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With the announcement of the headphone jack removal on the iPhone 7, I'm praying B&O comes up with a solution besides bluetooth. Has anyone heard anything?
lupend88: With the announcement of the headphone jack removal on the iPhone 7, I'm praying B&O comes up with a solution besides bluetooth. Has anyone heard anything?
Yes, I've heard there are other phones available!
Ban boring signatures!
Oooouch, Puncher you are evil!
In all fairness, my iPhone is 5 years old next month and is still pretty flawless. I can't fault it.
I would not worry Lupend, there is a connector supplied in the box no problems. Considering that there has been ZERO long term tests on bluetooth, the thought of something right near to your eyes and brain for a few hours a day does not sound too pleasant. In a way, the customer/victim/patient will be the experiment for these tech companies. Time will tell!
As is the Galaxy S2 I won online in 2011!
Of course you can use the dongle from the box.
It will be interesting to see how long it will take for a small company to get access to the hardware, that must be built in to 'new' (Apple wireless compatible) headphones.
And it will be interesting to learn about the technology used for the new wireless transmission.
Will it be par or better than bluetooth for everyday use?
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Millemissen:It will be interesting to see how long it will take for a small company to get access to the hardware, that must be built in to 'new' (Apple wireless compatible) headphones.
It will be interesting to see how many small companies can afford the "MFi" costs to be able to use the "hardware, that must be built in to 'new' (Apple wireless compatible) headphones".
I don't think it is a coincidence that they bought a headphone company before they did this!
BeoNut since '75
actually this opens a nice opportunity for them, they could include a audio AD converter and circumvent the crappy output that the iphone headphone jack offered
that should enable much better sound from their expensive headphones
Puncher: Millemissen:It will be interesting to see how long it will take for a small company to get access to the hardware, that must be built in to 'new' (Apple wireless compatible) headphones. It will be interesting to see how many small companies can afford the "MFi" costs to be able to use the "hardware, that must be built in to 'new' (Apple wireless compatible) headphones". I don't think it is a coincidence that they bought a headphone company before they did this!
Bingo! Apple abuses their dominance of some markets as much or more than any Robber Baron would have. B&O got burned once by them with the A3, but the true fanboys hang on regardless. Ask not what Apple can do for you, but what you can do for Apple! I'm all for true capitalism, but Apple is greed personified.
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
Millemissen:Of course you can use the dongle from the box. It will be interesting to see how long it will take for a small company to get access to the hardware, that must be built in to 'new' (Apple wireless compatible) headphones. And it will be interesting to learn about the technology used for the new wireless transmission. Will it be par or better than bluetooth for everyday use? MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
Beolab 50, Beolab 8000 x 2, Beolab 4000 x 2, BeoSound Core, BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Century, BeoLit 15, BeoPlay A1, BeoPlay P2, BeoPlay H9 3rd Gen, BeoPlay H6, EarSet 3i, BeoVision Eclipse Gen 2 55", BeoPlay V1-40, BeoCom 6000 and so much else :)
Bang & Olufsen has probably made arrangements with their partner in China to produce headphones which use Apple's new W chip. The manufacturer in China has other customers who will want to be compatible with Apple's new headphones also. There is a lot of competition. Here is a quote from Sennheiser.
"Sennheiser has seen many different connection standards come and go in the audio world over the years," said Daniel Sennheiser, co-CEO of Sennheiser. "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."
Duels:Hey elephant how do you find the sound on the H5s? There is much I like about them but so far on Bluetooth the sound is a tad disappointing. I'm missing a lot of bass compared with H3s.
elephant:I guess I am intuitively compensating for the form factor and being impressed with what I get. Yes my H8 has more oomphf but the convenience of the H5 hiding in my shirt pocket is worth it. And often in a conversation people don't even realise I have the H8s plugged in my ears (they're loop behind my glasses, ears and neck and with longish hair they're almost invisible ) ! BeoNut since '75
One aspect of dropping the 3.5mm analogue jack in favour of the supposedly digital lightning connector on the new iPhone 7, is just how and where the conversion is made from digital to analogue to drive the wired headphones (an analogue device).
