song ever made via streaming.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

So what are the best choices for Android phones? (with headphone jacks of course)

 

[Mushroomer25]

So what are the best choices for Android phones? (with headphone jacks of course)

I recently got a Moto X Pure, and it's pretty damn good. Plus only $400 unlocked.

 

[cheezcake]

This offers no technical advantage for stereo sound, hell wireless headphones will probably sound worse given the quality of DACs you find in them

 

[billeh]

This just seems nuts to me because most people are already blowing their data caps by streaming 64/128kbps audio. I could see this working though if Apple and US carriers make Apple Music streaming free. But anyone who'd really want a high quality audio experience is already doing it... At home. Not during their commute.

The future of phone audio is in convenience, not fidelity.

Both can be had, but Apple's refusal to offer more than 16GB base storage as well as ridiculously small bandwidth caps keep us back. We have the technology to stream and store high bitrate audio.

 

[cheezcake]

The rumor is they want to add higher quality audio to Apple Music and could make it exclusive to or at least more relevant with lightning compatible headphones. High quality audio has always been niche but ironically part of that blame falls on Apple and iPod and the sheep that followed it's success. They'd likely be the one to suddenly make it relevant with some quotable buzzwords. I can definitely see a stupid Verge editorial about how life-changing it is.

But lightning does nothing to improve audio quality over 3.5mm. At some point in the signal chain it still has to be converted to an analogue signal before it hits the headphone drivers, and that quality will be constrained by the DAC.

 

[aeolist]

So what are the best choices for Android phones? (with headphone jacks of course)

get something that is likely to get updated

basically a nexus of some kind or motorola

 

[Two Words]

The rumor is they want to add higher quality audio to Apple Music and could make it exclusive to or at least more relevant with lightning compatible headphones. High quality audio has always been niche but ironically part of that blame falls on Apple and iPod and the sheep that followed it's success. They'd likely be the one to suddenly make it relevant with some quotable buzzwords. I can definitely see a stupid Verge editorial about how life-changing it is.

The bottleneck to higher quality music isn't the 3.5 mm jack.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Here are my most used headphones on the go:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006B486K/?tag=neogaf0e-20

$15 (I often get them for $11). They sound literally 100x better than Apple earbuds. They have bass, neutral sound, good soundstage. They sound 5x-10x better than any other clips I have ever heard. They are more comfortable on my large ears than any other clips I have ever tried.

They do NOT sound as good as my Beyerdynamic DT-770 or Sennheiser HD580 headphones I use at home. Those cost $200 each, and were bought over 15 years ago. And yes, I still use them. At HOME.

When I break the KSC-75, I buy a new pair. I don't care. If I lose a pair, it's not the end of the world. I buy a couple pair a year. They aren't $400 hipster wireless headphones. When I walk the sidewalks with them, I can still hear, unlike closed headphones. When people see me with them in the city, where I live, I don't look like a mugging target.

Apple is telling me to go fuck myself and to use something that makes zero sense to me.

There are a reason there are so many different kinds of headphones out there. Different people have different needs and desires. That affordable, industry-standard connector makes this possible. Some things exist for a reason. Apple often invents solutions looking for needs. They are doing it again.

 

[Somnid]

But lightning does nothing to improve audio quality over 3.5mm. At some point in the signal chain it still has to be converted to an analogue signal before it hits the headphone drivers, and that quality will be constrained by the DAC.

The bottleneck to higher quality music isn't the 3.5 mm jack.

Right, an external, especially powered DAC/amp will make a big difference and that's what I'd expect they will market both within the headphones themselves since there's more room and more generally as an accessory with a 3.5mm jack.

 

[Veritigo_X]

So what are the best choices for Android phones? (with headphone jacks of course)

Nexus 6P

 

[Fury Sense]

Expecting a rechargeable wireless 3.5mm adapter.

any headphones -- adapter (wireless) -- iphone

 

[mckmas8808]

So glad I don't do Apple. When do they think wireless headphones will be $8?

 

[BennyBlanco]

Is there a solution for us plebs without bluetooth ready head units in their cars to listen to podcasts on their commutes? If there isn't some reasonably priced solution I might just stick with my iPhone 6 for a long time.

