Probably the best-value purchase I have ever made for £9

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

<< Apple-haters: Please ignore this !! >>

The Lightning to Headphone Jack adapter is astonishing.

I ordered one direct from Apple, yesterday, and it arrived safely  in today’s post.

Aside from the typically stylish Apple packaging, it looks pretty-much like the knock-offs that can be purchased for a pound or two … but the audio quality is in a league of its own.

There is a very good reason for that … Buried inside the little Lightning connector there is a decent DAC [the mind boggles]. If you doubt me, have a look on YouTube for reviews and ‘forensic’ disembowelling !

I have downloaded the three brief demonstration samples that are freely available from LINN records, and am very impressed by how this handles them.

MichaelG.

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Ref. __ https://www.linnrecords.com/recording-download-format-test-album

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

I’ve been using the android version for sometime but my headphones gave up couple of nights back, I’ve just managed to pair a pair of BX27 ear buds with my tablet but there’s a slight lag which I need to sort.

H

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Sorry, Harry … the android version of what ?

MichaelG.

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For the avoidance of any confusion: This is the adapter that I was praising

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MMX62ZM/A/lightning-to-35mm-headphone-jack-adapter

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

Sorry, Harry … the android version of what ?
………….

MichaelG.

 

One of these I guess; I had one arrive a couple of days ago.
Ordered as my Google Pixel 3 does not support analogue earphones
This one also has a built in DAC, and I’m impressed with the overall sound on my headphones.
I do have a higher quality one on the way, but I wonder how much better it will be for me given my hearing; it does however allow USB charging at the same time as headphone use.

USB C to 3.5mm

Bill

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, Bill … I was unaware of their existence.

MichaelG.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Sorry Michael for the confusion I was meaning to say I have a similar adapter for my Samsung tablet. when my medication start to wear off the hand to brain coordination sometimes is lacking 😑

H

[NealebParticipant @nealeb]

Presumably you use this adaptor to give better sound quality than via Bluetooth? Must admit that my main use of headphones (apart from Zoom sessions where I’m not wandering around) is in the workshop. I have a cheap pair of Bluetooth over-ear headphones which also act as moderate ear defenders for use when milling or similar – not good enough to use with really noisy woodworking tools. Means I can listen to the radio, though, or even hear incoming phone calls, and no trailing cable to the phone.

Might change in the future, though. I have just installed a streaming device so that my wife can hear the television directly through her hearing aids, so maybe I can listen to my own audio source through headphones when in the sitting room!

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

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Thanks, Harry

… the astonishing achievement of building a DAC into a small plug … and doing it for a modest price … is obviously more widespread than I had realised.

This is not the place to attempt any comparison of performance, so I am delighted to leave it at that.

MichaelG.

[Nealeb]

On Nealeb Said:

Presumably you use this adaptor to give better sound quality than via Bluetooth?  …

Exactly so, Neal … It may be some oddity of my hearing, but I have yet to find a Bluetooth device, or a DAB Radio, that I can bear listening to.

The flac and alac downloads from LINN that I mentioned were enough to convince me that the adapter was amazingly good value … hence the post.

 

Incidentally … if you browse LINN’s catalogue on-line you can listen to brief clips in any of the available formats.

MichaelG.

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Michael

A friend of mine has a Linn Sondek LP12 record deck, now about 40 years old and the sound is still astonishing through his Boothroyd Stuart Meridian speakers!

They did cost s pretty penny even back then!

My hearing is now so shot I have pretty much given up on music listening.

Cheers, Martin

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Ivor’s son apparently runs the ‘digital’ side of LINN … and does a fine job.

Equipment Prices are still high, and higher, but the devotion is still evident.

MichaelG.

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P.S. __ A good line from the LP12 era:

May the Source be With You !

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

I got one to use on non-apple. It gives very low level output 🙁 I think that is ‘by design’.

 

[jaCK Hobson]

On jaCK Hobson Said:

I got one to use on non-apple. It gives very low level output 🙁 I think that is ‘by design’.

