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Bring Back the Headphone Jack: Why USB-C Audio Still Doesn't Work

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday September 12 2018, @04:41AM   Printer-friendly
from the they-can't-hear-you dept.

canopic jug writes:

PC World has an article on why USB-C has not been a viable alternative for the 3.5mm audio jack. Problems with USB-C include variable handling of digital to audio conversion, incompatible SOCs inside the cable, and non-standard analog-passthrough. In short, the cables which contain computers themselves are not standardized in behavior and the author's conclusion is that mobile devices must have 3.5mm jacks until the USB-C cable technology gets sorted out enough that they become usable.

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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by DannyB on Wednesday September 12 2018, @05:08PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 12 2018, @05:08PM (#733714) Journal

    While I want to keep the headphone jack, I have become a fan of USB-C. More data pins.

    I can grab either end of the cable and plug it into the charger, and the other end into the phone -- or -- laptop! No more making sure I've got the right end of the cable.

    When you plug a USB-C cable into a device, you can plug it in either way. In practice this means you only have to flip the cable one time!
    1. Attempt to plug cable into device -- oops
    2. flip cable, and it inserts

    But with USB micro-B, the cable can only be plugged into the device one way, so effectively this means . . .
    1. Attempt to plug cable into device -- oops
    2. flip cable, and . . . oops
    3. flip cable again, and it inserts.

    You have to admit the USB-C way is better, 2 steps instead of 3.

    But wait . . . there's more! (Now how much would you pay?)

    I can use a Laptop USB-C charger (45W) with the phone. I can use a Phone USB-C charger (15W) with the laptop. They negotiate. None of the mishmash of "fast charging" standards from multiple vendors.

    When I use the phone charger on the laptop, there is an on screen message that says it is charging more slowly than normal. This means I could use a USB C phone charger on the laptop in a pinch.

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