Do the new supplied earbuds with lightning plug, have a miniaturised DAC in them? Ditto the supplied lightning/3.5mm adaptor.
Or has the apparently digital Lightning connector on the iPhone been rejigged in some way such as to pass an analogue signal from the iPhones internal DAC (still necessary to drive the phones internal speaker/earpiece)
Intriguing developments - removing a DAC/analogue circuitry from the noisy electrical environment of an phone, could lead to noticeable and worthwhile improvements in sound quality for wired headphones.
Cheers
John..
John: One aspect of dropping the 3.5mm analogue jack in favour of the supposedly digital lightning connector on the new iPhone 7, is just how and where the conversion is made from digital to analogue to drive the wired headphones (an analogue device). Do the new supplied earbuds with lightning plug, have a miniaturised DAC in them? Ditto the supplied lightning/3.5mm adaptor. Or has the apparently digital Lightning connector on the iPhone been rejigged in some way such as to pass an analogue signal from the iPhones internal DAC (still necessary to drive the phones internal speaker/earpiece) Intriguing developments - removing a DAC/analogue circuitry from the noisy electrical environment of an phone, could lead to noticeable and worthwhile improvements in sound quality for wired headphones. Cheers John..
I belive there is a small DAC inside the cable. The adaptor will work with all lightning enabled devices that supports iOS 10 so clearly it needs a driver to work which further makes it probable that there is a chip inside. Since it is not yet available it's hard to say. However, it is remarkably cheap.I compared the regular Lightning to USB cable with the new Lightning to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter and found it to be slightly higher and wider.
I could absolutely live with the adapter cable (make it black, though!)
But in my car (using minijack to line-in) I will need to find a way to charge the 7 at the same time ;-)
I guess - sooner or later - we will see new headphones with a lightning connection from B&O also (or even with the 'Air' technology).
Might not be their priority - seems that they are focussing more on the Android 'world' nowadays.
If the DAC is built into the cable adapter, that could open up a whole new ball game for companies to make a top quality DAC connected to the lightning plug. :)
Did anyone notice the stereo speakers on the iPhone?
But I agree with MM about Android. Some of the HTC and Samsung Galaxy & Note 7 devices are pretty excellent.
@Paul W
1: This is not new - new is the size (I guess).
2: That is what I would call 'gimmick stereo'!
Maybe a USB-C headphone would be the way to go for B&O.
Use it directly with Android phones - use a Lightning to USB-C adapter with iPhones.
???
I don't think MM that it's gimmick stereo. I think that it's a great idea. Some of my early 80s late 70s tunes sound really bad when played on a mono speakers - like Dolby pumping or some form of compression going in and out. I think that it's great to see stereo when Mono really should not in any damn way be on the Bluetooth market. There's a reason stereo replaced MONO 40+ years ago and we really have to appreciate that.
Libratone has just launched lightning earphones today. Companies obviously see a big enough market in it especially if iPad and MacBook lines drop the 3.5mm in the future.
I don't see with headphones it's a problem for B&O as the actual cables are outsourced and most brands headphone plug in cables probably come from the same factory anyway. The factory that makes B&O PLAY Could be the same factory that makes BOSE, SAMSUNG, ALBA, for all we know - certainly quality control is not its highest point. Feed them dog food long enough and they learn to put barbecue sauce on it.
Why the h*ck should I buy a B&O (branded) headphone then???
The new Apple EarPods look amazing and really, this is what the H5 should have been. A shame as I will undoubtedly buy the Apple product over the B&O one. These are utilising Bluetooth technology properly; i.e. more serious, better design, more minimalist and cable free etc. I can imagine Apple selling absolutely millions of these and imagine I'll see them in gyms and in general public everywhere in just a few weeks from release. Come on B&O, why so behind all the time? apple are what B&O 'used' to be.
Further details and pricing here.
