Accessory makers race to launch new wireless & Lightning headphones ahead of iPhone 7

With Apple’s iPhone 7 next week expected to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack and make wireless and Lightning headphones a necessity, there a lot of companies racing to announce new products ahead of Apple’s event. And it’s good timing with IFA taking place this week— one of the year’s biggest tech events where many accessory companies are showing off new products ahead of the holidays. Below we take a look at all the announcements with a roundup of new Lightning headphones and wireless Bluetooth headphones. 

While we still don’t know what Apple will bundle with the iPhone 7, it has a few options. Include EarPods with a Lightning adapter, new Lightning EarPods, or new cord-free wireless EarPods that we reported earlier this year it’s working on. It seems unlikely that it could include no headphones in the box at all, but even if that was the case there are about to be more than enough third-party options on the market for Apple to promote and sell in its stores alongside iPhone 7.

Here are a few products announced just this week:

Libratone Q Adapt In-Ear Lightning Earbuds ($179)

Just announced today, Libratone’s Q Adapt In-Ear earbuds will offer active noise cancellation without a battery by drawing power from your iOS device through the built-in Lightning connector. There’s a remote with mic for controlling media and taking calls, and a companion app will let you adjust EQ and ambient noise levels.

Jabra Elite Sport ($249)

Jabra’s new Elite Spot earbuds announced today are truly wireless, or cord-free, and include two integrated mics that uses voice commands to let you answer calls and intelligently remove background noise. They are IP67 rated for waterproofing and Jabra says you should get around 3 hours listening time and additional 6 hours while on-the-go from charging with the included portable charging case. There is also an in-ear heart rate monitor that the company says offers “90%+ accuracy and an integrated app that offers automatic fitness testing via a companion app for iOS. They’ll be available through BestBuy in October.

Sony MDR-1000X Hi-Res wireless headphones ($399)

Sony’s new MDR-1000X noise cancelling wireless headphones are on show this week at IFA and come in at a $399 price point and specs that put it in line to be a competitor of the wireless $349 Bose Quiet Comfort 35s we reviewed and loved earlier this year. Sony is also showing off two new wireless Extra Bass models (MDR-XB80BS and MDR-XB50BS) at IFA this week. You can order them now for shipping October. 

Griffin iTrip Clip Adapter ($20)

Not everyone is happy about having to buy new headphones for the new iPhone 7 if they don’t already have a pair wireless or lightning option. That’s why the launch of Griffin’s new iTrip adapter is perfect timing, allowing users to give any set of headphones Bluetooth functionality. Griffin says you should get around 6 hours of playback before having to charge with the including micro-USB cable, and the adapter has a built remote and belt clip. 

Audeze ($399 – $2495)

Audeze was one of the first of the headphones companies going all in with Lightning headphones when Apple started pushing them more last year, and its new line announced today is no different with all models including a Lightning connector in addition to a 3.5mm stereo plug. The new models include the iSine 10 ($399), iSine 20 ($599), & LCD i3 ($2495), all of which use Audeze’s Lightning cable that it notes “takes digital audio directly from the iOS device and uses its own built-in DAC and amplifier” to improve sound quality. The middle-range $599 iSine 20’s have a longer voice coil (24 ohms) and some other upgrades over the iSine 10’s.

Bowers & Wilkins P7 ($400)

Bowers & Wilkins took the wraps off its new wireless P7 headphones this week and Ben noted earlier that many of its well-reviewed previous generation models received price cuts in the process.

YEVO 1 ($299)

Headphone maker YEVO Labs announced its new YEVO 1 truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds today available to preorder now from its website for $299 USD with included charging case. The company says it will ship by the holidays. It promises around 3-4 hours battery for listening and includes touch controls for taking calls and navigating music.

Bragi

Bragi made some decent but expensive cord-free wireless headphones with its Dash product that we reviewed earlier this year. It’s still one of the better truly wireless options available, but hard to recommend at $299. However, the company is teasing a “big announcement” for next week that will coincide with Apple’s event, so it’s possible it could have product updates in the future to line up with the launch of iPhone 7.