[Goratrix]

wireless headphone sales have globally overtaken that of wired

Maybe you should read the actual source before repeating this nonsense. Wireless headphones have reached 50% of REVENUE, not unit sales. The unit sales are at 17%, which is very far from "overtaking" anything. Well duh, wireless is expensive. This argument is like predicting we will all be driving Porsches in ten years, because Porsche makes the most money today.

 

[elfary]

Tbh i think that Apple has not killed yet the 3.5mm port. It has taken it out from the iPhone and at the same time it is pushing wireless (w1) and digital wiring (Lightning).

To me this is an exciting time as we have new paths being laid out and Apple is handling the move very respectfully. Who thought the dongle would be bundled for free and being sold stand alone for just 9$?

I am dying to try the dongle actually, it is the smallest dac/amp i have ever seen and it could fix the EMI noise of the iPhone 6s which otherwise was a heck of sn iPhone.

 

[RugbyPlayer]

Tbh i think that Apple has not killed yet the 3.5mm port. It has taken it out from the iPhone and at the same time it is pushing wireless (w1) and digital wiring (Lightning).

To me this is an exciting time as we have new paths being laid out and Apple is handling the move very respectfully. Who thought the dongle would be bundled for free and being sold stand alone for just 9$?

I am dying to try the dongle actually, it is the smallest dac/amp i have ever seen and it could fix the EMI noise of the iPhone 6s which otherwise was a heck of sn iPhone.

at the expense of properly implemented and shielded on an decent sized PCB. not to mention a severe lack of power output. Anyone expected anything good out of this dongle is full of it, the existing DAC/Amp combos on the market that are small enough to fit in this thing perform horribly, i should know ive actually tried over 50 different models and none were satisfactory in the performance department

 

[theveterans]

Have you guys ever wondered if the lightning port can output transient varying voltages i.e. analog sound, and that the adapter is actually using the internal DAC inside the phone which also powers the speakers?
 
Does that adapter really contain a DAC?

 

[mwhals]

Same here. Also, I really only need a 16/44.1 download, not anything higher. Most high res downloads are higher than that, and cost that much more. Even 16/44.1 downloads many times cost more than if you just bought the CD.

Same here. We buy CDs, burn them to 16/44.1 FLAC files and then store them. If we ever lost every digital copy we had, I could recreate them from the CDs.

 

[nc8000]

Same here. We buy CDs, burn them to 16/44.1 FLAC files and then store them. If we ever lost every digital copy we had, I could recreate them from the CDs.

X2

 

[elfary]

at the expense of properly implemented and shielded on an decent sized PCB. not to mention a severe lack of power output. Anyone expected anything good out of this dongle is full of it, the existing DAC/Amp combos on the market that are small enough to fit in this thing perform horribly, i should know ive actually tried over 50 different models and none were satisfactory in the performance department

For some odd reason i believe that Apple/Cirrus Logic can deliver even in that ridiculous form factor. Next Friday we will be able to check it out personally, it's only 9€.

 

[RugbyPlayer]

there's literally only so much power that can come out of something that size. Transistors are transistors, it doesnt matter how brilliant they are at design they are physically limited by what can fit on the chip, and physically limited by tansistor count and available voltage/current that the lightning port is able to pass to it

 

[elfary]

there's literally only so much power that can come out of something that size. Transistors are transistors, it doesnt matter how brilliant they are at design they are physically limited by what can fit on the chip, and physically limited by tansistor count and available voltage/current that the lightning port is able to pass to it

Obviously i don't expect it to drive Sennheiser Hd800s but i hope for 1 volt of very clean and very linear signal as prior iPhones used to deliver vis hpo. I think that it can be done.

 

[Double-A]

Strange! Because I can find anymore many "eclectic", as you put it, pieces of music in streaming services, old and new. You know that all major classical works are available, jazz, experimental, practically everything. You pay the artists by your monthly fee to the streaming services, no worries!!

To my ears there is no difference between AAC and cd quality. But this is objective. If you can feel differences then check hi res files in Tidal or download Flac files, but no CDs on wall placements in 2016!!!...

