On a recent post, there were a lot of comments, which said that they were missing the headphones on newer mobile devices.

How many actually use the headphone jack?

I ask, because I have one on my phone, since I really wanted one, but I rarely use it. Like Tops 1/Month.

  • prole@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    According to Wikipedia, ‘The original 1⁄4 inch (6.35 mm) version descends from as early as 1877’, and it’s been an industry standard since then.

    I could be mistaken, but I believe the modern headphone cable/jack is 1/8”.

    1/4" are the bigger ones like the size of a guitar cable.

    • grabyourmotherskeys@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      When I was a kid, headphones had the beefy one associate with guitars. The smaller ones came out when Walkmans became popular. We called them mini-plugs and you’d buy an adapter to use them with older gear.

      Memories based on being born in early '70s. Possibly incorrect.

    • highduc@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      You’re correct. But you can use an adapter. Some headphones (especially more expensive ones) come with their own. And some devices (like my USB audio interface) come with a big jack for headphones, but again an adapter makes it irrelevant whether it’s a small jack or a large one.

      • mypasswordistaco@iusearchlinux.fyi
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        11 months ago

        If you’re gunna use an adapter anyway then it makes it irrelevant whether or not there’s a headphone jack in the phone. People in this thread talk about how you can’t use expensive wired headphones with your mobile devices anymore as if adapters don’t exist.

        • highduc@lemmy.ml
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          11 months ago

          We’re not talking about the same thing here. First off a large jack to small jack adapter would be needed in rare circumstances, if you happen to use a pair of headphones that only uses a large jack with a small device like a phone, which obviously only has a small one.
          That whole large jack discussion was started because of the quote from Wikipedia I posted, where they mention just how old the jack is. I’m guessing you haven’t read the rest of the comments since you brought it up?

          2nd of all a jack adapter is just “wire”, it’s passive ( doesn’t have any circuitry), and doesn’t require any support.
          For a dongle type of adapter that’s quite different. Software and hardware and compatibility come into play.
          Lots of dongles have a DAC built into them which is separate from the phone DAC. It’s duplicating something you already have, and if your phone has a good one buit into it (which it should), the flimsy dongle most probably has a very cheap one.
          I have a dongle and it only works if I plug it in before taking calls. If I already answer and then use the dongle the sound won’t work out of the headphones so it’s useless…