Posted on 09/09/2016 6:31:51 PM PDT by House Atreides
This week Apple launched a new iPhone without a headphone jack and stirred up an understandable furor of discontent. But you wont hear any headphone companies complaining about the move, even though it takes away their familiar entry point into the Apple ecosystem. Most of them have already been preparing for this change for months ... I spoke with a few of the major headphone manufacturers ... to gauge their reaction to the news.
The universal response has been a mix of sunny optimism ... and practicality. Most companies ... recognize that there's plenty of opportunity in having ... Apple making noise around their industry and products.
Sennheiser is one of the best-known names in the personal audio world, and with good reason. This companys range spans everything from the most affordable $20 in-ear and over-ear designs to the marble-encased $55,000 Orpheus system. Heres what co-CEOs Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser had to say about the Lightning-only iPhone:
"Sennheiser has seen many different connection standards come and go in the audio world over the years. Audio connections have always been continuously evolving. Digital outputs, such as Apple's Lightning connector, will offer new opportunities to take a step forward and to further enhance the sound experience for the customer. For example, 3D audio technology using digital signals is just one possibility."
To Sennheiser, Apples hardware change is just another opportunity. Being pushed into developing Lightning headphones is a challenge that the German company is embracing, and its already thinking about ways to exploit that digital connectors greater capabilities over the classic analog standard. Thats the thing Id have liked to see Apple do give people a reason to want Lightning headphones specifically but ... its looking like the third-party accessory makers will solve the problem for Apple....
(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...
Iphag
I have a pair of Sennheiser headphones, wired. They’re excellent, Krauts make good stuff, but it ain’t cheap! It never is...
Amazing isn't it. I was in the USAF for 20 years. When we took tests, they always said RTFQ, then RTFA. It was pretty good advice. 😀
“Of course the headphone companies wont complain - thats a whole new market to sell to. Its the users that get the short end on the stick.”
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Actually, the users get the best of both worlds. If they want to use their current 3.5mm headphones with the IPhone 7 they will work just fine using the included adapter. Or they can use the new EarPods (bundled with the iPhone 7) that plug into the Lightning Connector.
The bottom line is that users can use current technology headphones and/or use the new technology that the Headphone manufacturers are developing to take advantage of new possibilities provided them by the iPhone 7.
It’s called “freedom of choice”, capitalism, the power of the market and free enterprise. Lots and lots of choices — including the choice to go with products other than Apple’s. Freedom to choose and competition are GOOD THINGS. Users most certainly are NOT getting the “short end of the stick”.
Those crappy earbuds that come with iPhones never stay put. If they were not on a cord they would get lost.
Wireless? Fail, they will fall out.
This whole headphone thing is much ado about nothing.
The jack had to go because the phone could not get any thinner with it, pure and simple.
The phone will come with earbuds that work with the Lightning port.. All your wireless Bluetooth headphones will still work just fine. So unless you have some expensive wired headphones you want to use, who cares? And if you do a cheap adapter takes care of you.
Really really don’t see this as a big deal. I am no early tech adopter and I haven’t purchased any wired headphones or speakers in at least 5 years... Can’t imagine doing so ever again.
I also have never purchased a set of earbuds beyond the ones that came with my phone.
If I did have a $200 set of earphones that were wired I may not be happy but a $10 adapter or whatever and I ca. Still use them.. But honestly I would probably just go buy a nice Bluetooth pair and be done with the cord entirely.
Does the included adapter let you charge and listen to music at the same time?
It would seem easy to produce a Lightning adapter that you could plug any ordinary phones into. The phones that have a built in dedicated interface will find few uses.
Wrong. An adapter is supplied free in the iPhone 7 box. Your existing accessories will continue to work with the iPhone 7.
Not surprising to find you admitting that you’re stuck in an elementary school mentality...
Apple should play a commercial to highlight the fact that they supply a free adapter and wired headphones with the iPhone 7. They need to scream it, because so many people miss this point. The adapter is included for free!
I have a guitar amp simulator called Amp Kit+ which has a ton of add on programs and it has a hardware kit that attaches to the headphone jack. Because of the delay that is inherent in blue tooth (as much as 700ms) you have to use the headphone jack. Even with that there is a software delay.
I actually use the program with my older 4S phone so I don't kill the battery on my 6S.
Additionally I have some blue tooth headphones, but the batteries are always dying just when you need them.
oh wow, you are the biggest moron on here, must do everything to protect the mighty Apple.
Remember DU is right over there RAT
I’m gonna wait until my 6s dies a natural death before I switch. By then they’ll have the 9s and it will have headphone jacks built in.
OK. Explain your own psychotic behavior next time, n00b...
Built my own gaming-capable PC for roughly $600 (AMD).
You probably don't even have a 6s. There are so many objectors who come on these threads who have no intention of buying an Apple, have never bought one, yet tell others not to buy one because of their "experience" with one that they actually never had. So do you really have a 6s? By the way, I do not own an iPhone, I'm impartial and just don't see why people are complaining about this issue. If it's a problem for you, don't buy the phone. Other people don't have an issue because the iPhone 7 can continue to use existing headphones with the free supplied adapter. I will make a prediction - within a few months you'll be able to buy additional adapters for a buck apiece from China, to dedicate to each set of wired accessories one owns. When my iPad charging cord got frayed at the plug and I needed a replacement, I ordered a set of ten for about $6 from China, with free shipping. So you'll soon be able to get all the cheap adapters necessary from China. Getting the iPhone 7 is a non-issue regards the non-headphone jack.
Does 7 have Bluetooth?........
You like being the smartest guy in the room? Ha ha.
You must be an engineer...you read directions.
“Does 7 have Bluetooth?.....”
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Of course it does. It will work with the Bluetooth headphones currently around.
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