61–70 of 143 posts
Note that there is a 2.5mm variant of the connector, which I'm surprised hasn't gotten more common as a result of the whole thinness trend.
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Good. However: - You have to recharge it - If you forget them at home you can't get a replacement for cheap - Setting up bluetooth is an extra hassle as opposed to just plugging the thing
I have to recharge my phone too, if I forget my phone at home I can't get a replacement for cheap, and after the initial setup, Bluetooth is easier than plugging in headphones.
It's harder if you want to listen to something on your laptop for a minute instead or on the phone. It's also harder when the phone is in your pocket and because it's just in the wrong orientation for the BT to work your audio cuts out.
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Looks like the spec is 10,000 cycles: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8377/usb-typec-connector-speci... That's over 13 cycles/day for two years. Probably fine for most users. Edit: The official spec is only available via a zipped folder of PDFs, here's the particulars to save readers the effort. 5.7.1.3 Durability or Insertion/Extraction Cycles (EIA 364-09) The durability ratings listed in Table 5-16 are specified for…
That's what the spec says. It remains to be seen how connectors perform in the real world, with all its dust and dirt.
The original 30 pin Apple connector wasn't bad, but when I looked at the new lightning connector I thought it would be a clear improvement. But now I'm not sure.
Lightning pins are quite small. I find my devices don't always make good contact. I find black stuff (oxidation?) building up on both pins and sockets.
Compared to lightning, USB-C just "feels" like it will be much worse. I predict it will be a disappointment in the real world (as most connectors turn out to be).
"Thinner phone" is a stupid requirement. A thinner phone will be mechanically weaker. Yes, Apple retired Floppy disks and DVD readers, because those were replaced by something better. This is not the case here. A Bluetooth headphone will give you an inferior experience. A lightning converter will give you a worse experience because I can bet it doesn't stay plugged as firmly as a headphone in a high vibration situati…
FWIW I recently got one of these:
http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-e3
and I'm very happy (not for use with an Apple device though, I use it with a Sony Xpedia Z3+, my laptop and my desktop via a recent generation usb bluetooth dongle (for AptX support).
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> Just as a reminder it was the EU who ended the BS of every company having a stupid proprietary charger. Did they? How did Apple get away with it?
They ship the phones with a small adapter that goes from micro USB to lightning. You're allowed a proprietary port into the phone as long as you provide the adapter for free.
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD820AM/A/lightning-to-mic...
$20 to buy in the US. Sure it cost $.10 to make.
"If you look at the previous generation of phones, things like Nokia phones, you had to have an adapter," he reasons. "If you want to connect headphones to professional equipment, you also need a professional adapter." No, this was (for the most part) an anomaly. (Sony loved this crap.) And the "adapter" you need for professional gear costs all of .25, unless you want to plug your headphones into BNC, then it's maybe…
Sony made a couple of brilliant mp3 players with proper line out for a while - until Sony Music got upset about "piracy", and apparently the ensuing battle within Sony killed a lot of great products. Which turned out to be a net loss, as was obvious to anyone - it happened that Apple took the marked with the iPod, but it was obvious someone would).
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> getting rid of the jack substantially boosts battery life Yes, as you say, by moving the power draw for the DAC to another device, which must be charged separately. This isn't a real gain in battery life in any way.
Most of the people I know use the internal speakers on their phones extensively, and hardly ever use audio over either Bluetooth or the 3.5mm jack. In this case, how would battery life be improved. The DAC and amplifier cannot be removed unless the on board speaker is also. I hope this is not the case.
These people are a pox on public transport.
How is USB-C working out as a connector, from the ruggedness standpoint? It has a huge number of pins (24) in a small space. How many insertion cycles can it survive in the real world? Is connector wearout going to limit phone life?
Looks like the spec is 10,000 cycles: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8377/usb-typec-connector-speci... That's over 13 cycles/day for two years. Probably fine for most users. Edit: The official spec is only available via a zipped folder of PDFs, here's the particulars to save readers the effort. 5.7.1.3 Durability or Insertion/Extraction Cycles (EIA 364-09) The durability ratings listed in Table 5-16 are specified for…
Whenever I leave my desk, I take the phone with me so that the Health app can record steps and distance. Thus the phone comes with me on bathroom breaks, so that's a couple more.
I'll go talk to coworkers down the hall a couple times a day, adding a couple more cycles.
Every 30 minutes I get up and take a stroll around the office to mitigate the effects of sitting too long [1]. That's another maybe 10 cycles.
That's 17 cycles/day on work days, assuming no more cycles at home after work.
If I manage to have 6 more cycles at home on weekends or after work on work days, that will be bring my average over the week to 13 cycles/day.
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That's what the spec says. It remains to be seen how connectors perform in the real world, with all its dust and dirt.
Dust and dirt are a bitch. The original 30 pin Apple connector wasn't bad, but when I looked at the new lightning connector I thought it would be a clear improvement. But now I'm not sure. Lightning pins are quite small. I find my devices don't always make good contact. I find black stuff (oxidation?) building up on both pins and sockets. Compared to lightning, USB-C just "feels" like it will be much worse. I predict…
I've not been surprised to see how slow the adoption of USB-C has been because I think it's obvious to insiders that the reliability issues are real. The shame is that when it works, it's great.
- Plantronic BackBeat Pros - Westone UM4r
The BackBeat's are great wireless, noise reducing over the ear headphones. I need to remember to charge them.
The Westone's are in ear monitors that, depending on type of bud you put on them, have noise reducing capabilities. They are wired. They are also some of the most amazing monitors I've owned over the years. (It hurts the time I lost a pair).
Sitting in a quiet space, the Westones will blow the Plantronics out of the water. In a plane, if I am not trying to comfortably sleep, the Plantronics are great. If I want to lay my head to the side -- IEMs rule the day.
Apple has yet to produce a set of headphones that feel comfortable for me or deliver decent quality. I can't bike/run w/ Apple's headphones, they fall out (or hurt).
If they go the route of no 3.5mm jack, I'll likely insist on one of those stupid converters.
I've yet to see anything from Apple or Beats that compares to upper end IEMs for quality, or upper end over the ear phones for noise reduction.