Wired Headphones

[bruncher]

With the phasing out of headphone mini-jack sockets in new smart phones, everyone who used to plug in the same headphones used for listening to music on their HiFi system, now has to think of something else.

There are wired earbuds which have USB C connector, but why are there no over-ear headphones with USB C connectors, that don't require charging?

[csearle]

https://www.kensington.com/p/products/p ... r-headset/

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... aming.html

https://www.walmart.com/ip/HamiltonBuhl ... /979323042

[Urbandreamer]

I confess that I fail to see the disadvantage of having more than one sort of headphone.

I'd also point out that the 3mm jack is an analog output that just drives small speakers, while USB was a digital connector, though I understand that they added analog to USB C.

It may take a while for HiFi's to adopt the output.

[servodude]

I confess that I fail to see the disadvantage of having more than one sort of headphone.

I'd also point out that the 3mm jack is an analog output that just drives small speakers, while USB was a digital connector, though I understand that they added analog to USB C.

It may take a while for HiFi's to adopt the output.

Yup you can get analog out of USB using "Audio Accessory Mode” D+ D- becoming L & R - hence USB-C to 3.5mm adapters
- that doesn't mean that the rest of the system supports providing an analog out - but they've done the thunkings for the protocol and connector

Over the ear wired USB-C headphones being powered (or "needing charged") shouldn't really be a problem given USB-C is "quite good" at powering stuff

[Julian]

Depending just how "HiFi" you want to go it might also be worth pointing out that it is possible to get dongles that plug into the data port on a phone - or the USB port on a PC or laptop for that matter - and convert digital audio to analogue using a DAC built into the dongle, feed the analogue audio through a small amplifier built into the dongle, and then output the amplified signal through a 3.5mm jack. Most (all?) PCs and phones now have the option to output digital audio over a USB port so a DAC/amp dongle should work even on devices that don't support "Audio Accessory Mode".

Ask an audiophile to name a DAC/amp dongle and my guess is that most would mention the Audioquest DragonFly series first (https://www.audioquest.com/page/aq-drag ... eries.html) but that range is definitely targeting the high and high(ish) end of the headphone market often using lossless music formats so they are not cheap. I am pretty sure there must be other much cheaper DAC/amp-3.5mm dongles available though if someone did want to go that route and doesn't have very expensive headphones that they want to do justice to.

- Julian

[kempiejon]

Last week I saw a good TV show on headphones, The Secret Genius of Modern Life - Headphones. History and discovery and evolution to where we are to day with tiny wireless in ears with noise cancelling tech.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... c_team=BBC