Apple releases $35 bi-directional Lightning to 3.5mm Audio Cable

AppleInsider · December 8, 2020 3:30PM

Apple has quietly added a Lightning to 3.5mm bi-directional audio cable to its online Apple Store, a $35 accessory that can be used with the just-launched AirPods Max.

Surfacing in the online Apple Store on Tuesday and appearing as a recommended item when ordering the AirPods Max, the Lightning to 3.5mm Audio Cable is a fairly straightforward product. Measuring 1.2 meters (3.9 foot) in length, the cable has a 3.5mm headphone jack on one end, and a Lightning connector on the other.

Apple advises it can be used to connect the AirPods Max and Beats Solo Pro headphones to 3.5mm audio sources, which would enable the personal audio accessories to work with hardware that doesn't offer wireless connectivity. It would also make the AirPods Max usable with the headphone jacks supplied in modern airplane seats, an industry that doesn't like passengers using wireless connectivity in general.

The cable can also be used for other purposes, including connecting an iPhone or iPad to an audio-in port on a home stereo or a vehicle, again if there isn't network or wireless connectivity. As a bi-directional cable, it can be used with both audio-in and audio-out ports, and so can be potentially used to record audio to iOS devices.

Available in black or white options, the Lightning to 3.5mm Audio Cable is priced at $35.

monstieur · December 8, 2020 3:38PM

This isn't new. It's existed since the Beats Solo Pro and is cheaper on Amazon.

seankill · December 8, 2020 4:28PM

Is it me or is Apple getting ridiculous with their prices?

razorpit · December 8, 2020 4:33PM

seankill said:

Is it me or is Apple getting ridiculous with their prices?

At a minimum you have at least one other person that agrees with you.

williamlondon · December 8, 2020 4:38PM

razorpit said:

seankill said:

Is it me or is Apple getting ridiculous with their prices?

At a minimum you have at least one other person that agrees with you.

And it's such a joy for the rest of us when you all come into the forums to express that same repeated and stale sentiment over and over. ;-)

Just like being back home at MacRumors 10 years ago, oh the nostalgia.

crowley · December 8, 2020 4:51PM

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

mike wuerthele · December 8, 2020 5:10PM

Monstieur said:

This isn't new. It's existed since the Beats Solo Pro and is cheaper on Amazon.

This is a new SKU today. The old one wasn't bidirectional, AFAIK.

edited December 2020

randominternetperson · December 8, 2020 5:22PM

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

Wires? Where we're going, we don't need wires.

appleish · December 8, 2020 5:28PM

Hmm. Does the Lighting to USB-C cable included let you listen through the cord to your MacBook Pro vs. wireless? Will I need this for my MBP?

n2macs · December 8, 2020 6:12PM

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

The cable provides 3.5 audio in or out thru the lightning connector. It doesn’t require a lightning to lightning connection.

strangedays · December 8, 2020 6:15PM

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

You're saying you would choose to double-adapt wireless headphones to your iPhone, rather than use them, you know, wirelessly? Okaaay.... Ima go out on a limb then and say these aren't for you, and that's OK.

edited December 2020

lkrupp · December 8, 2020 6:54PM

StrangeDays said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

You're saying you would choose to double-adapt wireless headphones to your iPhone, rather than use them, you know, wirelessly? Okaaay.... Ima go out on a limb then and say these aren't for you, and that's OK.

There are those who claim a wireless connection can never be good enough. The same crowd thinks lossless is the only true religion even though they couldn’t hear the difference in an anechoic chamber if it came up and bit them.

crowley · December 8, 2020 6:54PM

n2macs said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

The cable provides 3.5 audio in or out thru the lightning connector. It doesn’t require a lightning to lightning connection.

Good luck inserting a 3.5mm jack into an iPhone 12.

crowley · December 8, 2020 6:58PM

StrangeDays said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

You're saying you would choose to double-adapt wireless headphones to your iPhone, rather than use them, you know, wirelessly? Okaaay.... Ima go out on a limb then and say these aren't for you, and that's OK.

