5 ms·

I don't really get the hate for the lack of a headphone jack tbh. Have people complaining about this ever really given good bluetooth headphones a chance? My Be

I don't really get the hate for the lack of a headphone jack tbh. Have people complaining about this ever really given good bluetooth headphones a chance? My Beats Solo 3 have fantastic battery life, i can switch between devices with a click of a button (in the case of the Bose QC35 even be connected to two devices at the same time, listening to music on the laptop while being able to receive phone calls on the phone) and the sound quality is absolutely fine. Sure, an audiophile DAC with high end headphones will have better sound quality, but do you really need that on a phone?

ProAm 7y ago
Just because you dont see a need for it, does not mean there is not a need for it.
- kayoone 7y ago
  i am not saying there is no valid need for it, but nowadays it's a niche need and the market seems to have moved on. I was very skeptical of bluetooth for a long time, but the current generation of devices, especially those with Apples W1/H1 chips are just very very good. Instant switching of devices, no re-pairing, good battery life etc.
p1necone 7y ago
Good bluetooth headphones cost hundreds of dollars, good wired headphones can be < $100. And I never have to charge wired headphones - I can always rely on them to just work.
1propionyl 7y ago
The "audiophiles" insisting on the need for 3.5mm analog output have always been strangely silent on the fact that they are tacitly accepting that whatever DAC is built into the phone is up to their standards. That said, small but very decent DACs have been around for a while. There's one smaller than your pinky nail inside the lightning-to-3.5mm adapter included with newer iPhones. There are plenty of good reasons to want a 3.5mm headphone jack on a phone. But audio quality is not one of them.
- qqii 7y ago
  I don't know what audiophile circles you're in but when I started getting into headphones phone DACs were looked at with scrutiny. For most earbuds it's "good enough" whereas for higher end headphones it is both accepted and measurable that you're not experiencing all that your headphones have to offer. In response there are many that purchase media players with DACs for this specific reason. When 3.5mm jacks started getting removed measurements also turned to the DACs within usb c/lightning to 3.5mm cables.
coldpie 7y ago
It's strictly a decrease in functionality. My phone, with a headphone jack, also supports bluetooth, if I wanted to use it. What do I gain by losing the headphone jack?
- crazygringo 7y ago
  Obviously some combination of water resistance, more space for battery, space for other components (larger camera), or along those lines. There is no consumer device used by virtually everyone where every square millimeter counts more than in a cell phone. It's not like there's just an empty hole where the jack would be otherwise. That space is being used for whatever component(s) Apple thinks its customers, as a whole, find more valuable -- i.e. a net increase in functionality for the average consumer, even if not for you personally.
  - p1necone 7y ago
    "That space is being used for whatever component(s) Apple thinks its customers, as a whole, find more valuable -- i.e. a net increase in functionality for the average consumer, even if not for you personally. " This is assuming that "what Apple thinks its customers want" === "what Apples customers want"
    - adequateness 7y ago
      > This is assuming that "what Apple thinks its customers want" === "what Apples customers want" Considering the financial success of Apple I would say that is probably true.
      - p1necone 7y ago
        Eh, plenty of companies are massively successful while simultaneously making plenty of mistakes.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
Nition 7y ago
I don't know about everyone else but I sometimes use a 3.5mm to RCA cable to play music from the phone through a stereo.
- javagram 7y ago
  Same, except my stereo has a 3.5mm in. I have several pairs of Bluetooth headphones but still use the 3.5mm jack on my SE all the time, and I use a 3.5mm lightning adapter with my iPad Pro.
- kayoone 7y ago
  i have a chromecast audio on the stereo which i find more convenient to use anyway because you can keep using your phone like normal while the chromecast is running spotify. For rare cases where I need direct audio, Bluetooth audio receivers are also pretty cheap. I am not saying you don't have a valid point, but you make it sound like it's impossible or inconvenient which imo isn't true.
bmurphy1976 7y ago
Yes you need it. I have a great pair of BT headphones, but I also have a great pair of wired headphones. There are times when I would prefer to use the wired ones, not the least of which is when walking through a busy city where BT likes to cut out from all the interference. Our Mini-Van also doesn't have BT. I have to use my USB-C adapter which means I can't charge and listen at the same time. Very inconvenient on long trips when I'm also using the phone for navigation.
- kayoone 7y ago
  my car also doesn't have BT, i use a cheap adapter to charge and have audio out at the same time. It's not great, but in your case you would also have to run two wires, so not really a difference.
tandr 7y ago
> have fantastic battery life But still less than a batter life of a phone. Running out of juice on them after a while become like a constant self-inflicting anxiety attack, with semi permanent jumps between "Should I plug them now in case I have to have it later" and "I like this song/track/mix, I will listen to it". IMHO, YMMV
- p1necone 7y ago
  Yeah, all the bluetooth headphones I know of have to be charged after a day or so of usage - I wouldn't call that fantastic.
ZoomZoomZoom 7y ago
I already have a perfect set (a couple, actually) of headphones. I see no valid justification for removing the jack except forcing the user to bend further to the existing Apple environment. There are slick and slim android phones with jacks, it's not a technical issue. Disclaimer: I'm not an Apple user, but I'm a an avid listener and work in music industry. Unfortunately there's a bunch of "killer apps" for musicians which have no alternative for Android. It's a pity there's no escape from the walled gardens.
yodsanklai 7y ago
> Have people complaining about this ever really given good bluetooth headphones a chance? I have bluetooth headphones, but I still rely on my wired earbuds if I go running, or if I want to travel light, or for phone calls. And I also have regular non-bluetooth good quality headphones that I like to use (especially when the bluetooth ones run out of battery). For me, it's not only a matter of sound quality, but I find it convenient to be able to plug any headphones without bothering with bluetooth.
- kayoone 7y ago
  i use bluetooth airpods for calls and even for cycling long distances. They are very light and basically no messing around with bluetooth. Battery life isn't stellar, but enough for a couple of hours continued use and when i put them in the case they recharge automatically. When they run out, i have Beats Solo 3 over-ears bluetooth headphones which easily last for days.

