Smartphone manufacturers are increasingly inclined to do away with the 3.5mm audio jack, which has been the standard connector for all kinds of audio devices for the past century. The latest range of smartphones from LeEco also does not have a 3.5mm plug, and Apple phones have long since done away with the connector. Let's take a look at what the USB Type-C audio plug means for smartphones.
The main difference is that the 3.5 mm connector transmits analogue audio, which means that all digital conversion and headphone driver components are installed in the smartphone.
The new USB Type-C standard chooses to transmit digital audio. This will allow headphones or other connected devices to convert this data into an analogue signal and drive the speakers themselves. will the type c jack replace the old 3.5mm jack? Is this a good or bad thing? AIKE ELECTRONIC shares with you.
One of the benefits of moving to USB Type-C "digital" audio is that it improves the quality of the music. the big change with USB Type-C audio is that instead of sending an analogue signal through the wires to the headphones, it only sends a digital signal. The digital-to-analogue converter, filter circuit and headphone amplifier will all be installed in the headset near the headphones. Placing this circuit slightly closer to the final headphone output may help to eliminate some of the noise in the headphone cable.
Of course, USB can transfer more than just digital audio. It also opens the door to advanced communication between hardware, so high-end headsets may include additional hardware and software features. The volume, play, pause and skip functions included in some smartphone headsets can be more reliably compatible, plus the digital processing options included in the headset can be accompanied and controlled by a dedicated smartphone app, allowing the user to control the sound of the headset from the palm of their hand.
Speaking of slimmer form factors, one of the other potential benefits of removing the 3.5mm jack is that it will save a small amount of space. Manufacturers could make their smartphones slightly thinner, or use this space saving to include a slightly larger battery. We're obviously not talking about major space savings, but for smartphones, every millimetre helps.
The noise cancelling performance gives us a choice that may have some marginal benefits, but that depends a lot on the headset manufacturer. The bigger downside is that the type c connector is not only incompatible with existing high-quality 3.5 mm headphones, but also with Hi-Fi and other top-notch and even professional-grade audio equipment. While more and more audio manufacturers may eventually start using the USB Type-C interface, there will be a lack of direct cross-compatibility between certain phones and other audio devices in the short and medium term.
Another big concern for some people is: how do you charge your phone while listening to music?The USB specification has a provision for a power loop that can be directly supported by the headset or a third party adapter. However, there is some ambiguity in the specification about how this works for digital headphones that require external power and whether it supports fast charging technology.
Although we are talking about electronics, there is a lot more going on inside a USB Type-C headset, all of which will require additional power supplies and will be more expensive to develop and manufacture. Not only will the headset be more expensive, but so will the USB connectors and cables. Going from a simple 3-pin plug to the 24-pin behemoth of USB Type-C will certainly add to the cost of third-party audio adapters and make cables and headset repairs more difficult.
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