I have wireless over ear headphones, and actually I'm probably going to be looking to replace them fairly soon. I'd have considered the AirPods Max, but batteries run out, and I always want a cable backup, which also works for connecting to some of my other devices. Lightning just doesn't make the cut.

So no, turns out they aren't for me, though they could have been if Apple would let Lightning go.

mustseeuhdtv · December 8, 2020 7:18PM

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

Are you asking this to power your phone? Belkin has made years ago when the lightning connect arrived. You could connect lighting to you phone, then there was 3.5mm on the bottom along with another lightning connector.

beats · December 8, 2020 7:33PM

seankill said:

Is it me or is Apple getting ridiculous with their prices?

Steve Ballmer agrees!

nicholfd · December 8, 2020 8:10PM

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

crowley said:

StrangeDays said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

You're saying you would choose to double-adapt wireless headphones to your iPhone, rather than use them, you know, wirelessly? Okaaay.... Ima go out on a limb then and say these aren't for you, and that's OK.

I have wireless over ear headphones, and actually I'm probably going to be looking to replace them fairly soon. I'd have considered the AirPods Max, but batteries run out, and I always want a cable backup, which also works for connecting to some of my other devices. Lightning just doesn't make the cut.

So no, turns out they aren't for me, though they could have been if Apple would let Lightning go.

These headphones do not work without a charged battery. They cannot be used as passive headphones... So a Lightening -> Lightening cable doesn't make much sense.

For the design/purpose of these headphones, Lightening makes the perfect cut.

rayz2016 · December 8, 2020 8:27PM

StrangeDays said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

You're saying you would choose to double-adapt wireless headphones to your iPhone, rather than use them, you know, wirelessly? Okaaay.... Ima go out on a limb then and say these aren't for you, and that's OK.a

I regularly walk into Tesco, scream “I don’t like asparagus!” then walk out again, so I see where he’s coming from.

aegean · December 8, 2020 8:30PM

lkrupp said:

StrangeDays said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

You're saying you would choose to double-adapt wireless headphones to your iPhone, rather than use them, you know, wirelessly? Okaaay.... Ima go out on a limb then and say these aren't for you, and that's OK.

There are those who claim a wireless connection can never be good enough. The same crowd thinks lossless is the only true religion even though they couldn’t hear the difference in an anechoic chamber if it came up and bit them.

Then you have yet to listen to the true lossless sound. Rather I would way, you never experienced listening to music in its all spectrum. As of this time, wireless can only deliver maybe 10% of what a truly capable audiophile wired IEM like IE 800 S or headphones like HD 820 can deliver. And anyone can hear the difference if try them out. Wireless has a long way to go. At this pace, I am projecting about 15+ years before I see something reasonably good wireless earphones.

edited December 2020

crowley · December 8, 2020 8:34PM

nicholfd said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

crowley said:

StrangeDays said:

crowley said:

And you'll still need to use a dongle for a wired connection to an iPhone because it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, and there's no Lightning to Lightning cable available.

Lightning needs to go away already.

You're saying you would choose to double-adapt wireless headphones to your iPhone, rather than use them, you know, wirelessly? Okaaay.... Ima go out on a limb then and say these aren't for you, and that's OK.

I have wireless over ear headphones, and actually I'm probably going to be looking to replace them fairly soon. I'd have considered the AirPods Max, but batteries run out, and I always want a cable backup, which also works for connecting to some of my other devices. Lightning just doesn't make the cut.

So no, turns out they aren't for me, though they could have been if Apple would let Lightning go.

These headphones do not work without a charged battery. They cannot be used as passive headphones...

Ok, well that's another reason they don't make the cut then.

maxle0p0ld · December 8, 2020 10:17PM

Now
we need a Lightning to Lightning Cable for iPhone to Apple 'AirPods Max'

A Lightning to USB-C Cable for the iPad Pro, we have already.

If Apple would have used a USB-C Port for Charging and Connection, it would have been easier.

Apple should allow to Charge and use the Headphones at the same time - like I can with my Jabra Evolve 65 Stereo BT Headset.

Contrary to the Sony WH-CH700N, which can only be charged or be used cordless via BT - but not both...

Apple releases $35 bi-directional Lightning to 3.5mm Audio Cable

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