5 Lightning headphones to buy when iPhone ditches the 3.5mm jack

Apple reportedly plans to ditch the headphone jack on the next iPhone.

This is where you scream and curse at Apple. Done? Okay, now let’s move on, talk about why, and consider the alternatives, including lightning headphones. Yes. Those are thing. They’re like regular headphones or earbuds – only they plug into the lightning port instead of the 3.5mm jack.

In fact, if you browse the gallery above, we’ve picked out a few lightning headphones out now or coming soon.

Lightning headphones: Why is Apple ditching the jack?

Apple’s next flagship (presumably called the iPhone 7) might not come with a standard 3.5mm jack, because – according to the running theory of the moment – Apple will introduce 96kHz/24-bit music streaming in Apple Music.

But an analog headphone jack can only deliver CD-quality sound. The lightning port, however, allows for headphones with integrated digital-to-analog converters and amplifiers, so audio traveling through the lightning port would therefore pass into the headphones digitally, thus avoiding typical analog signal interferences and whatnot.

Lightning headphones are capable of receiving lossless stereo 48 kHz digital audio output from Apple devices and sending mono 48 kHz digital audio input. They can also draw power from an Apple device (even if the device is asleep). That means you can charge while you listen. Glorious!

Also, by using the lightning port, Apple could shave 1mm off the smartphone. It could then wrap the screen ever further around the device and phone base. Oh, and there would be space for more battery too. That’s right. Apple would be able to squeeze a bigger juice pack into your next iPhone.

All we know for sure is that Apple loves to kill old technology (floppy drive, CD drive, 30-pin connector, USB-A, etc) in favour of new stuff. And, in our opinion, that new stuff might just be certified Lightning headphones. Don’t be shocked. Apple quietly started allowing manufacturers to make them two years ago.

Lightning headphones: Are they Apple-approved?

Apple’s Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) program enables manufacturers to create Apple-specified/approved goods for iOS devices, and for quite a while, manufacturers have been able to make headphones that connect to iOS devices using a Lightning connector instead of the usual 3.5mm jack.

Unfortunately, only a few companies have actually taken advantage of this golden opportunity, though if the rumour mill keeps churning out these reports about Apple ditching the jack, we’ll likely see more and more Lightning headphones popping up ahead of the iPhone 7’s expected launch.

The Audeze EL-8 Titanium Closed-Back headphones are probably the most-well known Lightning headphones. They’re marketed as the first to offer a fully integrated Lightning connector for iPhone, along with a headphone amplifier and 28-bit DAC built into the Lightning cable. But they’re not cheap.

Check out the gallery above to browse more Lightning headphones available to buy right now. Well, some of them are launching soon. But you get the point. We plan to update this piece over time – so keep coming back.

Lightning headphones: But what about Bluetooth?

Let’s not forget as well that going wireless is the future (ie wireless charging, etc). So, speaking of wireless, Apple recently became a promoter member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. It therefore could be getting ready to push Bluetooth headphones instead of Lightning ones.

But, honestly, we’re not betting on that.