Passive Analogue Playback
Passive Analogue Playback indicates whether a headphone can play through an analogue cable while its battery and active electronics are off.
This can provide a wired listening option when the battery is depleted. The incoming analogue signal drives the headphone without relying on its powered playback circuitry. A cable socket or a general wired mode does not establish this feature: some headphones still need power for analogue input.
Passive Analogue Playback — Headphone
Check the instructions for the unpowered mode and its supported connection. Noise cancellation, electronic equalisation, microphones or other powered functions may be unavailable. The sound and usable volume can differ from powered operation because the signal path and processing have changed.
A supported passive mode does not guarantee that every source can drive the headphone satisfactorily; sensitivity, impedance and the source’s output still matter. Keep this feature separate from passive noise isolation, which concerns blocking outside sound through fit and construction rather than operating without a battery.