I still have unlimited data with verizon and can't use upgrades without giving it up, so I have to pay full price for phones which is making me think long and hard about how much better a phone would have to be to make me spend $800~ on one again.

All I really use it for these days is podcasts, twitter, mobile browsing the internet, e-mail, spotify, and news. I probably would've been okay not upgrading from an iPhone 5.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Somewhat related:

I'm ordering a replacement headband pad for headphones I bought around 17 years ago. Headphones that use a 3.5mm jack.

Good look ordering any replacement parts for your wireless headphones in 17 years. Good luck pretending that you'll still be using them. They'll be obsolete, for sure.

 

[Lothars]

Is there a solution for us plebs without bluetooth ready head units in their cars to listen to podcasts on their commutes? If there isn't some reasonably priced solution I might just stick with my iPhone 6 for a long time.

I still have unlimited data with verizon and can't use upgrades without giving it up, so I have to pay full price for phones which is making me think long and hard about how much better a phone would have to be to make me spend $800~ on one again.

All I really use it for these days is podcasts, twitter, mobile browsing the internet, e-mail, spotify, and news. I probably would've been okay not upgrading from an iPhone 5.

I use a bluetooth car audio cigarette adapater that I bought for 10 bucks on ebay.

This is the one I got. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/310668243779?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[infiniteloop]

Is there a solution for us plebs without bluetooth ready head units in their cars to listen to podcasts on their commutes? If there isn't some reasonably priced solution I might just stick with my iPhone 6 for a long time.

Does your head unit have a USB port? i just plug my iPhone into the USB port on the front.

 

[Marty Chinn]

For those pushing Bluetooth or wireless, what about the latency? I know with Bluetooth when it comes to playing anything with video, the audio is out of sync due to latency. So while wireless may be fine for music, it's pretty useless with anything that has video.

 

[yanipheonu]

I mean. If anyone could do it, it's apple. But just watch it be some proprietary shit. Edit: oh yeah, it is.

I'd rather see a new universal jack for headphones, maybe we'll see micro USB or something.

But hell, there's really no reason. It's like replacing a USB port at this point, kind of futile. If you really were an audiophile, you'd have a special music player and amps. Headphone jack included. Not to mention your collection of high end headphones would suddenly need to be replaced, or at the ver least, some dongle would have to be bought,

It really comes down to a cash grab, with perhaps a benefit of a thinner phone. But it doesn't seem worth it. Glad I stuck with android for now.

 

[deltatheta]

For those pushing Bluetooth or wireless, what about the latency? I know with Bluetooth when it comes to playing anything with video, the audio is out of sync due to latency. So while wireless may be fine for music, it's pretty useless with anything that has video.

The phone is playing the audio and video and the audio latency is a known quantity. In my experience Android and iOS both do a good job of delaying the video to keep the audio synced.

 

[EthanC]

For those pushing Bluetooth or wireless, what about the latency? I know with Bluetooth when it comes to playing anything with video, the audio is out of sync due to latency. So while wireless may be fine for music, it's pretty useless with anything that has video.

I notice zero latency issues using my Crossfade Wireless on my Apple TV.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

In my experience Android and iOS both do a good job of delaying the video to keep the audio synced.

Playing video from my iPad Air 2 to several different wireless speakers is absolutely awful.

 

[WordAssassin]

Apple is telling me to go fuck myself and to use something that makes zero sense to me.

Wow that sure took an fucking turn.

I've been using BlueTooth headsets for years. They cost me under $50. Like you when they break I replace them because they are cheap and not the nice big over-ear ones that I use at home. You don't have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars and "become a mugging target" (Jesus Fuckin Christ) to get a decent set of wireless headphones dude.

 

[Marty Chinn]

The phone is playing the audio and video and the audio latency is a known quantity. In my experience Android and iOS both do a good job of delaying the video to keep the audio synced.

I've tried it with an iPhone 4, an iPhone 5S, an iPad Mini 2, a Vita, an HTC One and a Galaxy S6 and in every case the audio has been not in sync with the video.

