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The Apple usb-c to mini jack connector isn’t that big. It’s like an inch & a half long. You can always just keep it attached to your headphones, so that you won’t ever have to think twice about it.


I was about to get upset about buying my IPP 10.5 last year but when I saw that there was no headphone jack I was okay. I thought it would be easy to sell it ad get the IPP 11in but without a headphone jack, nah. I can understand buying a new MBP and having to purchase some type of connector to attach to your external drive. But now you have to carry all these connectors on top of the ones you already have.
 
I’m sure there are business reasons, but there are also technical ones. Look at a 3.5mm plug in comparison to the iPad. There is no physical space to put it on the sides or top because the plug would be colliding with the screen (because the diameter is too thick and the iPad is too thin, and the bezels are too short - you have to go under the screen.) You could put it on a corner, but aesthetically that would hurt the design. But they also gave the thing a camera bump, so I feel like they might as well have given it a 3.5mm bump as well.
 
I'm not sure if the headphone jack on an iPad and Netflix are the appropriate source for 1500$ headphones. o_O

For watching movies you don't need those headphones.For music production you do. Now people claim that they can use the iPad Pro for music production. No one would use Bluetooth headphones to verify sound quality. Now granted I doubt that the big music company use the iPad Pro to produce their biggest hits. I assume the more like average music producer would use this iPad. I also have heard that Garageband is used in education as well (correct me if I am wrong). Now I have not played a lot with the Garageband app, but the few moments I did I never wanted Bluetooth headphones for two reasons - latency/delays and audio quality. If I mix in loops I need the analog signal.

This is why for me this decision was weird. For music and video editing you focus on the small details. And small details are not caught with Bluetooth headphones with AAC codec.

I am not a pro and I don't own a pro. I specifically choose my devices to have headphone jack and if in few years the phones don't have one, I can always get music players (Sony walkman is what I like anyway) that would provide what I need.
 
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One of my uses of the 12.9 iPad Pro is actually watching netflix with my $1500 Focal Clear headphones in hotel rooms late at night when I’m travelling.

This is a very basic feature that is now removed. I guess I shouldn’t ever “upgrade” to a new 12.9 iPad Pro model.

You are correct. If you want to continue to listen to Netflix with $1500 headphones don't upgrade. Any other questions?
 
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One of my uses of the 12.9 iPad Pro is actually watching netflix with my $1500 Focal Clear headphones in hotel rooms late at night when I’m travelling.

This is a very basic feature that is now removed. I guess I shouldn’t ever “upgrade” to a new 12.9 iPad Pro model.

I agree completely. I traded in my 11” for a 10.5” Pro for this reason. By the way, if you think Apple’s dongle or a third party one will solve this issue...not necessarily. I tried going this route.

I also ended up buying a used iPhone SE which is the last iPhone with a proper headphone jack. I would very much like a new X, but honestly for me high quality sound is more important than a huge screen and faster CPU.

It boggles my mind that Apple is a major “music company” but still expects all of their users to exclusively use wireless headphones.

For all those Apple apologists who make fun of people with wired headphones; lay off! You can feel free to use wireless if you want, but a LOT of people would like to continue using higher quality wired headphones. Choice is better than no choice.
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I'm not sure if the headphone jack on an iPad and Netflix are the appropriate source for 1500$ headphones. o_O

Why not? Apple’s built in DACs have been known to be some of the best in any mobile device and the amp is decent also for efficient cans. Netflix uses very high quality codecs for their movies...heck you can play a Netflix movie on a $20,000 THX certified home theater system, so why not $1500 headphones?
 
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I sold my Airpods not only due to EMF concerns but because the battery never lasted the promised 5 hours in a single charge. I hated the idea of recharging (despite being quick), and worse, having to leave the Airpods in the charger case, otherwise the battery would be wasted quickly, since they broadcast 24/7 for these reasons:

- This is an engineering tradeoff. If we were to stop all paging and advertising while the buds are sitting idle on your desk, any time you picked them up and placed them in your ear, we’d take a few seconds to connect. We prioritize the more often seen user situation in which the user leaves the buds out only when they intend to use them relatively soon after.

Besides even if I were to use another wireless headphone that doesn't mean it would be better than any other I have here, in terms of comfort or sound quality.

I should also add that when I use a wired headphone I leave it plugged 24/7. I avoid removing from the headphone jack for fear it might damage over time. And you know what? I don't miss the Airpods. Since I only use the iPAD and never bring the tablet outside, I can easily switch for wired.

