Headphone picks for iPhone 7 users missing the 3.5mm headphone jack
One of the biggest changes unveiled with the iPhone 7 was the deletion of the phone's 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of an all Lightning solution. It's been a divisive issue, but luckily there are plenty of viable options out there, from Bluetooth devices to high-fidelity third-party Lightning products.
Athletes looking for light, sweat-proof and waterproof headphones without wires can try the $150 Under Armour UA Wireless Headphones that marry ergonomic ear tips that you twist and lock. Another option is the inexpensive SENSO ActivBuds Bluetooth Headphones, a sweat-proof and noise-canceling headset that sells for $34.
If you're looking for comfort due to long-term wear, and not necessarily looking for small or compact options, then consider Audio-Technica's popular ATH-M50x which sell for $130 on Amazon.com. A higher-end offering from Sennheiser, the PXC 550, is noise-canceling and also comfortable to wear, but comes in at a hefty $400.
A number of companies are offering headphones that are specialized for the missing headphone jack in the iPhone 7. The Philips Fidelio M2L, for example, provides an all-digital connection to 48kHz high-resolution audio files from an iPhone via the Lightning port.
Another option that AppleInsider got a sneak peak of is the new Audeze iSine, the word's first-ever planar magnetic in-ear buds. They're ultraportable, and offer superior sound by cramming patented "Fluxor Magnets" inside a lightweight shell that can clip to your ear and easily fit in your pocket.
Apple-owned Beats offers a range of options for iPhone users. The latest Beats Solo3 is almost identical in appearance to its predecessor, the Beats Solo2, but comes with a W1 chip that boosts battery life and simplifies the pairing process with iPhone 7.
If you're not quite ready to ditch your 3.5mm headphones you can easily use the Lightning adapter that comes with the phone, but you can't charge and listen at the same time. It's also limited by the lack of mic and audio control support for third-party headphones, meaning you can't use the in-line mic and controls to talk to Siri or take a call.
If you want to stick with an Apple product, the iPhone Lightning Dock allows you to charge your phone and utilize a spare 3.5mm plug on the back of the dock to listen via headphones.
Alternatively, the Fuze Caseis being funded through crowdsourcing site Indiegogo and integrates the adapter dongle that Apple has included into their phone case. The result is a restored headphone jack that still allows access to the Lightning port of the device. It also has a built-in 2,400 mAh battery for the iPhone 7 and a 3,600 mAh battery for the iPhone 7 Plus.
Third-party options also include a Fuze battery case that has an integrated 3.5mm jack and Griffin's $20 iTrip Clip that turns corded headphones wireless allowing taking calls or talking to Siri with it's built-in mic.
AppleInsider will be providing more in-depth reviews of a few of these headphones in the coming weeks.
For the Athlete
Athletes looking for light, sweat-proof and waterproof headphones without wires can try the $150 Under Armour UA Wireless Headphones that marry ergonomic ear tips that you twist and lock. Another option is the inexpensive SENSO ActivBuds Bluetooth Headphones, a sweat-proof and noise-canceling headset that sells for $34.
If comfort is important
If you're looking for comfort due to long-term wear, and not necessarily looking for small or compact options, then consider Audio-Technica's popular ATH-M50x which sell for $130 on Amazon.com. A higher-end offering from Sennheiser, the PXC 550, is noise-canceling and also comfortable to wear, but comes in at a hefty $400.
Unique to Apple
A number of companies are offering headphones that are specialized for the missing headphone jack in the iPhone 7. The Philips Fidelio M2L, for example, provides an all-digital connection to 48kHz high-resolution audio files from an iPhone via the Lightning port.
Another option that AppleInsider got a sneak peak of is the new Audeze iSine, the word's first-ever planar magnetic in-ear buds. They're ultraportable, and offer superior sound by cramming patented "Fluxor Magnets" inside a lightweight shell that can clip to your ear and easily fit in your pocket.
Beats by Dre
Apple-owned Beats offers a range of options for iPhone users. The latest Beats Solo3 is almost identical in appearance to its predecessor, the Beats Solo2, but comes with a W1 chip that boosts battery life and simplifies the pairing process with iPhone 7.
Alternative options
If you're not quite ready to ditch your 3.5mm headphones you can easily use the Lightning adapter that comes with the phone, but you can't charge and listen at the same time. It's also limited by the lack of mic and audio control support for third-party headphones, meaning you can't use the in-line mic and controls to talk to Siri or take a call.
If you want to stick with an Apple product, the iPhone Lightning Dock allows you to charge your phone and utilize a spare 3.5mm plug on the back of the dock to listen via headphones.
