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[borghe]

Adapters are dumb.

........

"omg they are changing the port!!!!!! those greedy assholes!"

"but they're including a free adapter."

"Adapters are dumb."

I mean seriously.. get over it. A single purpose relatively large (by today's standards) port whose functionality is duplicated entirely by ANOTHER port already on the phone, not to mention whose functionality is duplicated almost completely by another feature of the phone (wireless audio).

The writing has been on the wall for years.. anyone thinking 1/8" phono was going to stick around for a long time yet is delusional.

 

[Awful Falafel]

nah. I am a huge apple fan and even I am guessing they'll go with USB-C for the 10th anniversary. The entire reason for Lightning was because USB-C was (at the time) still years away. Lightning was always a stop gap until USB-C launched and became ubiquitous.

I thought they were on that trajectory too but the 7 would've been the perfect time to make the switch and they didn't. Either they're doubling down on Lightning or dragging their feet.

 

[shamanick]

Here's another

unhinged doesn't come close. I've heard about this type of fanboy shit before but I haven't seen it. Poor guy.

........

"omg they are changing the port!!!!!! those greedy assholes!"

"but they're including a free adapter."

"Adapters are dumb."

I mean seriously.. get over it. A single purpose relatively large (by today's standards) port whose functionality is duplicated entirely by ANOTHER port already on the phone, not to mention whose functionality is duplicated almost completely by another feature of the phone (wireless audio).

The writing has been on the wall for years.. anyone thinking 1/8" phono was going to stick around for a long time yet is delusional.

The point is that they haven't offered a compelling reason to remove it, and there are so many reasons that it benefits the company. People are allowed to criticize Apple. Yes, I know I don't have to buy the iPhone 7. Until there is a comparable technology (wireless isn't it), then removing functionality is anti-consumer and we are allowed to call it out. It doesn't mean I hate Apple (I would NEVER blaspheme the great JOBS) but I can still disagree with them and be disappointed by it.

 

[Fliesen]

nah. I am a huge apple fan and even I am guessing they'll go with USB-C for the 10th anniversary. The entire reason for Lightning was because USB-C was (at the time) still years away. Lightning was always a stop gap until USB-C launched and became ubiquitous.

i have serious doubts about that. The outrage was already big when they dropped their bulky 10(!) year old connector.

Dropping lighnting for another connector that isn't smaller or more feature rich would be a tough narrative to sell.

we've just hit the moment when every 'Apple household' has finally reached the point where most devices have been replaced by a lightning one (like those pesky iPad 2 and iPhone 4S) and everyone got at least one spare lightning cable, to have additional 'charging' stations around the home.
i don't think Apple would force people to, once again, go back to square one when there's nothing in for them (like those tasty MFi dollares)

 

[ClosingADoor]

........

"omg they are changing the port!!!!!! those greedy assholes!"

"but they're including a free adapter."

"Adapters are dumb."

I mean seriously.. get over it. A single purpose relatively large (by today's standards) port whose functionality is duplicated entirely by ANOTHER port already on the phone, not to mention whose functionality is duplicated almost completely by another feature of the phone (wireless audio).

The writing has been on the wall for years.. anyone thinking 1/8" phono was going to stick around for a long time yet is delusional.

Problem is, they are not moving towards a new standard that everyone will use. Nobody is going to use Lightning outside of Apple. So if you have wired audio, you are always stuck with an adapter.

 

[SmackCrackleNPop]

Once you go wireless, hard to go back. If this move kicks the companies into gear and improved wireless audio to sound better and connect reliably I don't mind at all!

If people hate it, just don't buy it. Let the market figure it out

 

[Kurdel]

And if it was up to consumers we would still have the 30 pin dock connector and and optical disc drive in the iPhone.

 

[therapist]

it means theyre gonna sell a fuckton of headphones

of course they dont mind

 

[AstroNut325]

Once you go wireless, hard to go back. If this move kicks the companies into gear and improved wireless audio to sound better and connect reliably I don't mind at all!