The nail in the coffin of Apple is the fact multiple users are complaining these new iPADs have a wi-fi bug that keeps disconnecting if the dongle is being used. And so far no one reported or investigated this issue, or said there is a fix. This alone was enough for me stick with the IPP 10.5.
 
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Why was it removed? Apple has a commitment to take out stuff we use on a daily basis, and show us how useless it is. Thin is in. They are body shaming anything with ports and functionality.
 
I sold my Airpods not only due to EMF concerns but because the battery never lasted the promised 5 hours in a single charge. I hated the idea of recharging (despite being quick), and worse, having to leave the Airpods in the charger case, otherwise the battery would be wasted quickly, since they broadcast 24/7 for these reasons:

- This is an engineering tradeoff. If we were to stop all paging and advertising while the buds are sitting idle on your desk, any time you picked them up and placed them in your ear, we’d take a few seconds to connect. We prioritize the more often seen user situation in which the user leaves the buds out only when they intend to use them relatively soon after.


Sorry for the stupid question but do the Airpods have on/off switch? If they don't that would be a huge flaw. I have also problems with iOS and Bluetooth. I have only iPad so I don't care that I leave Bluetooth always on. I would never do this on my phone though. I always switch off Bluetooth on both of my devices - phone and headset when I don't use them. I prefer to wait few seconds for the connection in exchange of better battery than vice versa.

Besides even if I were to use another wireless headphone that doesn't mean it would be better than any other I have here, in terms of comfort or sound quality.

I actually do think that you can find wireless headphones and earbuds with better quality and comfort than the Airpods. I have never tried the Airpods because just by seeing their design I know that they will fall off my ear every 2 minutes. For audio I rely on reviews. Basically most reviewers don't praise their audio quality. Problem is high audio quality Bluetooth headphones cost a lot more than high quality wired headphones. So not only they increase the price of the device itself (as the removal of jack is a result of the idea of having thinner iPad with less bezels which costs more) but also the headphones are more expensive.

I should also add that when I use a wired headphone I leave it plugged 24/7. I avoid removing from the headphone jack for fear it might damage over time. And you know what? I don't miss the Airpods. Since I only use the iPAD and never bring the tablet outside, I can easily switch for wired.

The thing is that having headphone jack does not force anyone to use it. People that want to use Bluetooth could use Bluetooth.
 
.heck you can play a Netflix movie on a $20,000 THX certified home theater system, so why not $1500 headphones?

Because both are insane and bring no real value. But Audiophiles have been insane for decades while the rest of the world moves on. Anyone want some speaker cable for 500$ a yard? Even if the sound exactly like the 5$ cables...
 
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Because both are insane and bring no real value. But Audiophiles have been insane for decades while the rest of the world moves on. Anyone want some speaker cable for 500$ a yard? Even if the sound exactly like the 5$ cables...

I agree that those extremes do not bring value. However honestly you don't need to be audiphile to see the current issues with Bluetooth audio. I am not. I can't understand talks about bass, treble etc. I can't even use equalizer properly. I can however spot differences in the audio quality. And I can spot latency (when it comes to video).
 
Sorry for the stupid question but do the Airpods have on/off switch? If they don't that would be a huge flaw. I have also problems with iOS and Bluetooth. I have only iPad so I don't care that I leave Bluetooth always on. I would never do this on my phone though. I always switch off Bluetooth on both of my devices - phone and headset when I don't use them. I prefer to wait few seconds for the connection in exchange of better battery than vice versa.
If you are not seeing any on/off switch you can't be 100% sure it's not wasting battery, as I proved in this post (about the 1st gen Pencil, which also uses bluetooth). I never measured the Airpods, however the explanation from my previous post tells me it never turns off, even if it's not paired and there are no bluetooth devices nearby, with BT turned on.

This reply from Apple (where it reads "This is an engineering tradeoff") was in response to the following post:
https://pastebin.com/Vkh2djGH

Where I discovered the battery would be wasted if the Airpods spend too much time OUTSIDE their charger case. Regardless of you putting in your ears/using them or not.

Also remember that over time (after years, of course) the internal battery of these wireless headphones will not be the same, in other words it will need to be recharged even more often.

I hate devices that offer poor battery, and I think one of the reasons the iPADs suck is the fact they offer the same 10 hours since the 1st release in 2010.

