7 Best Lightning Headphones and Earbuds to Buy
With the iPhone 15 series, Apple finally moved the iPhones from the aging lighting connector to the modern USB-C connector. But not everyone needed to and has upgraded to the latest iPhone 15 or iPhone Pro devices, meaning they still have to deal with the lightning port. If you own an iPhone 14 series or older iPhone and looking for a good pair of wired earphones, this is the guide for you. Here are the best lightning headphones and earbuds to buy in 2024.
Best lightning earbuds to buy in 2024
The lightning earbuds and headphones we will cover in this article will be mainly in-ear and over-the-ear styles. If you prefer open ear wireless earbuds, you can click on the linked article to check them out.
1. Apple EarPods with lightning connector
We have tested dozens of wired and wireless earphones, and let us tell you, none of them even come in the vicinity of the quality of voice that Apple lighting earPods deliver on call. You can usually get these earphones for under $20, which is quite affordable for getting an excellent hands-free calling experience. If your work requires you to be on the phone all the time, this is the lighting earphone you want to buy.
When it comes to audio quality, Apple earPods fall in the middle of the pack. They are neither too good nor too trash. You can use them for listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and casual music streaming sessions. However, if you are serious about your music, you should stay away from it.
Pros
- Excellent call quality
- Budget friendly
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons
- Average sound quality for music
2. Symphonized lightning wired earphones
The Symphonized lightning wired earphones are another good pair of lighting earphones that do not cost you an arm and a leg. The earphones feature a premium wooden earbud housing design, which naturally enhances the acoustic quality and delivers an amazing music-listening experience. These earphones are Apple MFI (made for iPhone) certified, which means they will work your iPhone right out of the box.
You get several different sizes of rubber ear tips in the box, so you can get the perfect fit in your ear, no matter the size. Other features of the earphone include in-line music playback controls, stereo sound, and more.
Pros
- Good audio quality
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Wooden earbuds housing for better acoustic
Cons
- Bass is not as good as advertised
3. Skullcandy Set lightning in-ear wired earbuds
Skullcandy is a popular brand and makes some of the best wired and wireless earbuds and headphones you can buy. The earbuds come with IPX4 sweat and water resistance, making them perfect running and gym companions. I like that the earbuds make a good seal inside the ear, blocking the majority of outside noise.
We tested it for calls and found the quality to be second only to the official lightning EarPods. The audio quality is excellent, with the earphones being a touch heavy on bass. The mid and upper ranges are quite clear. If you prefer Beats headphones over the AirPods, you are going to love this product.
Pros
- IPX4 water resistance
- Good audio quality
- Eye-catchy design
Cons
- A touch heavy on the bass
4. Avantree L171
One of our favorite pair of lightning earphones is the Avantree L171. These are MFi-certified earphones, so you know you are getting a quality product. The earbuds feature an in-ear design with an earhook for extra stability and fit.
I love the physical inline controls with buttons to play/pause the music, take/reject calls, change volume, and skip tracks. The earbuds deliver balanced audio with no piece of the music overshadowing the other. If you love earphones with earhook design, you cannot go wrong with this product.
Pros
- Affordable
- Balanced audio and crystal clear call
- Inline physical controls
Cons
- Doesn’t feel premium
5. Sennheiser AMBEO smart headset
If you want a lightning earphone with active noise cancellation, the Sennheiser AMBEO smart headset is for you. Not only do these earphones deliver excellent sound quality, but they also offer premium features like ANC and transparency mode at relatively affordable prices. With a touch of a button, you can activate its NoiseGard Active Noise Cancellation, which blocks outside noise and lets you enjoy your music in peace. On the other hand, if you are wearing these lightning headphones while jogging, you can use its transparent hearing mode to listen to everything happening around you.
A unique feature of these headphones is that they record binaural audio thanks to two omnidirectional microphones located in the earpieces. That means you can record much more natural surrounding audio and play them back. The best part is that they also work if you are recording video on your iPhone, giving you a much better representation. Overall, Sennheiser AMBEO smart headset is one of the best lightning headphones you can buy for your iPhone in 2023.
Pros
- Excellent audio quality with an open soundstage
- Binural audio recording
- Active noise cancellation
Cons
- Transparency mode is not that good
6. Thore over-ear headphones with lightning connector
If you prefer over-ear headphones over in-ear earphones, you should check out the Thore over-ear headphones with a lightning connector. The headphones feature premium padded ear cushions that are comfortable to wear for long durations and provide excellent passive noise cancellation. The headphone’s extra-large 50mm drivers paired with neodymium magnets deliver incredible sound considering its relatively affordable price.
What we love about these headphones other than the sound quality, is that they use a detachable headphone jack to lightning cable. That means you can use a headphone jack to jack or headphone jack to USB-C cable and use these headphones with your other Apple devices, including iPads and MacBooks.
Pros
- Excellent audio quality with good bass
- Premium padded cushions for comfortable wearning
- Affordable pricing
- Detachable cable
Cons
- No carrying case
- No inline controls
7. PALOVUE lightning earphones
If you are looking for a budget lightnign earphone, we recommend the PALOVUE lightning earphones. The earbuds pack a built-in DAC & 9.2 dynamic drivers tuned to deliver an okay listening experience. In our listening test, we found the earphones to be adequate.
Other features of the earphones that we like include its lightweight aluminum construction which makes it comfortable to wear for long durations, magnetic earbuds that stick together when not in use so they are easy to carry around your neck, and inline controls and mic.
Pros
- Good call quality
- Budget friendly
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Magnetic tips
Cons
- Music quality is not that good
Best headphones with lightning connector to buy
These are the best headphones with a lightning connector you can buy in 2023. We have included affordable and premium products with open-ear, in-ear, and over-ear designs, so you can choose the headphones that meet your needs and budget. If you also use AirPods with your iPhone, check out our favorite AirPods Pro 2 accessories that you can buy to enhance your experience.
Featured image by simerpreet singh on Unsplash
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