B&O products are V1-32, BS2, H95, E8 and an Essence remote.11-46 now replaced with Sony A90J 65”, Sony HT-A9, Sony UBP-X800M2 and Sony SRS-NS7.
(AirPods)
Paul W: I don't think MM that it's gimmick stereo. I think that it's a great idea. Some of my early 80s late 70s tunes sound really bad when played on a mono speakers - like Dolby pumping or some form of compression going in and out. I think that it's great to see stereo when Mono really should not in any damn way be on the Bluetooth market. There's a reason stereo replaced MONO 40+ years ago and we really have to appreciate that.
How many 'mono devices/speakers' do you have?
The benefit (one of more) of stereo is that you can have the 'stereo perspective' to give you the perception of depth and 3-dimensional structure of the sound.....
To acchieve this there are several 'rules' to follow: Sitting in the sweet spot with the (two) speakers wide apart from you. Taking care of the influences of the room etc etc.
None of these 'rules' can be used with a small device like a mobile phone.
I guess the reason for (and the advantage of) using 'stereo' is, that you have much more possibilities to tweek, alter, boost the sound, when you use 'stereo' (using DSP). Whether you like that or not, is truely a personal matter.
With stereo as we know it from a good set of speakers in a 'fit for' room (alternatively from a good set of headphones), the use of 'stereo' in a mobile device has very little to do.
That is why I called it 'gimmick stereo'.
Personally I wouldn't bother, if the had kept the 'mono' speaker.
By the way - when you are surfing, you (probably) only use one board.
Why that?
I guess you have two feet - why not do 'stereo surfing' ;-))))
Sorry - this is getting off-topic.
But there is not much to say about B&O and Lightning HP's - we will just have to wait and see, what comes.
@BAND'OH!
Please tell us about the sound quality, when you have bought/tried them.
I think you are a bit unfair with B&O.
How can a company like B&O be 'ahead' of Apple?
Apple uses a proprietary technology for the AirPods.
You will have to have a licence (and the hardware chip) from Apple,
before you can make your own Beo-AirPhones.
Millemissen: You will have to have a licence (and the hardware chip) from Apple, before you can make your own Beo-AirPhones.
Michael: Do you have any source of this?
Do you have any source of this?
No Michael - I haven't.
But when was it so, that Apple would not try to earn money from their technology/design (which is ok!)?
I simply assumed, that it is so in this case, but would be happy if it isn't.
It would make it possible to see 'new' compatible headphones soon(er).
If you happen to know more - please tell!
Millemissen:No Michael - I haven't. But when was it so, that Apple would not try to earn money from their technology/design (which is ok!)? I simply assumed, that it is so in this case, but would be happy if it isn't. It would make it possible to see 'new' compatible headphones soon(er). If you happen to know more - please tell! MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
It's crazy. The Bluetooth headphone 1. Does not sound as great as a cable connected headphone. 2. Needs charging - Apple constantly points out how busy peoples lives are. So when do you have time to remember to charge them? 3. Would not last a long haul flight 4. No long term safety testing. 5. Creates more electricity demand so the USA can 'justify' building more nuclear power plants with 70 years on no idea of what to do with the nuclear waste - OK, just leave it in barrels next to the power plant. 6. The lightning connecter really will be overused so will wear. 7. It's not about water resistant as the small print DOES NOT allow for any water on the iPhone for a warranty claim. So the water resistant claim is thoroughly useless.
With the 100 year old jack, just plug it in and WOW a warm sound and amazing thing is, there's no dropouts. WOW I bet Apple wish they'd invented that! :)
Paul W: It's crazy. The Bluetooth headphone 1. Does not sound as great as a cable connected headphone. 2. Needs charging - Apple constantly points out how busy peoples lives are. So when do you have time to remember to charge them? 3. Would not last a long haul flight 4. No long term safety testing. 5. Creates more electricity demand so the USA can 'justify' building more nuclear power plants with 70 years on no idea of what to do with the nuclear waste - OK, just leave it in barrels next to the power plant. 6. The lightning connecter really will be overused so will wear. 7. It's not about water resistant as the small print DOES NOT allow for any water on the iPhone for a warranty claim. So the water resistant claim is thoroughly useless. With the 100 year old jack, just plug it in and WOW a warm sound and amazing thing is, there's no dropouts. WOW I bet Apple wish they'd invented that! :)
What's also crazy is how the flexing of the wire at the end of the plug renders headphones useless, even the one cleverly shrouded in soft plastic.
