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Alpha & Delta Type-C and Lightning Adapters

Alpha & Delta Type-C and Lightning Adapters

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1K requests
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1.2k Sold
Product Description
The removal of the headphone jack in many of today’s new smartphone models has caused complications for some users. Those who want to connect headphones, aux cords, or other devices that have cords with 3.5-millimeter jacks can’t do so without an adapter Read More

Customer Reviews

4.1
(74 reviews)
5star
(39)
4star
(18)
3star
(8)
2star
(4)
1star
(5)
80% would recommend to a friend
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TheBatman
77
Nov 14, 2019
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This cable is...
...A nice cable. It allows me to use a mini-jack for either hardwired 'phones or to hook up a powered speaker that doesn't have blootoof. It also looks bitchin'! What more could anyone ask for? If you're a reasonable individual, nothing. ;-) I am very reasonable.
Recommends this product? Yes
Cooleat
21
Sep 29, 2019
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It Works
It works, does what it's supposed to do. looks great with tripowin and linsoul cables and it feels sturdy too. only used it so far with isine20, drives it good, mid forward sounding and highs are little tamed for my taste. its no xdsd or mojo but it works fine for me.
Recommends this product? Yes
josh_wink
69
Nov 24, 2019
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Solid product
Built very well and the cable is flexible. I do like the look, especially with connecting to braided cable headphones. Overall, it's a good product with nothing to complain about but nothing that blows you away.
Recommends this product? Yes
Jcc1
16
Jan 18, 2020
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Good enough to have a spare or two
I was pleasantly surprised with how good the sound quality was when using my audio technica cans with my new iPhone 11.
Recommends this product? Yes
thefitz
375
Oct 24, 2019
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Adequate
There's some cringe in the reviews and comments section, largely from Lightning users comparing it to the OEM adapter and from people thinking this is just some sort of regular extension cable. They all seem to ask "how can this thing improve my sound?" or "how is this better than the stock Apple product?" A lot of people complained when the headphone jack went the way of the dodo, but I saw this as a great opportunity for the industry to start churning out high-quality, compact USB/Lightning DACs, giving everyone the best quality audio whether they want it or not. At a very high level: The Alpha & Delta Type-C adapter is handsome and well built, however its performance trails some of its slightly more expensive counterparts. Pros:
  • Well built
  • Sturdily clicks into the USB-C port
  • Unpretentious packaging and carry case
Cons:
  • Tops out at 24/96
  • Output could be better
  • Output impedance seems to be fairly high, affecting balanced armature IEM performance (Drop Plus, NuForce EDC3, Etymotic, Shure, Noble)
That last point was a real deal-breaker for me - output impedance is arguably the most important (and definitely among the most important) specs that something that may be used with IEMs can have, as it can drastically impact the performance of balanced armature IEMs. I could not find the output impedance of this device anywhere in the listing, and to my ears it is likely over 2-3 ohms. The "golden rule" says that impedance should be no more than 1/8th of the impedance of the unit. If this unit imparts >2-3 ohms of output impedance, anything with less than 16-24 ohms will be audibly impacted. Most BA IEMs specify the impedance at 1kHz, but unlike dynamic drivers, the impedance of BA IEMs isn't remotely linear. In fact, particularly with multi-driver units, the impedance looks like a crazy squiggly line, with parts of the curve going down to the low single digits. The Shure SE846 has an impedance of 5 ohms at 5kHz, 8 ohms at 10kHz, and 16 ohms at 100Hz. The Final Audio Heaven II has an impedance of 17 to 20 ohms all the way to 3kHz, but then it shoots up to 50 ohms at 10kHz. If a devices output impedance is greater than 1/8th of the lowest possible impedance, you'll start to hear those frequency ranges become impacted: the SE846 will have this odd lower-treble suck-out, and the Heaven II will sound like an ice-pick to the ear. The Campfire Andromeda sounds like a freakin' laptop speaker if the output impedance of what it's plugged into isn't approaching zero. I used the Alpha & Delta with a Drop Plus IEM and an Etymotic ER-4XR - two exceptional BA IEMs that aren't in flagship territory. What's great about these two BA IEMs is that the sound signature doesn't become unusable if the output impedance is too high, although the impact is indeed audible. Plugging those to sets into the A&D, the Plus became appreciably warm and perhaps a little too muted on the top end, and the ER-4XR became somewhat leaner than usual (with the ER-4XR having an impedance of 42 ohms up to 1kHz, the A&R's OI could even be 6-7 ohms). There is absolutely no detriment to having an output impedance of 0.5 ohms or lower on a portable listening device, and I don't know why companies release products that have anything above it. While the perceptible differences between 24/96 and 24/192 can be discussed till the cows come home, many similarly-priced alternatives to the A&D have access to the full 24/192, and that's slightly disappointing. Not a big deal in a practical sense, but worth pointing out. I also felt that the A&D had about as much volume on tap as any old phone with a headphone jack - not particularly lacking, but not particularly copious either. While I was perfectly happy with the A&D, how my Plus and ER-4XR reacted to it had me pull the trigger on an Hidizs S3. My freaking god. While I'm not positive what the output impedance is on the S3, my Drop Plus sang like it does when plugged into my Chord Mojo. Incredible. The ER4-XR did not have a hint of leanness. The S3 also had 4 