I actually do think that you can find wireless headphones and earbuds with better quality and comfort than the Airpods. I have never tried the Airpods because just by seeing their design I know that they will fall off my ear every 2 minutes. For audio I rely on reviews. Basically most reviewers don't praise their audio quality. Problem is high audio quality Bluetooth headphones cost a lot more than high quality wired headphones. So not only they increase the price of the device itself (as the removal of jack is a result of the idea of having thinner iPad with less bezels which costs more) but also the headphones are more expensive.
You can, the same with wired versions, for example, a Sennheiser could offer better audio quality than the Earpods, but there are other aspects that will determine which one will be more suitable for you, comfort is only one of them, how much pressure it's against your ears, many models are bad in this regard and you won't like using more than a few hours.

You may also think a Sennheiser offers the best audio quality in the world, but it's heavier and bigger (not ideal to carry with you anywhere), and not suited for these Apple devices, where they would probably need an amp.

My point is that you can find all sorts of headphones out there, and for some specific reason (besides the ones listed) you could prefer a wired model over a bluetooth one. That's why I think it's stupid to send a message (regardless of being able to continue using them with a dongle) that everyone should only get a wireless headphone and all the others are relics, outdated.
 
If you are not seeing any on/off switch you can't be 100% sure it's not wasting battery, as I proved in this post (about the 1st gen Pencil, which also uses bluetooth). I never measured the Airpods, however the explanation from my previous post tells me it never turns off, even if it's not paired and there are no bluetooth devices nearby, with BT turned on.

This reply from Apple (where it reads "This is an engineering tradeoff") was in response to the following post:
https://pastebin.com/Vkh2djGH

Where I discovered the battery would be wasted if the Airpods spend too much time OUTSIDE their charger case. Regardless of you putting in your ears/using them or not.

This is what I assumed. I wanted to check with you if there is definite way to make them not connect (other than wasting the battery :D).

Also remember that over time (after years, of course) the internal battery of these wireless headphones will not be the same, in other words it will need to be recharged even more often.

I hate devices that offer poor battery, and I think one of the reasons the iPADs suck is the fact they offer the same 10 hours since the 1st release in 2010.

Interesting. So you think that they should improve the battery life of the iPad? I think that it's doing OK. Though yeah I would appreciate more better battery over other things (like USB-C, small bezels and FaceID).

You can, the same with wired versions, for example, a Sennheiser could offer better audio quality than the Earpods, but there are other aspects that will determine which one will be more suitable for you, comfort is only one of them, how much pressure it's against your ears, many models are bad in this regard and you won't like using more than a few hours.

Agree. I have big head and some headphones are not flexible enough and cause a lot of pressure. I use Sennheiser HD 280 Pro at work and sometimes they are too tight. The sound is great and they have good isolation (I have to listen to loud music sometimes to mask the noise in the open space environment) but they are not the most comfortable ones.

You may also think a Sennheiser offers the best audio quality in the world, but it's heavier and bigger (not ideal to carry with you anywhere), and not suited for these Apple devices, where they would probably need an amp.

The ones I have offer 64 ohm. They are not good ones with portable devices unless you have amp. I don't use them with my phones. I know have Sony Wireless phones that have cable as well. Those are better fit. They are still over head though. Honestly I have general issues with in ear headphones nowadays and I try to avoid them whenever possible.

My point is that you can find all sorts of headphones out there, and for some specific reason (besides the ones listed) you could prefer a wired model over a bluetooth one. That's why I think it's stupid to send a message (regardless of being able to continue using them with a dongle) that everyone should only get a wireless headphone and all the others are relics, outdated.

Completely agree with this. I do use wireless headphones, but I want to have the choice to use jack as well. I mean I might turn out without battery and I will still need to listen to music. I use music to mask a lot of background noise that tires me out so I have to always have working headphones. With wired I know that they always work.
 
I had AirPods but didn't use them because my $300 wired headphones are better. Now I'm forced to use the AirPods. I like it better because the cord really was trouble.
 
Interesting. So you think that they should improve the battery life of the iPad? I think that it's doing OK. Though yeah I would appreciate more better battery over other things (like USB-C, small bezels and FaceID).
It's probably not possible with the current technology used by these batteries. I don't think they are imposing a limit.

We keep hearing about a better battery tech to replace it, yet it's like the male pill, everyone says it's out there but never stops being a promise. It's always being perfected... Since other companies are no different I doubt we will see anything better than the aprox. 10 hours in a single charge (depending on what you do in these tablets).

For me regardless of how good a tablet can be, the battery it's the Achilles' heel. You can see how right I am (for example) when you read the Amazon reviews of the last Kindle Paperwhite (4th gen, released in 2018), which struggles when wi-fi and bluetooth are on, or the new iPAD Pros (released October 2018) that also have battery issues according to one user - when the USB-C dongle (for the headphone) is being used:

Quote:
I created a thread before I saw this one. Exact same issue with iPad Pro 11" and the USBC to 3.5mm adapter where the wifi appears connected but I have no network connectivity! Happens overnight for me when I leave it plugged in but has also happened randomly during the day.

