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Philips Unveils Lightning Cable-Equipped Fidelio M2L Headphones

Wednesday September 10, 2014 8:01 am PDT by Kelly Hodgkins
Apple recently updated it Made for iPhone (MFi) program with a new set of specifications that allow for the transmission of audio through Apple's Lightning cable port instead of the traditional 3.5-mm headphone jack. As spotted by Pocket-Lint, one of the first manufacturers to produce this new category of Lightning cable-equipped headphones is Philips, which is preparing its Fidelio M2L headphones for launch later this year.

Fidelio M2L
Pascal van Laer, headphones business leader, WOOX Innovations says: "We’re excited to launch the Philips Fidelio M2L, our first headphone that has a direct digital connection to your iOS device. This means we can deliver an incredible audio experience today, and also opens up exciting opportunities for innovation for the future."
The Fidelio M2Ls connect to an iPhone or iPad via a Lightning port and will support 24-bit audio using an internal DAC and amplifier built into the headphone unit. The closed headphones also feature two 40-mm high magnetic intensity neodymium speaker drivers and leather memory foam ear pads.

The Philips Fidelio M2L headphones will be available starting in December. They will debut in Western Europe and North America with a suggested retail price of €250/$320.

[ 81 comments ]


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Avatar
reden
65 months ago

Yep, cos I’m gonna buy a pair of headphones that I can only use with an iDevice……

Tio make things worse the weight is increased by the addition of the DAC and the amp in the headset.

I’ll take some Momentums if it’s all the same to you.


No one's holding a gun to your head to buy these headphones. There are plenty of other options out there that you can choose from. Some people will buy these, and they have that choice.
Rating: 27 Votes
Avatar
keysofanxiety
65 months ago

No one's holding a gun to your head to buy these headphones. There are plenty of other options out there that you can choose from. Some people will buy these, and they have that choice.


Careful, you're making sense by your implication that people have the choice to buy what works best for them. That's a dangerous attitude to have on MacRumours.
Rating: 22 Votes
Avatar
mdelvecchio
65 months ago

Yep, cos I’m gonna buy a pair of headphones that I can only use with an iDevice……

Tio make things worse the weight is increased by the addition of the DAC and the amp in the headset.

I’ll take some Momentums if it’s all the same to you.


1) millions of people buy accessories that *only* work w/ their idevices all the time.

2) the idea of an adapter never crossed your mind, huh?

3) for enthusiasts interested in a DAC or amp, the weight of it is not their primary concern.

....imagine -- people with different needs than you! vhat a country!
Rating: 9 Votes
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Nunyabinez
65 months ago
The problem is that the majority of people have no interest in the actual quality of the sounds that they listen to. CDs are compromised audio that then gets ripped into lossy MP3/ACC and then listened to on low quality DAC through crappy ear buds.

And most people are fine with that. It is like when Blu-Ray struggled to gain traction because DVD was "good enough" for most people.

Some people actually want to hear music with as much detail and clarity as possible. And without getting into the whole "you can't hear the difference anyway" argument, some people can afford nice things that have the highest quality possible. If that's not you, you don't have insult those who want and can have nice things.
Rating: 8 Votes
Avatar
H2SO4
65 months ago
Yep, cos I’m gonna buy a pair of headphones that I can only use with an iDevice……

Tio make things worse the weight is increased by the addition of the DAC and the amp in the headset.

I’ll take some Momentums if it’s all the same to you.
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
2457282
65 months ago

I'm surprised that apple didn't introduce a pair of beats with a lightning cable yesterday


Yep it looks like Philips beat Beats to the beats.

Sorry, it just had to be said :D
Rating: 5 Votes
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spyguy10709
65 months ago
I'm surprised that apple didn't introduce a pair of beats with a lightning cable yesterday
Rating: 4 Votes
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sanke1
65 months ago
Design is a rip off from Grados headphones.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Zxxv
65 months ago

Will there be an adapter so you can actually charge your device at the same time?


I think it charges itself by feedback loop into your ears sucking back your brainwaves into the iPhone.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Nunyabinez
65 months ago

Serious question -- what would be the benefit of using the lightning connection over the old fashioned audio jack? Is it better quality audio? I don't quite get the "why" from the article.

Thanks!


The benefit is that you get the digital signal from the phone and then use the chip in the headphones to convert it to an analog signal. One would assume that the DAC chip is superior, or at least specifically tuned to interact with the headphones.
Rating: 3 Votes

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