Perhaps one of the biggest changes Apple has ever made to the iPhone in the last 10 years, was the decision to eliminate the 3.5mm earphone jack with the introduction of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Although it allowed for a slimmer iPhone, it presented users with two problems. First, how to use a third party headphone or earphone that has a 3.5mm plug and how to charge the iPhone and listen to music at the same time?
Apple offered two solutions for the first problem by including earbuds with a lightning connector along with a Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter so you could use older third-party devices.
The second issue was not as easily solved, and while Apple did not provide a solution, many third-party companies were quick to develop adapters that would solve the problem.
While most of these adapters worked well, and solved one problem, they tended to create others. First, adapters tend to be bulky. They may not work with certain cases you use for your iPhone. Second, they detract from the slim design of the iPhone and may make it harder to slip into your pocket. Finally, it is now one more thing to carry and keep track of, along with your charging cable and earphones. Wouldn’t it be great if you could charge your iPhone while listening to your favorite music without the need to carry any extra hardware?
Check out our New Product Introduction video below.
Introducing the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable
The Vinpok Duo 2 Cable is the world’s first 2-in-1 versatile cable for audio and calls while charging your iPhone.
The Vinpok Duo 2 Cable is a 1-meter (3.3 Ft) nylon wrapped iPhone charging cable. The nylon wrap helps prevent tangles and gives a substantial feel to the cable. If the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable was just an ordinary iPhone charging cable, we would compare it to the Paracable family of cables we previously reviewed (read our review here), and give it high marks. But the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable is no ordinary iPhone charging cable.
Built into the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable is an audio transmitter with a lightning connector jack built in to it. You can connect your Lightning Connect earbuds to the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable and listen to your music while charging you iPhone.
If you have an older style of earbuds, or other third-part earphone or headphones, the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable is fully compatible with the Apple Lightning to 3.5mm earphone jack adapter.
The Vinpok Duo 2 cable even comes packed in its own carry case with a small compartment to store the adapter in when not in use.
The Vinpok Duo 2 Cable audio transmitter supports 24bit, 48kHz sound to provide full fidelity of your favorite music. When using your earphones in the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable, you retain full use of the volume and call controls built into may earphone models. The cable also supports syncing of data when connected to your Mac.
Vinpok Duo 2 Cable – Test Results
There isn’t much we can do to test a product like this. In general, it either works or it doesn’t and we found the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable did everything it claims.
Charging was flawless whether we used our MacBook Pro, the standard Apple iPhone power cube or our Belkin Power Rockstar 10000 battery pack (read our review here).
To check out the sound quality, we used a current set of Apple earbuds with a lightning connector, an older version of the Apple earbuds with a 3.5mm plug and the Apple Lightning to 3.5mm earphone jack adapter and the Roccat Khan Pro Gaming Headset (read our review here), also with the Apple adapter. In all cases the audio played perfectly with excellent sound quality. The inline controls worked as expected and when making phone calls, the people on the far end of the call had no trouble hearing us.
The included carry case was a nice added touch and makes transporting the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable a nice grab-n-go accessory.
The Bottom Line
We have always been partial to charging cables that had a little more substance than those provided by Apple. The nylon wrapped Vinpok Duo 2 Cable stands on its own just being a premium charging cable. The addition of the built-in audio transmitter which allows you to listen to music while charging your iPhone makes it hard to think why you would use any other cable.
The Vinpok Duo 2 Cable is a brand-new item and is not yet available for general sale. With an expected release in May 2018, the Vinpok Duo 2 has an MSRP of $59.00. But Vinpok has just release their Indegogo campaign and is offering the Duo 2 Cable for the unbelievable price of $19.00, a 67% savings. You can also get a 2-pack for $38.00. There is a limited quantity available at these prices and they are going fast so if you are interested, we suggest you head over to their Indegogo page (here), right away.
We would like to thank the folks at Vinpok for providing the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable for our review.
Do you have a solution to charge your iPhone while listening to music? How did you solve the problem? Does the Vinpok Duo 2 Cable sound like something you would use? Why not joint the conversation and leave a comment below.
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