or 5 "extra clicks" of power in reserve as well. The A&D was built better than the S3 however - in particular, the A&D clicked nicely into my phone's USB-C port, whereas the S3's a little wobbly. The cable and both jacks seem much sturdier on the A&D than they do on the S3. Other than build quality, the S3 smokes the A&D in every way, and it's not even close. How, the A&D is $25 plus whatever the shipping charge is, plus a considerable wait. The Hidizs (what a stupid name) S3 is currently $45 with a coupon and Amazon Prime shipping. I'd say for the extra $20, you'd be nuts not to go for the Hidizs S3. That said, the extra $20 is about twice the price of the A&D, so it's a considerable jump in price if you look at it like that. Is the Hidizs S3 worth twice as much as the Alpha & Delta Type-C adapter? I'd say yes. But you get what you pay for in either case. This may come across as an overly negative review and/or an add for the S3, but a lot of my complaints are about industry practices as a whole and not the A&D in particular. For $25, you're going to get a decently performing USB-C mini-DAC that's well built. If you're willing to double your investment, you're going to be able to get something exceptional. Do with that what you will.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
9P_M
22
Nov 5, 2020
ALO? Nice. It does both for 109$ ;). 3.5 and 2.5. USB C input data/charge.
thefitz
375
Nov 5, 2020
9P_MNot in the mood to carry around a little box in my pocket, but if I ever feel the need, I'll check out that one!
Jlily82
16
Jan 8, 2020
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Broke after second use
flimsy product, broke the lightning tip on the second use. Contacted drop and manufacturers customer service to no avail. Alpha and delta told me they would send a replacement but now they won’t respond to my emails. Avoid this product at all cost.
Recommends this product? No
SaltyStorm
15
Mar 7, 2020
Jlily82I was thinking about getting the for my mass drop nu in ears, Would they work well for those too, Or would it not be worth it for the $25
maikuirock
65
Sep 21, 2019
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Forward with elevated low to mid. Pair carefully.
Immediate noticeable difference between the stock adapter and became fatiguing after a short listen on my already mid-centric UE7s. Where the stock sound is more neutral, this somewhat colors/warms by bringing the presentation forward with elevated lows and mid. I even tried to put it through my FiiO E12A to see if it would back off. Just barely. Build quality is fantastic and sturdy. Love the braided cable. I would pair with iems that are flat/neutral to give them a little more punch. Otherwise, may not be everyone’s flavor. May just stick with the stock adapter until i get a set of leaner or flatter iems. Puchased: Lightning Update: After listening to them on a pair of Andromedas (another BA set) and Xiaomi Pistons (DD). I noticed it didn't seem like it was just boosting frequencies, but almost like gain as well. I first noticed on the Andromedas it was almost like the vocals were clipping. Then when I switched to the Pistons, it wasn't as bad, but it sounded more muffled, per se. So if that's what the DAC is doing, there's certainly loss of clarity (think compressor or limiter) and stage. Not as fatiguing on the Pistons as the other 2 sets, The kick on the Pistons were definitely in your face. Didn't think this thing would change the signature so much.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
Qwervy
464
Jan 19, 2020
maikuirockimpedance matching issues most likely.
Xray0420
18
Mar 8, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
Good sound
Good sound and looks but if not taken care of well; they break and sound cuts out. I have had 3 that’s right, 3! They break, so unless you are sitting at a desk..... I just haven’t found the right ones that are durable enough for me or my pocket!
Recommends this product? No
teosj
72
Mar 8, 2020
Xray0420Hello, I am sorry to hear about that. Do contact us at contact@alphandelta.com and we will see what we can do for you.
Xray0420
18
Jul 30, 2020
Xray0420Made things right all good with me.
Ralphizal
5
Sep 23, 2019
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Not Worth it
This must be my fourth non-apple adapter and all have been plagued by issues. Stick with the original and save money. only pro - looks nice.
Recommends this product? No
teosj
72
Sep 24, 2019
RalphizalDear Sir, This is Teo from Alpha & Delta. May i know what issues are you facing? You might have received a defective set as we used MFI certified lightning jacks (the same ones as Apple) and should work the same as the original apple ones. If possible,please do drop us an email at contact@alphandelta.com so that we can arrange for a replacement to be sent to you as well as understand the issue further. Thank you!
(Edited)
tkfeng
4
May 15, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
Works When It Works... But It Doesn't.
I purchased two of the lightning connector variants. The first cable had worked for two weeks before inevitably disconnecting randomly during use when the cable is moved to a certain position. Often, the signal would disconnect and not reconnect, even after unplugging. The second cable had the the issue from the start. This issue renders the product unusable because you can't even attempt to fidget it back into working. However, in the moments that the cable can actually transmit a signal, the audio quality is fine. I don't hear any difference between these and the Apple adapter. The idea of the braided design was something I have been looking for since the rise of lightning adapters and was excited to try these; I would praise the design more if the cable actually worked. I am always careful when unplugging these adapters and have had Apple brand adapters last me a while. I had initially purchased two of them in case one malfunctions due to user error, but it seems the QC is not good on this product if both cables are faulty. I returned both and am disappointed in this product.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
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