If people hate it, just don't buy it. Let the market figure it out

This. Went wireless. Can't go back. I see this as a positive.

Edit:

And if it was up to consumers we would still have the 30 pin dock connector and and optical disc drive in the iPhone.

This too.

What's that old quote from Henry Ford?

"If I asked what people wanted, they would say faster horses."

 

[Air]

I was annoyed at first because I figured id rather have usb-c headphones since that's an open standard, but I hope what headphone companies will do is kind of let you decide if you want to use lightning or USB wires by having headphones and the wires separate. If done that way or similarly than I don't have any complaints about removing the audio port. As long as I still have an option to use a wired pair of headphones I'm good

 

[Trojita]

And if it was up to consumers we would still have the 30 pin dock connector and and optical disc drive in the iPhone.

lol how would that work.

 

[Fliesen]

Problem is, they are not moving towards a new standard that everyone will use. Nobody is going to use Lightning outside of Apple. So if you have wired audio, you are always stuck with an adapter.

to be fair, many premium headphones already have a detachable cable, right? (except for IEMs) - so you'd probably 'only' have to buy an additional cable that has a USB-C plug for using a set of headphones on USB-C type devices.

This. Went wireless. Can't go back. I see this as a positive.

i bought 19€ bluetooth headphones for running on Amazon and, while build quality and fit isn't amazing, i was immediately in love with the fact that i didn't need to do "cable management" before every run. (i was already thinking about getting Jaybirds as my daily driver, but i was still waiting for this announcement. currently planning on getting the BeatsX)

Since the most cumbersome aspect of wireless headphones is syncing / pairing and charging, their W1 chip "proximity" pairing thing is already noticeable progress - and the AirPod's "charging case" (something that Motorola, Samsung and Bragi already used) keeps the earphones themselves light while still offering decent battery life (which should last you a marathon)

 

[Quixzlizx]

You mean the headphone companies aren't put out by the opportunity to sell everyone new headphones?

Who could have fucking foreseen this?

 

[Kthulhu]

A billion people are going to need new headphones, so yeah, no fucking problem lol.

Yeah. This isn't really a loss to them. They will make Lightning for iPhone users. And 3.5mm for everyone else. It's the consumer who's getting ripped off.

 

[EatinOlives]

You're unhinged.

Should've seen the other thread he was in. Put on quite a show for us.

 

[Awful Falafel]

Headphones with removable cables have been a thing for a few models here and there, I bet this will become more common going forward. Earbuds though? Enjoy your adapters or buying spares for different ports.

 

[ebullientprism]

This literally only screws over consumers. Why wouldn't headphone companies also be happy?

Pretty much this. Of course they would be loving it.

 

[Intheflorsh]

Once you go wireless, hard to go back. If this move kicks the companies into gear and improved wireless audio to sound better and connect reliably I don't mind at all!

If people hate it, just don't buy it. Let the market figure it out

I went wireless and went back. It's great, less bullshit in my life to charge and better sound quality!

 

[bedlamite]

Problem is, they are not moving towards a new standard that everyone will use. Nobody is going to use Lightning outside of Apple. So if you have wired audio, you are always stuck with an adapter.

So go wireless? Like others in the thread have mentioned, it's pretty nice. The wireless headset market is already crowded and it'll definitely boom once the 7 drops.

 

[Eidan]

Headphone companies have no problem with you buying new headphones. Color me surprised.

 

[Dierce]

Dont forget that apple also owns Beats so this also heavily favors their bottom line.

 

[ClosingADoor]

to be fair, many premium headphones already have a detachable cable, right? (except for IEMs) - so you'd probably 'only' have to buy an additional cable that has a USB-C plug for using a set of headphones on USB-C type devices.

You're still stuck switching it. Go from iPhone to laptop or other device, you need an adapter for at least one. It's just not that user friendly. Same thing with Apple's chargers, while the rest of the world has one standard in place.