ProAm 7y ago

Just because you dont see a need for it, does not mean there is not a need for it.

kayoone 7y ago
i am not saying there is no valid need for it, but nowadays it's a niche need and the market seems to have moved on. I was very skeptical of bluetooth for a long time, but the current generation of devices, especially those with Apples W1/H1 chips are just very very good. Instant switching of devices, no re-pairing, good battery life etc.

p1necone 7y ago

Good bluetooth headphones cost hundreds of dollars, good wired headphones can be < $100. And I never have to charge wired headphones - I can always rely on them to just work.

1propionyl 7y ago

The "audiophiles" insisting on the need for 3.5mm analog output have always been strangely silent on the fact that they are tacitly accepting that whatever DAC is built into the phone is up to their standards. That said, small but very decent DACs have been around for a while. There's one smaller than your pinky nail inside the lightning-to-3.5mm adapter included with newer iPhones. There are plenty of good reasons to want a 3.5mm headphone jack on a phone. But audio quality is not one of them.

qqii 7y ago
I don't know what audiophile circles you're in but when I started getting into headphones phone DACs were looked at with scrutiny. For most earbuds it's "good enough" whereas for higher end headphones it is both accepted and measurable that you're not experiencing all that your headphones have to offer. In response there are many that purchase media players with DACs for this specific reason. When 3.5mm jacks started getting removed measurements also turned to the DACs within usb c/lightning to 3.5mm cables.

coldpie 7y ago

It's strictly a decrease in functionality. My phone, with a headphone jack, also supports bluetooth, if I wanted to use it. What do I gain by losing the headphone jack?

crazygringo 7y ago
Obviously some combination of water resistance, more space for battery, space for other components (larger camera), or along those lines. There is no consumer device used by virtually everyone where every square millimeter counts more than in a cell phone. It's not like there's just an empty hole where the jack would be otherwise. That space is being used for whatever component(s) Apple thinks its customers, as a whole, find more valuable -- i.e. a net increase in functionality for the average consumer, even if not for you personally.
- p1necone 7y ago
  "That space is being used for whatever component(s) Apple thinks its customers, as a whole, find more valuable -- i.e. a net increase in functionality for the average consumer, even if not for you personally. " This is assuming that "what Apple thinks its customers want" === "what Apples customers want"
  - adequateness 7y ago
    > This is assuming that "what Apple thinks its customers want" === "what Apples customers want" Considering the financial success of Apple I would say that is probably true.
    - p1necone 7y ago
      Eh, plenty of companies are massively successful while simultaneously making plenty of mistakes.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]

Nition 7y ago

I don't know about everyone else but I sometimes use a 3.5mm to RCA cable to play music from the phone through a stereo.

javagram 7y ago
Same, except my stereo has a 3.5mm in. I have several pairs of Bluetooth headphones but still use the 3.5mm jack on my SE all the time, and I use a 3.5mm lightning adapter with my iPad Pro.
kayoone 7y ago
i have a chromecast audio on the stereo which i find more convenient to use anyway because you can keep using your phone like normal while the chromecast is running spotify. For rare cases where I need direct audio, Bluetooth audio receivers are also pretty cheap. I am not saying you don't have a valid point, but you make it sound like it's impossible or inconvenient which imo isn't true.

bmurphy1976 7y ago

Yes you need it. I have a great pair of BT headphones, but I also have a great pair of wired headphones. There are times when I would prefer to use the wired ones, not the least of which is when walking through a busy city where BT likes to cut out from all the interference. Our Mini-Van also doesn't have BT. I have to use my USB-C adapter which means I can't charge and listen at the same time. Very inconvenient on long trips when I'm also using the phone for navigation.

kayoone 7y ago
my car also doesn't have BT, i use a cheap adapter to charge and have audio out at the same time. It's not great, but in your case you would also have to run two wires, so not really a difference.

tandr 7y ago

> have fantastic battery life But still less than a batter life of a phone. Running out of juice on them after a while become like a constant self-inflicting anxiety attack, with semi permanent jumps between "Should I plug them now in case I have to have it later" and "I like this song/track/mix, I will listen to it". IMHO, YMMV

p1necone 7y ago
Yeah, all the bluetooth headphones I know of have to be charged after a day or so of usage - I wouldn't call that fantastic.

ZoomZoomZoom 7y ago

I already have a perfect set (a couple, actually) of headphones. I see no valid justification for removing the jack except forcing the user to bend further to the existing Apple environment. There are slick and slim android phones with jacks, it's not a technical issue. Disclaimer: I'm not an Apple user, but I'm a an avid listener and work in music industry. Unfortunately there's a bunch of "killer apps" for musicians which have no alternative for Android. It's a pity there's no escape from the walled gardens.

yodsanklai 7y ago

> Have people complaining about this ever really given good bluetooth headphones a chance? I have bluetooth headphones, but I still rely on my wired earbuds if I go running, or if I want to travel light, or for phone calls. And I also have regular non-bluetooth good quality headphones that I like to use (especially when the bluetooth ones run out of battery). For me, it's not only a matter of sound quality, but I find it convenient to be able to plug any headphones without bothering with bluetooth.

kayoone 7y ago
i use bluetooth airpods for calls and even for cycling long distances. They are very light and basically no messing around with bluetooth. Battery life isn't stellar, but enough for a couple of hours continued use and when i put them in the case they recharge automatically. When they run out, i have Beats Solo 3 over-ears bluetooth headphones which easily last for days.