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w5bno123:Hi Duels If you open up the BeoPlay app and go to ToneTouch and expand the dot as one would do if expanding the screen on an iDevice it will make the dot bigger and enhance the sound.
Jimmy Kimmel (late night guy in the US) had a funny joke (I thought) about the "airpods". He said something to the effect that they should have named them the "iLostMine". They will sell millions (as someone said) because people will lose them constantly.
Stan
steve1977:interesting perspective high-lighting improved audio quality: http://qz.com/776240/by-scrapping-your-antiquated-headphones-apple-is-doing-something-extraordinary-for-music/
http://qz.com/776240/by-scrapping-your-antiquated-headphones-apple-is-doing-something-extraordinary-for-music/
Sorry for my harsh answer, but this is nonsense that only works for uneducated people. Better quality through current Bluetooth? Very funnyA lousy headphone does not get better if you but the DAC into its housing or feed it via Bluetooth: It stays what it is: A lousy headphone.The nonsense article will only be good, great or whatever for people who think that beats headphones or Apple headphones sound good.
TWG: steve1977:interesting perspective high-lighting improved audio quality: http://qz.com/776240/by-scrapping-your-antiquated-headphones-apple-is-doing-something-extraordinary-for-music/ Sorry for my harsh answer, but this is nonsense that only works for uneducated people. Better quality through current Bluetooth? Very funnyA lousy headphone does not get better if you but the DAC into its housing or feed it via Bluetooth: It stays what it is: A lousy headphone.The nonsense article will only be good, great or whatever for people who think that beats headphones or Apple headphones sound good.
I'm not sure what you mean but the headphone jack was relying on a built in DAC of so-so quality. Using very expensive headphones this would be a imitation. Using a lightning cable and thereby having a completely digital full resolution signal to the DAC of the headphones - tailored for them (just like active B&O speakers) can and do make a lot of difference. Bluetooth is also nowadays a protocol with high data speeds and possibilities of high quality sound is there. The wireless headphone game is still quite young and the tech will evolve. I like that. I´d prefer lightning headphones over the old headphone jack - and I prefer wireless headphones on the go since it is so much simpler and no more cables that pulls my iPhone out of the pocket onto the floor, or the headphones of my head and so on.
Millemissen: @BAND'OH! Please tell us about the sound quality, when you have bought/tried them. I think you are a bit unfair with B&O. How can a company like B&O be 'ahead' of Apple? Apple uses a proprietary technology for the AirPods. You will have to have a licence (and the hardware chip) from Apple, before you can make your own Beo-AirPhones. MM
Yes, perhaps a little unfair as Apple has far many more resources than B&O. However, I feel that many of Apple's designs have been inspired by the B&O brand in the past. The late Steve Jobs was a great fan of B&O and bought many products. I am sad that the student has now become the teacher and I guess if Apple got it right, which has led to them now being so financially viable, why couldn't B&O have done the same?
All companies start small and then its up to them to grow. Apple has, once again, broken new ground by making a pair of totally wireless headphones. I always used to look forward to seeing B&O breaking new ground but now they don't. The H5s are just another version of a short wired bluetooth product and don't really stand out. Both sound and design are mediocre in my opinion. The fact they don't even fit properly in many people's ears also demonstrates the lack of testing so frankly, it is a bit of a let down for a company such as B&O. Apple don't make these kinds of mistakes because they are driven to succeed in the way that B&O used to be. I just think its a sad turn of events really.
I do think they have done well with the BS1 and BS2 so I am happy and hopeful on this front but really, they need to be getting it right with all the products across the range. If it was another smaller less experienced company then fine, but not from B&O, this is embarrassing. Simon.