So go wireless? Like others in the thread have mentioned, it's pretty nice. The wireless headset market is already crowded and it'll definitely boom once the 7 drops.

You can, but there are reasons not to also. And people have headsets around already they want to use.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

I know for a fact that of course they are going to sell more headphones, but it's totally going to suck when those prices come through. They ain't slick... Of course they would never have a problem with this.

 

[Sojgat]

it means theyre gonna sell a fuckton of headphones

of course they dont mind

Pretty much.

 

[Fliesen]

Yeah. This isn't really a loss to them. They will make Lightning for iPhone users. And 3.5mm for everyone else. It's the consumer who's getting ripped off.

To be fair, no consumer will be 'ripped off' unless they say "i shall spend another 300 bucks on premium headphones that have a new connector, because i simply refuse to use the free adapter"

the adapter, while being not the prettiest solution, will always functionally offer the possibility to use 'universal' (3.5mm) headphones on your iPhone.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Ha, if Apple cared about consumers they'd switch to USB-C. Please stop.

Hopefully the EU forces them.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Ha, if Apple cared about consumers they'd switch to USB-C. Please stop.

Hopefully the EU forces them.

The EU directive for universal chargers goes into effect in 2017 if I read it right. There will be a 1 year transition period. So we'll see what happens with the next iPhone I guess.

 

[EatinOlives]

The writing has been on the wall for years.. anyone thinking 1/8" phono was going to stick around for a long time yet is delusional.

You're only saying this because Apple decreed the jack is "outdated". Had I asked you and everyone pretending this was always going to happen "will the jack be phased out aggressively in 2016?" in 2014 none of you would've said yes. Hell, back in 2014 none of you thought the jack was outdated, old, in need of replacement, holding back progress, or any of the garbage y'all are saying to justify this. This was never a problem until magically right around the time the rumors came out.

This unconditional "this move is the correct one because Apple is doing it" mentality is scary.

 

[Darryl]

they wouldn't mind it if we switched standards every week

 

[muu]

What apple really needs to put out is a solid W1-enabled wireless DAC/Amp. Assuming they're not using some variant of Bluetooth and can actually do lossless audio you have an opportunity to appeal to the audiophile crowd, who in general are not listening to music straight through the phone's headphone jack in the first place. This should cover pretty much all the bases, as anyone not willing to spend $100-300 for a decent solution like that will probably gravitate towards the convenience of wireless headphones anyway.

 

[Warm Machine]

They are obviously thrilled that everyone is going to be replacing perfectly working headphones.

In the last 20 years the longest a pair of headphones has lasted that I've owned is maybe 5 years. Between Sony, JBL, Audeo, Sennheiser, and Apples own they have all failed. If they haven't straight up had their casing crack or the earcup foam fray they have been stolen, or lost within that period as well. I know I'm not the only one with this issue having worked in an office with 170 other people. Headphones are likely one of the most consumable pieces of tech going.

 

[Trojita]

I could see another problem being the continued abuse on the lightning connector. Some people here probably know that the lightning connector can be iffy at times like other connectors and it can get worse the more it's used. Same thing with the headphone jack really (always hated how easy it was for the 2 connectors to break in the device). Now there will be continued plugging and unplugging in one port taking all the abuse instead of two separate ones.

 

[SigSig]

They are obviously thrilled that everyone is going to be replacing perfectly working headphones.

The perfectly working headphones which continue to work perfectly?

 

[shamanick]

In the last 20 years the longest a pair of headphones has lasted that I've owned is maybe 5 years. Between Sony, JBL, Audeo, Sennheiser, and Apples own they have all failed. If they haven't straight up had their casing crack or the earcup foam fray they have been stolen, or lost within that period as well. I know I'm not the only one with this issue having worked in an office with 170 other people. Headphones are likely one of the most consumable pieces of tech going.

I've had my JVC open backs for 10 years and they are mint. I guess I should do my part for Apple and the headphone industry by buying a new pair of wireless headphones that require charging and don't sound as good.

