Is USB-C audio in any way a downgrade from the old analog connectors (In Audio quality, not annoyance)? Because I've never understood the issue with people saying "My old sennheiser/sony/shure reference mics don't work" when you can just grab a $5 adapter and have it on the cable all the time. It's what I do with my headphones (I got the adapter for free with my iPhone, which I'll admit helps)
Not to say that I don't understand/appreciate the annoyance, but at this point it seems kinda self-defeating to go out of your way to purchase a lesser phone just because it has a jack just to continue using one specific pair of cans.