When companies like Apple and Google made the decision to remove the headphone jack from their latest phones, it was expected that users would eventually pay the price. And thanks to Master & Dynamic's new Lightning to 3.5mm and USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack cables, we now know exactly how much that decision will cost us: $49 for USB-C users and $69 for Apple's Lightning connector.
The usefulness of these two cables makes sense – if you use a pair of wired headphones, it’s definitely easier to use a cable that lets you plug them directly into your phone without needing an adapter. But at $49 and $69 respectively, that price is pretty steep.
For comparison, Master & Dynamic's regular 3.5mm headphone cable, which also has the same upgraded design, materials, and comes with an in-line remote and microphone, costs $29. That's already more expensive than most 3.5mm cables. But even so, it still seems affordable compared to the company's new USB-C and Lightning cables.
And given the difficulty of finding reliable cables for either type, with Apple only recently allowing other companies to make Lightning cables, we probably won't be able to avoid them.
Master & Dynamic is celebrating the launch of its cables with a 50% discount through April 29th, which brings the cost down to $25 and $34.50 for the USB-C and Lightning cables respectively.
But once this sale ends, we'll only have expensive cables, expensive headphones, and dongles as alternatives. Hopefully, the extra space saved on the phone after removing the jack was worth all the fuss!