 

[sixteen-bit]

they see the dollar signs, lol

 

[Kurdel]

Now there will be continued plugging and unplugging in one port taking all the abuse instead of two separate ones.

Just like the second port doubles your odds of a port breaking.

 

[TemplaerDude]

Apple does something, the world follows. This is not surprising at all.

Ha ha the fuck is this shit

 

[Trojita]

Just like the second port doubles your odds of a port breaking.

True, but it's one thing breaking versus losing both at the same time lol.

 

[Illucio]

Who's going to complain? This is going to make them a ton of money too ya know.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I don't really understand why I as a consumer would care about what the companies after Apple most likely to benefit from a strong push to a more expensive, likely higher margin product think.

 

[killer rin]

Honestly, if it wasn't for the Iphone jack being a Lightning port, I wouldn't have a problem with them getting rid of the Aux port altogether. I would actually love if audio products just all moved to USB-C because it would reduce cables across the board.

Computers would be built with more USB ports, Surround sound systems would be able to be connected with a single cable instead of 6 separate ones. Things would work out

 

[Kaako]

As if they have a choice lol.
Consumers are gonna get fucked pretty hard pricing wise though.

 

[wenis]

Why on earth would Grado care about iPhones? Who goes out with Grados in public?

Lots. It's hilarious and I've once witnessed someone getting their cable caught on a metal bar on the bus and ripping the cable from the base of the headset. It would've been sad if it weren't so easily avoidable and not incredibly idiotic.

 

[Lothars]

A billion people are going to need new headphones, so yeah, no fucking problem lol.

exactly, headphone companies are not going to disagree, it's the consumers that have an issue with it and that will be reflected.

 

[Septimius]

Wait, headphone companies jump on the opportunity to have people buy more products? I'm shocked!

Two things are certain: wireless is not a better way to transfer audio. It might be more convenient. That, and for the same BOM, wireless/digital audio headphones will perform worse than headphones with analog input.

This is bullshit.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the Iphone jack being a Lightning port, I wouldn't have a problem with them getting rid of the Aux port altogether. I would actually love if audio products just all moved to USB-C because it would reduce cables across the board.

Computers would be built with more USB ports, Surround sound systems would be able to be connected with a single cable instead of 6 separate ones. Things would work out

Absolutely not. Lest you're arguing for active, powered speakers for your entire surround system. Which would be shit. And fucking expensive. There's reason things are the way they are, and there's a difference between digital and analog audio. That difference is not small, and usb-c can never take its place.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

Of course they aren't complaining, they get to sell all their headphones again.

 

[borghe]

Honestly, if it wasn't for the Iphone jack being a Lightning port, I wouldn't have a problem with them getting rid of the Aux port altogether. I would actually love if audio products just all moved to USB-C because it would reduce cables across the board.

Computers would be built with more USB ports, Surround sound systems would be able to be connected with a single cable instead of 6 separate ones. It would be alright.

but this move still in fact facilitates that. Sure it's lightning, but it sets the stage for Samsung or one of the chinese companies to do exactly the same thing over USB-C, and for the audio companies to just have to update the digital audio connector but still use the same hardware starting at the cable.

 

[Kurdel]

True, but it's one thing breaking versus losing both at the same time lol.

Imagine how butthurt people will be once they go no port and wireless charging.

 

[Ikuu]

Why would they be upset, now they can sell a bunch of new shit.

 

[Warm Machine]

I've had my JVC open backs for 10 years and they are mint. I guess I should do my part for Apple and the headphone industry by buying a new pair of wireless headphones that require charging and don't sound as good.

That's awesome. My favourite headphones lasted for 4 years prior to them getting stolen and those were the industry and recording standard $250 Sony MDR ones with the steel frame. Daily use for hours at a time at my office still had the earcups fray. I replaced them with a newer model Sony MDR with removable cable a few years back. These cans sit by my PC and are wired into the machine. I never use them or anything other than listening to music through the PC they are mint as well still. I'm not staking my life that they will last forever though.