Philips beat Apple at their own game last year, being the first to release headphones with the Lightning jack. It is doing the same again this year at CES with another pair that feature active noise cancellation. The Fidelio NC1L headphones plug directly into iOS devices via the Lightning connector, and like their predecessors use their own integrated 24-bit digital to analog converter instead of the one built into Apple’s devices. But they also have noise cancellation, courtesy of four different microphones built into the headphones.
What sets the new headphones apart is that they don’t require any batteries since Apple’s Lightning port is capable of providing power along with data.
If you don’t want the feature, the headphones also feature a mode that lets in ambient noise, and a second noise suppression setting designed for making phone calls. The headphones will be released in North America and will cost $299 when it goes on sale.
