Apple Now Selling USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Cable - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

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 2
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Why You Might Want to Wait to Buy a MacBook Pro

Friday May 1, 2026 3:43 pm PDT by
Apple refreshed the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max models in March 2026, but depending on your needs and interests, you might want to skip this generation because there's something better in the works. The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models have faster chips, but the same design that Apple has used since 2021. An updated design with new display technology and faster ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...

Top Rated Comments

JMStearnsX2 Avatar
15 months ago
Wow, $39 is an unbelievable price. Unbelievably expensive.
Even for Apple...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months 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
15 months 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: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months 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)
SanderEvers Avatar
15 months 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)
15 months 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: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Entertainment | Culture | Sport | Health | Iphone