[StewartL]

My latest reading suggests that apple will have a lightning to 3.5mm cable, but that puts them in the position of not being able to charge and listen. They may have wireless charging, but that doesn't help when you're on the move.
I'm also curious what effects wireless charging emi has on headphones
My biggest problem now is choosing between fiio e12a and aune b1 (2016).

 

[cel4145]

I meant the headphone amp stage development catching up to their dacs

Average consumer is probably pretty satisfied with current output on the better phones. Might not be much benefit financially for them to do so.

 

[StewartL]

The parts suppliers still need to compete with each other and it could be a very profitable point of difference. Aside from those 2 things, technology progresses, simple. And there isn't an enormous amount to spend on development of a better headphone drive stage and it's not far from being great. Just my thoughts, could be totally wrong

 

[Ancipital]

I don't know what you mean about headphone amps improving.

I don't think 3.5mm is going anywhere, except maybe with Apple who just wants to sell their own equipment and make others purchase a licensing fee. That might have been possible a few years back when they dominated the market. But now that Android is, without question, a comparable alternative, and there are so many good Android phones, too, probably risky for Apple to do that now. Some people would just switch from Apple to Android to keep using their IEMs.

 
Have you seen that awful Lenovo bastardisation of a Motorola Android device, without a headphone socket, which seems to ship with a tiny dongle (possibly a DAC/amp?)?
 
http://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/2016/07/moto-z-review-uk/
 
Even had I not been avoiding Lenovo like a dose of bum disease these days, due to all the malware that they've shipped on laptops, and non-Nexus Android devices for the lack of reliable security updates, I'd still be running away screaming from this one. I hope that it sinks without trace.

 

[StewartL]

Yeah I've seen them. I spend too much time working in cable efficiencies and a dongle for headphones is Ludicrous
Finally made up my mind and ordered a Cayin C5 portable amp.

 

[cel4145]

Nice! Be sure to come back and let us know how it sounds

 

[AvantCat]

Average consumer is probably pretty satisfied with current output on the better phones. Might not be much benefit financially for them to do so.

That's very true, although it's getting better with more devices. LG V10 and G5 have an emphasis on SQ, a few other brands like Vivo also have quality dac/amp components.