 

So did the one I pictured above at first. I’m using it with a set of powered earbud with their own amplifier and volume control. It was both quiet and quite muffled, so I assumed very poor quality, related to the price.
After fiddling with the connection, it suddenly started playing at full volume, and quite clear.
I’m not sure what was happening, but I suspect a dirty or misplaced contact on the sleeve, and the two earbuds were effectively in series for both channels.
It now works fine.

This is the other one, which is hopefully in the post by now

Bill

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

More image-posting problems, Bill

I can only see an empty frame, with the question-mark

MichaelG.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Lightning is just USB2 in a bespoke package.

Back in the iPhone 7 days, I lost count of how many times I had to fork out for these lightning to 3.5 jack adaptors for my daughter at about £19 each. They used to last a couple of months 🙁 I hope they are more reliable now, at least they are half the price.

All because Apple want to tie people into their accessories… Samsung has no problems getting a 3.5mm jack into equally thin phones.

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

The really impressive part is the DAC, Neil

… in my brief acquaintance [no measuring, just listening], I would say it’s better than a lot of stuff in expensive packages.

MichaelG.

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

More image-posting problems, Bill

I can only see an empty frame, with the question-mark

MichaelG.

That’s interesting, I’m 100% certain it was showing after I submitted the thread, as I checked that it had come out a reasonable size and didn’t dominate too much
This was the image; I’ve no idea when it went missing, as we’ve been eating tea.

As I add this reply, the other post is still showing thus;

This is getting silly
Bill

[peak4Participant @peak4]

As of 23:21, I can see two images in the previous post
Bill

[Martin King 2]

On Martin King 2 Said:

Michael

A friend of mine has a Linn Sondek LP12 record deck, now about 40 years old and the sound is still astonishing through his Boothroyd Stuart Meridian speakers!

They did cost s pretty penny even back then!

My hearing is now so shot I have pretty much given up on music listening.

Cheers, Martin

Auditioned an LP12 in 1984 and felt that it rang like a bell. Got a Pink Triangle and was much happier with the sound. Horses for courses.

Paired with Monitor Audio MA2 speakers, which I’ve had since new in 1980 and I still use in the workshop driven by an Audiolab 8000A amp. 😀

[peak4]

On peak4 Said:

…

This is getting silly

Bill

Perhaps we should all just listen to some music and forget this forum

MichaelG.

[Mark Rand]

On Mark Rand Said:

…  Got a Pink Triangle and was much happier with the sound. …

I remember it well … but especially for the advertising shot of it perched on a toilet seat 🙂

MichaelG.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Before the days of Linn, I recall going to Southport audio in search of some second hand kit.
I bought a Leak 2000 tuner amp in the end, but did listen to a pair of Quad valve amps driving four stacked Quad electrostatic speakers, as two pairs.
I’d never heard anything so clear before, or since probably; certainly a world different to the AR LSTs I paired with the amp, and a Thorens 160 + Transcriptors Reference arm.

For many years, I used that Leak, before eventually building a Quantum pre and power amp setup.
Bought as a kit as it didn’t attract the higher VAT rate on luxury goods of 25% at the time.
We still use the Quantum(s) now, into a pair of Rogers LS6, given to me by a workmate, as his wife didn’t like black loudspeakers in their redecorated lounge.
The deck, and a different amp, now live in the dining room cum study into a pair of Ruark Templar speakers.

Bill

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

As this Topic started with a modern headphone adapter, and has understandably drifted to nostalgia for the wonderful days of old … Did anyone else buy the Wharfedale Isodynamic Headphones when they were launched ?

I am evidently not alone in believing they were rather good:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wharfedale-isodynamic-headphones.380283/

MichaelG.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Back on topic about headphone adaptors, my second one arrived today and works very well, allowing headphone and charging from the same USB-C simultaneously.

Off topic again, and Apple phones seem to have had a good drop test for reliability.
I’d be concerned about dropping my Pixel 3 more than a few feet, so 16,000′ seems quite impressive.

Bill

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Good to know, Bill

… on both your News items

MichaelG.

[Author]

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