Also it seems like the battery is draining a LOT quicker with the headphone adapter in 24/7. Turned off siri listening, true tone, and every bg app refresh option with the brightness down as low as is comfortable for me. It even drains faster than my 5 year old iPadAir1 with the brightness all the way up playing Clash of Clans for hours.
Source: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8623623

I hate when I read these things, it's a strong reason for me not to buy. It's even worse when you leave something plugged and it wastes your battery regardless of actually BEING USED:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...rnet-on-ipad-pro.1974288/page-6#post-26835080

To Apple: how about fixing this sort of c.rap before getting rid of the headphone jack?
 
...
I do use wireless headphones, but I want to have the choice to use jack as well. I mean I might turn out without battery and I will still need to listen to music. I use music to mask a lot of background noise that tires me out so I have to always have working headphones. With wired I know that they always work.

This is a really important point. If Apple ever gets to the point where there is no reasonable way to connect wired headphones I would either switch to Android (unlikely) or buy one of these:

High quality BT audio receiver:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FVN14F...olid=16LUBAPFAXMKZ&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

It’s crucial to have this option. Also the “headphone” jack is a technology that is a CENTURY old. It’s not going anywhere no matter what Tim Cook thinks. This isn’t like the myriad of other port technologies that lasted for 10 or 20 years and then were replaced. This is more like getting rid of electric wall outlets in a house. It might look prettier; but the house is much less useful.
 
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This is a really important point. If Apple ever gets to the point where there is no reasonable way to connect wired headphones I would either switch to Android (unlikely) or buy one of these:

High quality BT audio receiver:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FVN14F...olid=16LUBAPFAXMKZ&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Well yeah. I use Android and have phone with 3.5 mm, but unfortunately soon also Android phones won't have it. At least most of them. Samsung for now seems to keep it, but I am not a fan of their Touch Wiz.

That device sounds cool but how do you plan to use it to circumvent the battery issue with wireless headphones? I got lost :).

It’s crucial to have this option. Also the “headphone” jack is a technology that is a CENTURY old. It’s not going anywhere no matter what Tim Cook thinks. This isn’t like the myriad of other port technologies that lasted for 10 or 20 years and then were replaced. This is more like getting rid of electric wall outlets in a house. It might look prettier; but the house is much less useful.

I work in a full glass building. The architects decided that this is nice. However to have this nice thing, there are no windows that can be open. We rely on air conditioning to filter out the air which leads to dry air which makes my skin go crazy. Ask me if I care that the building I am working is looking cool. I don't. Ask me if I care that we have dry air at work. I do because I have to be there every work day.
 
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There is no bezel to hide it under. The device is too thin to fit a headphone jack assembly under the display.

So for the love of god, MAKE IT THICKER. Get rid of the ridiculous camera bump, increase the battery size, and add metal to reinforce the chassis while you are at it. We love light tablets (which can still be reduced by material tech), but who can really notice 1mm in a large tablet when holding it?
 
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My Bose QC35 II and B&W P7 Wireless which are the best wireless headphones out there don’t sound very good in comparison to wired headphones. It is not even close. ANC headphones are cute for going to work in a busy train/bus or whatever but that is it.

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The Focal Clear sounds good enough straight out of the 12.9 iPad Pro, not really much of a difference with the Mojo. Only with the Chord Hugo 2 you will notice a significant difference.

People never use headphones on a pro because speakers are so good unless you are in a private room or doing music
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Why was it removed? Apple has a commitment to take out stuff we use on a daily basis, and show us how useless it is. Thin is in. They are body shaming anything with ports and functionality.

That stupid notch on the iPhone line needs to lose weight
 
People never use headphones on a pro because speakers are so good unless you are in a private room or doing music
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Or on a plane or in a coffee shop with a lot of people. I agree that the speakers are great, but there are cases where you cannot use them. You need to use headphones.
 
People never use headphones on a pro because speakers are so good unless you are in a private room or doing music
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Speakers may be good for their size but it's not like it's high quality audio.

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I don't mind Apple removing the headphone jack, but nog including a dongle is cheap. And when they significantly raise the price on an already premium product, it does piss me off having to buy a dongle. Same thing goes for the near useless charging cable.
 
People never use headphones on a pro because speakers are so good unless you are in a private room or doing music

What? All of the games that report they are best experienced with headphones when you launch them don't have an "unless it's iPad speakers" exclusion.
 
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