Just six days before Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 7 without a headphone jack, Libratone has introduced new Q Adapt in-ear noise-cancelling headphones with a Lightning connector in lieu of a standard 3.5mm audio jack.

libratone-lightning-headphones
The headphones feature a battery-free design with four levels of active noise cancellation, drawing power from the iPhone or iPad they are connected to through the Lightning connector.

The pair have in-line controls for volume, playback, phone calls, and Siri, and one for the four active noise cancellation settings and talk-through.

The earbuds have a fabric-covered cable available in four colors: elegant nude, cloudy white, stormy black, and rose pink. They also are equipped with three sizes of interchangeable rubber earpieces.

Apple introduced new MFi Program specifications in June 2014 that allow third-party manufacturers to create headphones that connect to iOS devices via a Lightning cable, with features such as passthrough power and active noise cancellation.

Libratone says the Q Adapt headphones will be available in mid-September for $179 and will ship to customers at the beginning of October.

Other Lightning-equipped headphones released to date include, among others, the Philips Fidelio M2L and Fidelio NC1L.

Top Rated Comments

Zirel Avatar
112 months ago
This is why we need to ditch the 3.5mm

This kind of simplicity for Active NC headphones is simply impossible for 3.5mm jack based solutions.

Also, because it's straight digital, the engineers can take full control of everything.

Currently, iPhones convert the digital sound to analog, then the ANC circuits converts the signal back to digital, does the ANC, and converts it back to analog. With a digital interface, this digital / analog / digital conversion is eliminated.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sefstah Avatar
112 months ago
This is why we need to ditch the 3.5mm

This kind of simplicity for Active NC is simply impossible for 3.5mm jack based solutions.
How do you charge your iPhone and listen with these at the same time? $200 for headphones that ONLY work for one device? You're joking right? Nothing is gained by removing the headphone jack. NOTHING!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scottsoapbox Avatar
112 months ago
Great, another way to drain my iPhone battery.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sefstah Avatar
112 months ago
So you can't use these headphones with your Macbook, on an airplane, with your friends phone or anywhere else?! No thanks, these belong in the trash with the old outdated iPhone 7.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jeaz Avatar
112 months ago
This is why we need to ditch the 3.5mm

This kind of simplicity for Active NC is simply impossible for 3.5mm jack based solutions.
Fully agree. I think digital connection for audio is definitely the way forward. I have a headphone pair with active noice cancellation that works great with 3.5mm but they require a battery to power this and need charging after 4 hours of active use.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
112 months ago
How do you charge your iPhone and listen with these at the same time? $200 for headphones that ONLY work for one device? You're joking right? Nothing is gained by removing the headphone jack. NOTHING!
Was NOTHING gained from removing the Floppy Disc drive? Was NOTHING gained from removing the Mac's serial port? Was NOTHING gained by removing the DVD-R drive? Was NOTHING gained by removing FireWire ports? NOTHING?

Removing legacy ports forces the technological march forward. That's how standards are adopted. Of course, Macs could have accumulated all of these ports and drives over the years since there would have been people who have wanted to use them, but then new more advanced ports and formats would have never been widely adopted.

We'll see in a week, but I'm convinced that Apple will be pushing for wireless headphones. Future wearable products will rely on not having cables of any kind. Right now, that's the Apple Watch but in some distant future, Apple glasses might join in. In the more immediate future, having wireless AirPods in your ears with Always On Siri connected to all of your devices (not just one) is a major advancement from the standard we have today.

Yes, bluetooth headphones have been around forever, but when they become a priority, technology will push forward and it'll become the standard. Then, we'll look back and wonder why we ever put up with dangling cables from our ears.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Supports 8K Video Recording, Suggests Leaker [Updated]

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China. Our original article follows below. Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...