[shotgunshane]

Yes for the original cable.

The optional lighting cable is for iPhone 7

I guess I'm confused because there is no analog out for any iPhone from the lightning port documented, so you would need to have a tiny dac/amp/adc to get sound from it. The tiny dongle that comes with the iPhone 7 has all this inside. I would love to learn that Apple has pass thru ability baked into the lightning port.

 

[some1x]

Is the March shipping date a typo? Seems like a looong wait. 

 

[MDZZ]

I guess I'm confused because there is no analog out for any iPhone from the lightning port documented, so you would need to have a tiny dac/amp/adc to get sound from it. The tiny dongle that comes with the iPhone 7 has all this inside. I would love to learn that Apple has pass thru ability baked into the lightning port.

I think you are correct, there is no analog pass through. There must be at least a codec chipset inside the apple dongle and this lightning cable. And in that case, the chipset is supposed to cooperate with Apple's accessory control system.
 
I asked similar question a few pages back, is this lightning cable MFI approved? because if it is not, then I will skip it and just get the IEM. not really wanting the $40 to fail after a couple iOS updates.

 

[Fiberoptix]

I wouldn't be surprised if apple had alwats designed the lightning port to have a (secret) analog out. It is proprietary and apple have a product roadmap. It wouldn't be that difficult to implement.

 

[MDZZ]

I wouldn't be surprised if apple had alwats designed the lightning port to have a (secret) analog out. It is proprietary and apple have a product roadmap. It wouldn't be that difficult to implement.

I guess in theory they can, but i remember seeing ppl dissecting the converter dongle came with the phone, it has DAC inside. It will make no sense if they had let a secret analog out but never use it. I mean millions of that dongle were made, imagine the saving in costs if all chipsets are redundant. 

 

[earthling]

edited for confusion
 
The teardowns of the lightning to headphone adapters clearly show a chip that is labeled as a DAC.  The lightning connector itself is adaptive, meaning it can signal anything it wants based on the connected device.  The comment from Noble is that the lightning cable is just a pure connector which contemplates that there is analog output on the connector itself, further implying that you can somehow configure the connector to deliver an analog signal.. interesting.
 
In any case I am not impressed with the quality of output on the Apple adapter, and my main reason for ordering the lightning cable from Noble was convenience as it means I don't specifically have to remember my amp and it is one less thing to charge.  Well, I guess we find out in March.

 

[jo3y]

Is the March shipping date a typo? Seems like a looong wait. 

Agreed, I'll be all over this deal if it wasn't for the 4mth lead time..

 

[MDZZ]

 
There are analog outputs on the lightning connector.  No magic, just pass through from the internal DAC/AMP (which are not that good).  If you hook up an external DAC/AMP then the device is recognized and the raw digital version of the signal is sent directly to the external device.

 
Can you find credible source for this? I will be most curious to know.
 
Edit: even if there is such secret passage for analog, the device will probably unable to use it without MFI approval, right? which does not ease my concern whether this lightning cable is good for long term usage

.

 

[donato]

   
Can you find credible source for this? I will be most curious to know.
 
Edit: even if there is such secret passage for analog, the device will probably unable to use it without MFI approval, right? which does not ease my concern whether this lightning cable is good for long term usage

.

Yeah, even in the IFixit teardown of the $9 apple lightning to 3.5mm dongle, there is a chip that appears to be a DAC chip according to them.  So if Apple can produce one for $9 then a $40 cable from Noble presumably has one.  That being said though, obviously not all DAC chips are equal and the ifixit teardown even says the dongle actually performs worse in a few measurements than straight out of the 3.5mm jack on ios devices that have one (i.e. anything but the iphone 7 line).
 
In any case, I ordered mine w/o the lightning cable.  Already have a handful of apple dongles as well as Dragonfly red, Mojo, HA-2 that I can use.

 

[cuiter23]

Holy cow! People be balling on a budget these days with the Noble X

 

[H2Ologd]

I'm in. I placed my order this morning at 6:10. I'm looking at this one to be my travel iem so I can leave my 3W at home. I don't mind waiting so long as the quality is right.

 

[MDZZ]

  Yeah, even in the IFixit teardown of the $9 apple lightning to 3.5mm dongle, there is a chip that appears to be a DAC chip according to them.  So if Apple can produce one for $9 then a $40 cable from Noble presumably has one.  That being said though, obviously not all DAC chips are equal and the ifixit teardown even says the dongle actually performs worse in a few measurements than straight out of the 3.5mm jack on ios devices that have one (i.e. anything but the iphone 7 line).
 
In any case, I ordered mine w/o the lightning cable.  Already have a handful of apple dongles as well as Dragonfly red, Mojo, HA-2 that I can use.

That makes more sense to me, need some apple insider to rebuff the secret passage thing though hahaha
 
I'v been eyeing this for a portable amp solution, at least better than the dongle.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/991035804/accessport-hi-res-audio-amplifier-for-iphone-7-cha

 

[Barndoor]

I'm in as well.
400 sold in the first 10 minutes and 400 more since then.

 

[Man-ili]

I'm in as well!!! Now looking for a source for Noble X

 

 

[piksnz]

I am in as well. I thought it will be sold out like the 6xx.