 

[Morgoth]

This is the first I've EVER heard of 3.5mm being obsolete technology. You guys sound like you wipe your ass with the 3 sea shells.

 

[deltatheta]

Playing video from my iPad Air 2 to several different wireless speakers is absolutely awful.

I've tried it with an iPhone 4, an iPhone 5S, an iPad Mini 2, a Vita, an HTC One and a Galaxy S6 and in every case the audio has been not in sync with the video.

I stand corrected. I've only owned one pair of Bluetooth headphones and used them all the time with various Android phones and my iPad and never had any video sync issues. Maybe it's bad firmware in some BT headsets? Or I had particularly low latency headphones, or I'm just bad at noticing slight audio desync (though I have noticed desync in the past in other situations).

 

[Morgoth]

Why I don't buy apple. They take away basic functionality and charge ridiculous prices to be able to use it. For example the vga port adapter for the new macbooks

 

[haxamin]

Expecting a rechargeable wireless 3.5mm adapter.

any headphones -- adapter (wireless) -- iphone

Green is noise?

 

[FormallyMegadrive]

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/05/iphone-7-no-headphone-jack-supply-chain/

Thank goodness. I'm glad Apple will kill the decades old, ancient tech of aux input. Good riddance. They'll drag the luddites kicking and screaming into the future, just like they have always done. Look at the past threads on GAF alone about optical drives and Flash. Hilarious.

I also hope someone comes up with a good Bluetooth because today's and tomorrow's Bluetooth is awful. Their motto should be, "Next year!"

Edit: People are confusing the lightning thing. Apple doesn't want you to use a proprietary hook up. They want you to use wireless. They're just giving you lightning as the connected option. Join us in the 21st century jfc

OP is literally insane. Just look at this shit

 

[Just_myles]

Thank goodness. I'm glad Apple will kill the decades old, ancient tech of aux input. Good riddance. They'll drag the luddites kicking and screaming into the future, just like they have always done. Look at the past threads on GAF alone about optical drives and Flash. Hilarious.

This is the kind of arrogance that I can't stand. Because I don't want to go through the inconvenience of buying an adapter or out right buying a new audio device I'm a luddite and as sheep should have apple shepherd me to future where I have to spend god knows how much money for a set of decent headphones. Seriously OP? I hate this industry sometimes.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Wow that sure took an fucking turn.

I've been using BlueTooth headsets for years. They cost me under $50. Like you when they break I replace them because they are cheap and not the nice big over-ear ones that I use at home. You don't have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars and "become a mugging target" (Jesus Fuckin Christ) to get a decent set of wireless headphones dude.

How you gonna talk about under $50 when that dude was talking about under $15

 

[Beer Monkey]

Wow that sure took an fucking turn.

I've been using BlueTooth headsets for years. They cost me under $50. Like you when they break I replace them because they are cheap and not the nice big over-ear ones that I use at home. You don't have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars and "become a mugging target" (Jesus Fuckin Christ) to get a decent set of wireless headphones dude.

1) How do they sell compared to my KSC-55s? (headphones are personal)
2) How do they feel compared to my KSC-55s? (headphones are personal)
3) On what planet is $50 the same as $11-$15?
4) On what planet is the inconvenience of recharging irrelevant?

And I've been robbed at gunpoint over (yes) an iPhone. I live in the inner city. Some of us live in a different world than all the more privileged people who give no fucks about anybody else (or the carbon footprint of products that use unneeded circuitry).

 

[oti]

Thanks no thanks. The day I can't plug in my beloved Sony headphones (they're like 7€ and way, way sturdier than any Apple headphone I ever got with my Apple devices when I owned them) into my phone is the day I'm quitting smartphon... nuh, but I'd get a dirt cheap mp3 player for music/podcasts.

 

[BeforeU]

You can't pretty much listen to music while its charging? lmao I can't imagine how I would live with this if I had to. Because I listen to podcast or music everyday in bed.

 

[KevinRo]

Yay, more adapters.

 

[oti]

That's tech avant-gardism and that always means growing pains. It reminds me of their super expensive and impressive laptop that only has one USB-C input. Things like this could or will be the future and you can be part of this future NOW*.

*but you have to pay extra for less functionality it's your call