Life presents us with two distinct types of tech users: those who are “cable-phobic” (yes, we’re coining terms here), and those who still rely on the good old wired keyboards, mice, and headsets. Pick your side.
Joking aside, I generally fall into the latter category. The idea of having to charge a keyboard, mouse, or headset drives me nuts, but more importantly, I prefer latency-free audio, which is essential for gaming or editing work.
USB C AirPods Max No Longer Support Wired Use!
With the original Lightning-enabled AirPods Max, it was possible to output sound through a wired connection using a Lightning to Jack adapter (which cost €45). True, you would lose some cash data in the analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, but at least the latency was manageable compared to Bluetooth. The downside was that the cable did not support charging, requiring a separate Lightning to USB cable to charge the battery.
With the new USB C AirPods Max, one might have hoped to use a simple USB C cable to listen to audio on their iPhone 16 Pro or Mac, and also be able to charge the headphones while listening. Unfortunately, Apple decided otherwise!
To everyone’s surprise, it doesn’t work with a Mac, an iPhone, or anywhere else. On Reddit, others have tried using Apple’s own Lightning to Jack adapters combined with the renowned USB C to Lightning adapter with an integrated DAC, but to no avail.
Apple Partially Confirms
Contacting support, as many have done due to this perplexing issue, seems to yield little help from technicians, as the topic is apparently too technical and not well-documented internally.
Yet, if you check the detailed specifications on Apple’s website, it clearly states Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
and nothing else. In contrast, the Beats Studio Pro, also from the same company, fully supports DACs and audio over USB:
In short, Apple seems to have completely removed the option to listen to audio via a wired connection with its new headphones, even though USB would have greatly simplified things. As it stands, USB is apparently only connected to the battery, thus excluding any possibility of wired use.
For those who used the headphones for FPS games or, like us, for editing in Final Cut Pro, the headphones become almost useless unless you’re willing to tolerate the inherent Bluetooth latency. Moreover, USB could have reduced the compression typical of Bluetooth formats, which lack the bandwidth to transmit Lossless audio. Yet again, those in need will have to look towards competitors or head to Beats…
• Beats Studio Pro USB C
