iPhone 7 Will Revolutionize Portable Audio for the First Time in a Decade

[gameguru1360]

maybe later, Apple will come out with a lightning charging adapter but I assume they'll want to see how everyone fairs to the new interface and then  probably charge something like $30-40 for the adapter later

 

[Whitigir]

How do u listen and charge at the same time ?

Wireless ? If you say wireless is the future, you are not an audio enthusiast. Wireless has a long way to go

Built in DAC/amp integrated into headphones or buds ? You are not an audio enthusiast. It has a long way to go. Hell, even Dedicated portable players is having a hard time to put out quality audio at the power required for headphones and bud to sound properly. It is because power, power delivery, components, limited spaces, shielding from interferences....etc....etc.

*if you said it is possible to have good quality from integrated headphones DAC/amp built ?* then let me ask you, would it even be better to build this component in the phone as it house better battery and larger spaces ?

 

[RugbyPlayer]

  Well, if it has a DAC, it'd work in the older iPhones with a lightning connector.
 
Yep, because those have to.

 
How much would you be willing to bet on that?  I wouldn't put any money on it either way.  They could very easily have a small chip, or even something as simple as a SMD resistor in the dongle that switches the lightning port in the iPhone 7 to route analog audio out the data pins.

I would absolutely put money on it. an SMD resistor doesnt suddenly turn a differential pair interface into an analog audio interface, it doesnt work that way

 

[RERO]

Wireless ? If you say wireless is the future, you are not an audio enthusiast.

 
That's mean and frankly just discriminatory. 

But then again, that's just classic Audiophile™ elitism.

 

[oryan_dunn]

  I would absolutely put money on it. an SMD resistor doesnt suddenly turn a differential pair interface into an analog audio interface, it doesnt work that way

​Have you heard of a switch?
 
It is entirely possible, likely in fact.  You have a chip that detects the resistor, and if it's present flips an internal switch, that instead of routing the differential digital signals out the lightning port, it routs analog audio out the pins.
 
To me, that seems like a much better option than trying to stuff a DAC and headphone amp in a $9 miniature dongle.

 

[RugbyPlayer]

​Have you heard of a switch?

It is entirely possible, likely in fact.  You have a chip that detects the resistor, and if it's present flips an internal switch, that instead of routing the differential digital signals out the lightning port, it routs analog audio out the pins.

To me, that seems like a much better option than trying to stuff a DAC and headphone amp in a $9 miniature dongle.

Except that...just no. As I mentioned before I am an IC design engineer. I have worked on a ton of designs using lightning, it doesn't work that way. You have no idea what you're talking about just stop. There are ICs that have dac and amps at less than $2 each for order over 1k units. I at out guarantee it had a dac and amp

 

[colonelkernel8]

Except that...just no. As I mentioned before I am an IC design engineer. I have worked on a ton of designs using lightning, it doesn't work that way. You have no idea what you're talking about just stop. There are ICs that have dac and amps at less than $2 each for order over 1k units. I at out guarantee it had a dac and amp

You need to relax. Can you explain why pins can under no circumstances change from digital to analog?

 

[oryan_dunn]

Except that...just no. As I mentioned before I am an IC design engineer. I have worked on a ton of designs using lightning, it doesn't work that way. You have no idea what you're talking about just stop. There are ICs that have dac and amps at less than $2 each for order over 1k units. I at out guarantee it had a dac and amp

So you work at Apple and have seen the schematics for the iPhone 7?

Maybe it has a DAC, ADC, and headphone amp in the dongle, maybe it doesn't. I can't imagine it'd be a quality setup stuffed into the end of a $9 cable, but with this change, Apple has signaled that analog headphones are no longer a priority...

 

[csglinux]

And as for android, they'll be moving his way too. Intel is pushing for USB C connected headphones as the standard. Change is a coming.

Change may be coming, but it isn't here yet. Not for me. If and when Android phones evetually all migrate to USB-C, that would be a much more reasonable proposition. I would never buy a phone (or headphones) that use a proprietary Apple connector.

I'm also very curious about the engineering in Apple's dongle. Very un-Appple like to offer something at that price.

 

[trellus]

  Traditionally, the two speaker grills on the bottom of iPhones, one is a speaker, and the other is a mic.  I'd expect that to continue here.  It looks like they copied the HTC 10 speaker setup to get stereo sound.
 
It'll be interesting to see a teardown of the $9 dongle.  My guess is it'll only work with the iPhone 7 and it will put the iPhone in a mode that switches the differential data to instead carry analog audio.

According to Apple, it will work with any iOS device, not just iPhone 7, that supports iOS 10 and has a Lightning port:
 
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter
 

 

[shotgunshane]

Change may be coming, but it isn't here yet. Not for me. If and when Android phones evetually all migrate to USB-C, that would be a much more reasonable proposition. I would never buy a phone (or headphones) that use a proprietary Apple connector.

That's fine, I get it- Apple proprietary is bad. I'm not making an Android versus Apple comment. Just stating that most phones will be ditching the 3.5 mm HO over the next year or so. I'm all for the progress in DSP I think this will bring. I'm also very anxious because I hate using dongles and attachments on my phone. But change is coming to all platforms, Funnily enough an Android phone did it first (Moto).

At any rate, this pre-release bit of info is interesting. Possible proof of it being analog pass through? Or just a knock off? I know, I know, it is impossible. http://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/28/iphone-7-lightning-3-5mm-adapter/

 

[trellus]

How do u listen and charge at the same time ?

Wireless ? If you say wireless is the future, you are not an audio enthusiast. Wireless has a long way to go

Built in DAC/amp integrated into headphones or buds ? You are not an audio enthusiast. It has a long way to go. Hell, even Dedicated portable players is having a hard time to put out quality audio at the power required for headphones and bud to sound properly. It is because power, power delivery, components, limited spaces, shielding from interferences....etc....etc.

*if you said it is possible to have good quality from integrated headphones DAC/amp built ?* then let me ask you, would it even be better to build this component in the phone as it house better battery and larger spaces ?

 
With this:
 
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter
 
I've used this to do just that -- but of course, connecting my own DAC to the USB port on the adapter, while my charger is plugged into the adapter's Lightning port.
 

 

[pieman3141]

What I meant was, it would be useless for an older i-device. Sure it could work, but why would you need it? Why would an uninjured, able-bodied person with healthy legs and arms need crutches? An actual brick DAC/amp like the Mojo would be more useful as they actually have more power. Plus, it would suck up power from the i-device.

 

[colonelkernel8]

 
According to Apple, it will work with any iOS device, not just iPhone 7, that supports iOS 10 and has a Lightning port:
 
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter
 

 
Then I suppose it must have a DAC/amp in it. Strange.

 

[oryan_dunn]

According to Apple, it will work with any iOS device, not just iPhone 7, that supports iOS 10 and has a Lightning port:

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter

Well that settles that. A tiny DAC, ADC, and amp inside an un-Apple like priced $9 dongle. At that size, it has to be a tiny SMD single chip solution. Will be interesting to see how it measures and sounds.