And in any case you have to admit you are a rare case. Apple could not think about you when they decided to stop putting CD drive in Mac computers. Because of that they were able to add fusion drives and more, so that you can store on your 1TB iMac a good amount of files!!

I'm pretty sure that Bombarde can still purchase CDs in 2016 if he wants to, and you can stick to your streaming services. Just like you can feel free to use wireless headphones and people who still want to deal with wires in 2016 (myself included) can feel free to still use wires. Just because you think that wires and CDs should be abandoned does not mean that everybody else should say "hey, I don't mind wires and CDs, but SparkOnShore says that those items are too outdated to be used in our modern times, so I guess I can't use them".

 

[arftech]

I ordered this case exclusive to Apple to pair with my recently ordered 7 Plus 256GB Jet Black:  http://www.apple.com/shop/product/HKHU2ZM/A/otterbox-statement-series-case-for-iphone-7-plus?fnode=99&fs=f%3Diphone7plus%26fh%3D458b%252B47e1
 
This particular case will allow you to see the finish of the IP7.

 

[arftech]

Which Westones do you own?  Have the UM Pro 50 and they're so sweet!

 

[soundman414]

I don't get the lack of info regarding their push into the wireless realm and their claims for superior quality. The keynote and their site lack technical details as to what their W1 chip provides over other wireless technologies such as aptX or aptX HD.
 
I know most people aren't going to notice the differences and just be woo'd by the fact that they have touchy things on the side for controlling Siri. But they killed off an incredibly well accepted and well working standard, only to leave many questions on how they have given you anything that is superior outside of it lacking wires and requiring more adapters.
 
I also call BS on their "Courage" quote, knowing that the headphone industry lives on standard connections and that by selling a product that works with proprietary connectors, that somehow they are moving the industry forward. We look to this industry to spend R&D money on increasing sound quality, not on accommodating a segregated market of various connectors. Companies will have a hard decision to make when deciding to build a headphone for Apple users, or for the rest of the world. And yes I know that USB will have its moment as well with the digital/analog interface, but it's not looking to be widely adopted for some time.
 
Then there is the issue of how your money is allocated in these new headphones and the lack of understanding in most consumers regarding interconnects. Many people feel that the lightning connector is inherently a higher quality interface with little to no evidence of that being the case. Because an analog signal travels through a flat connector vs a round connector, you aren't going to get a better sound. If you send a digital signal through there, then it needs to be decoded and amplified at some point... Which is going to be inside the headphones and it means the money you spent on those headphones will have a significant portion allocated to those redundant parts that are already inside the phone. This then takes money that could be allocated to the housing, driver design and construction and leaving you with a lower quality sound.... This or a much more expensive headphone for the same quality.
 
So from almost every aspect, the loss of the 3.5mm jack on the headphone is a negative impact to consumers. In summary, a loss of an interface that is perceived inadequate to another interface that is proprietary and provides the same analog quality; headphones that are going to be 3 things, lower quality for the same price, the same quality for a higher price or greater quality for a much greater price; Unnecessary marketplace segmentation that detracts R&D from increasing quality to creating multiple forms of products.

 

[arftech]

Well ordered my 7 today. Now to save for a oppo ha-2. Lol

You will love the HA-2!  

 

[club968]

My thinking is that any audiophile with an iPhone has it hooked up to a portable amp/DAC anyway. And the average iPhone user/normal person will be mesmerized by the no jack situation and the new wireless stuff to even care.

Really the only fail I see is when the audiophile with his portable stack doesn't feel like holding it all in one hand while completing other tasks with the other hand at work/working out/or whatever....so that's just gonna be an issue with the audiophile but not the other 99% of the world (and only part of the time to boot) . Probably not in the best position to hear the difference anyway if you're trying to multitask while listening to music.

I owned the 3gs in its time and I think the 4 (I'm old and to senile to remember lol). But after it seemed like you were using the phone with one hand tied behind your back (to me I mean), I left to the siren songs of other smartphones and never looked back.