Alternatively, the Fuze Caseis being funded through crowdsourcing site Indiegogo and integrates the adapter dongle that Apple has included into their phone case. The result is a restored headphone jack that still allows access to the Lightning port of the device. It also has a built-in 2,400 mAh battery for the iPhone 7 and a 3,600 mAh battery for the iPhone 7 Plus.
Third-party options also include a Fuze battery case that has an integrated 3.5mm jack and Griffin's $20 iTrip Clip that turns corded headphones wireless allowing taking calls or talking to Siri with it's built-in mic.
AppleInsider will be providing more in-depth reviews of a few of these headphones in the coming weeks.
Comments
I also did many tests on my awesome car stereo and iPhone of wired vs bluetooth, and the bluetooth quality was horrible! It was like throwing away the entire stereo and replacing it by a small boom box. So I did some Googling and found out that there are many reasons you won't even get the 350 kbit/sec max of bluetooth 4. First, the receiver and sender must support identical codecs. And second, they must negotiate a minimum compatible transfer rate. Some receivers, even if they could support the full rate, may just default to the 50 kbit/sec transfer rate. And finally, there is the quality of the codec itself, which can be extremely lossy.
I really think Woz said it best - don't FORCE people into wireless until a standard exists that has quality comparable to wired. That's why people throwing around the floppy disk analogy are wrong - when Steve ditched the floppy disk, there were new storage mediums that had higher capacity and were faster than flash. What bluetooth needs is a STANDARD, LOSSLESS codec that can be supported across the board.
Yes. This is wrong. Some third party headphones reportedly don't work properly, but many do. This is not a universal problem.
I still feel like Apple botched the headphone jack removal, despite the strong iPhone 7 sales, and this is one of the reasons. The included Lightning EarPods can't be used on any other non-Lightning device, including the Macs. There isn't even a USB-C adapter, to say nothing of a 3.5mm adapter to use the Lightning EarPods on any current audio equipment. So for anyone who plans to use these EarPods with anything else, they are useless. Essentially the only option out of the box for a customer who only wants to carry one set of headphones with them to use with their Mac and iPhone is to use the 3.5mm adapter with their old set of 3.5mm EarPods. Where's the logic in that? Add to that the fact that Apple and Beat's simple to use W1 chipped headphones still have no definitive release date. Only one $300 pair of Beats Solo 3, are currently available for someone who might want to switch to BT headphones, the only other way to connect to both an iPhone 7 and Mac. And with BT comes its own set of quality and convenience compromises, despite the improvements Apple has made with the W1 connectivity enhancements. At least they can be used with a 3.5mm cable, to connect with a non-BT device when necessary. From my perspective Apple is virtually encouraging customers to continue using their old headphones with the added inconvenience of an adapter, rather than consider other options.
But the total lack of support for higher quality wired Lightning headphones out of the starting gate, makes the whole transition away from 3.5mm frustrating at best. And there's no hint on the horizon of how this facet of digital sound's backward compatibility is going to be handled, which should give a Lightning audio developer, not to mention a customer for the products, pause. How does Apple plan on supporting Lightning audio outside of the iPhone 7, if at all?
It wasn't deleted. It was removed.
Your arguement is like saying US laws don't "force" anyone to do anything because in theory you can always leave the US and go somewhere else. Well, the "force" is saying "if you want to stay in the US, you HAVE to do this."
I really don't understand the people rushing to defend Apple in this - how is getting a device with no headphone jack improving your life? Every poll I've seen online shows around 70% of iPhone owners have an issue with this. Just because you don't care about audio quality doesn't mean that no one does.
I'm perfectly willing to turn my habits upside and buy all new equipment just to stay in the Apple Eco-system, but only when Apple can provide something that isn't a step down in quality or convenience.
As a comparison, when Apple switched from Magsafe to Magsafe2, they freely sold $9.99 adapters so you could use your old Magsafe plugs with the new ports. That didn't hurt anyone and allowed Apple to move on without inconveniencing people.
Woz is right on this one. People that listen to AAC files and are satisfied are missing about 60%.
I know, I know, but it's time for this initiative.
AI's statement is:
This is accurate:
This isn't accurate:
The difference being the focus on iPhone 7 model series without mentioning the iPhone product category.
I really don’t understand the people coming up with illogical and downright manufactured reasons for being upset at the removal of the 3.5 mm jack.
other manufacturers have made Lightning headphones for a long time already.
further, you don't even have to leave the Apple eco-system (which you have no birthright to btw) -- since apple to this very day continues to sell multiple other phones w/ a 3.5mm headphone jack. go nuts.
im so looking forward to next year when the crybabies have moved on. oh who am i kidding -- you'll find some other thing to be outraged about, amirite?