Apple Now Selling USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Cable

Following today's announcement of Lossless audio and Personalized Spatial Audio for the AirPods Max, Apple today released a USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable.

usb c 3
The cable is designed for the ‌AirPods Max‌ with USB-C and Beats Studio Pro headphones, allowing them to be connected directly to the audio-out port of a Mac, in-flight entertainment system, or other device.

This bidirectional cable can be used with both 3.5 mm audio-out and audio-in ports, allowing you to connect your AirPods Max or Beats Studio Pro headphones to 3.5 mm audio sources, or to connect your iPhone or iPad to speakers with 3.5 mm audio ports. When connected to AirPods Max, this cable enables ultra-low latency on par with the device's built-in speakers for an optimal experience when gaming or creating content.

Apple used to sell a similar Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable, but it has now been discontinued. Apple's USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable is available now for $39.00.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 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. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.4.1 With Bug Fixes

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There have been complaints about ...
tvOS 18 Thumb 1

Apple Releases tvOS 18.4.1

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
iPhone Security Feature 25

Five iPhone Security Features You Should Be Using

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options. If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...

Top Rated Comments

JMStearnsX2 Avatar
4 weeks ago
Wow, $39 is an unbelievable price. Unbelievably expensive.
Even for Apple...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisA Avatar
4 weeks ago

“Bi-directional”? So that means it contains both an ADC and a DAC in that connector? That may explain the price…
Yes, you seem to be the only one here who knows that this is not just a piece of wire. A quality AD and DA converter for only $40. is not a bad deal at all. It is not just the two converts in the cable but they managed to fit a small CPU, memory and power conversion.

Things always seem "easy" when you don't know how it works. This is actually some impressive engineering.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cicalinarrot Avatar
4 weeks ago
We can all light up a candle on our altars to the Holy European Union and buy a better one for $10 on Amazon.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VisceralRealist Avatar
4 weeks ago
“Bi-directional”? So that means it contains both an ADC and a DAC in that connector? That may explain the price…

When using this cable with the APM, it seems the cable converts analog to digital, then the headphone converts digital back to analog. Wired input on these headphones always seemed weird to me, since it must undergo two conversions.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neuropsychguy Avatar
4 weeks ago

If they would support USB-C to USB-C cables with a digital signal they could play music and charge at the same time, basically turning off all wireless communication.
Apple does that with this update, which is the whole point of the update. What this specific thread is about is that Apple also started selling a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter cable for sources without a USB-C audio connection.

"With the included USB-C cable [the one that comes with the headphones or that you otherwise own or buy, not this new adapter], users can enjoy the highest-quality audio across music, movies, and games, while music creators can experience significant enhancements to songwriting, beat making, production, and mixing."
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SanderEvers Avatar
4 weeks ago

Forgive my ignorance, but how is this different than the $9 USB-C headphone adaptor?
That one is male USB-C to female 3.5mm and only goes one direction. This one is male USB-C to male 3.5mm, bidirectional. And it's that last part what makes it so expensive.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)