It's been more than seven years since Apple had the “courage” to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone, which in turn forced wireless headphones into the spotlight. To this day, listening to high-resolution lossless music on a phone usually means finding the odd phone with a 3.5mm jack or embracing its new dongle life. As if out of nowhere, a new generation of wired headphones has emerged that promise audiophile quality on any phone without the need for a dongle. Of course, there's a marketing term to go with it: True Lossless Headphones (TLE).
You may not have heard of Questyle, but the company has been making hi-fi equipment for hobbyists for years. Last November, the company tried something different with its NHB12 Lightning headphones. The IEM-style headphones incorporate a digital audio converter (DAC) capable of handling high-resolution lossless Apple Music files (192 kHz/24-bit). Ahead of this month's CES, the company launched a USB-C version, the $350 NHB15, which brings its high-resolution all-in-one digital headphones to almost every other phone, tablet or PC.
Two days after Questyle announced the NHB15, rival company Hidizs claimed that its own ST2 Pro with DAC The model was the world's first high-resolution digital IEM. It's not a trend yet, but a mini wave of similar products is expected to follow and I'm not sure it matters who came first. What's more interesting is that, with iPhones switching to USB-C and high-resolution plug-and-play options on the table, all the ingredients are there for the resurgence of wired mini headphones, although I don't think it will last. and we. We'll get to the why later.
It's worth noting that all of these USB-C headphones have some form of DAC, but they rarely have high-resolution capability. “High resolution” audio It is a broad termbut here we are following Apple's own language, which is anything above 48kHz. In recent years, some hi-fi companies have launched USB-C cables with DAC in them that supports higher resolutions. Queststyle and Hidizs are simply taking it to the next logical conclusion by bundling everything together, which is what makes them more interesting to the casual (but audio-curious) listener.
I've tried a few standalone DACs over my years here at Engadget and appreciate the superior audio quality they provide, but I've never found one I'd use while out and about. There are a few that come close, like AudioQuest's fantastic DragonFly Cobalt or THX's sleek Onyx, but they all require something between your phone and your headphones, at which point I'll grab my best wireless gear and go. However, the NHB15 I can see myself using regularly.
The experience is no more complicated than plugging in a regular 3.5mm game. The DAC is not invisible; At first, you might think these are inline, yoke-style media controls. In fact, if it had buttons, that would complete the illusion and add useful functionality, but for now it's purely there to turn your music from zeros and ones into audible sound. The LEDs let you know if you are enjoying lossy music (one illuminated) or living the true lossless life (two illuminated). It's a minimal but effective approach.
Let's ignore that the cheapest 3.5mm headphones you can buy on Amazon are, in theory, also lossless headphones, but TLE is not an entirely useless term. If it can become the equivalent of “UHD”, but for USB-C headphones, with a confirmed minimum level of high-resolution audio support – perhaps anything above Apple's lossless standard (48kHz) – that's quite a bit useful.
Importantly, the Questyle NHB15 does a good job with music. Listening through Qobuz, I wasn't getting two LEDs all the time, thanks to the variety of “lossless” settings on the platform, but it was a fun game to listen to the sound first and then turn the DAC over to reveal how many lights were on. and yes I guessed correctly. Overall, I didn't, but perhaps that's a testament to how clear they sound. The NHB15 is fairly neutral and has less bass than a typical pair of Beats, along with the right amount of brightness in the higher frequencies.
For something with its own DAC/amp, the maximum volume isn't as loud as you'd expect, but it's enough. Even when listening to Spotify, which does not currently offer lossless music, these IEMs convey a sense of space that is unlikely to be found with Bluetooth headphones.
What's harder to determine is whether these are correct IEMs with a good DAC, a correct DAC with decent drivers attached, or something in between. Conveniently, Questyle includes a regular 3.5mm cable in the box so you can use the NHB15s with all your devices or do the direct comparison yourself. At least to my ears, all Spotify tracks sounded equally good through the trusty 3.5mm connection connected to my PC. And as far as I know, you can use the NHB15's DAC cable with any IEM you already have, as long as it has the 2-pin style connector, so it's a flexible idea at least.
It's worth mentioning that there are several competing efforts to bring wireless headphones on par with lossless wired options. Qualcomm's family of codecs is the best known, and the latest AptX Lossless has the technical power to do a pretty good job even if there aren't many phones or headsets (and you need both) that support it.
Then there's the first wave of MEMS-based headphones, the newest kid on the block. These “solid-state” drivers aren't designed specifically for wireless headphones, but California-based xMEMS sells its technology on the promise that it delivers a high-fidelity experience regardless of boring things like codecs. The first products to hit the market are promising, but we'll probably have to wait until next year until we see MEMS-based headphones reach their full potential.
So the question remains: who would want them? The average person paying for a regular music service doesn't need a high-resolution DAC. The average audiophile might be interested, but they're competing with dedicated mobile DACs and BYO headphones and for this crowd, comfort isn't as important. point of sale. The only conclusion is that they are intended for me, the lazy audiophile. I don't care about cables if the trade-off is better, louder sound, and that's what they do.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wired-headphones-apple-hi-res-lossless-184534388.html?src=rss
