7 ms·

My current phone has no headphone jack and it's been an absolute pain the whole time. Adapters are hit-or-miss and generally suck. Even high-end devices (mine w

by hajile 7y ago

My current phone has no headphone jack and it's been an absolute pain the whole time. Adapters are hit-or-miss and generally suck. Even high-end devices (mine was over $800) often have hissing due to the analog signal running fractions of a millimeter from a bunch of digital signals. Adding insult to injury, music objectively sucks with bluetooth. A good DAC takes space and power. Multiple drivers take space and power. Bluetooth modems require space and power and generate interference simply because they are modems. When you try to shove all of that inside a tiny earphone, there are going to be massive tradeoffs.

throwaway287391 7y ago
Comments like this always make me really glad that I've never tried "good" audio equipment. I think music sounds great with my Sony XM3s and even my AirPods, and I don't have to travel with a DAC to experience it. shrug
- Bahamut 7y ago
  I think it depends on what you want - I have some pricier headphones myself & I used to own monitor speakers too, but I never think to use any of it with a phone. I use a phone to be on the go, and having big headphones don't go with that well unless I'm sitting for a long time like an airplane. So far I've been dealing with being on the go with the PowerBeats Pro - it's good enough for my purposes (light, good battery life, sound is good enough, somewhat compact), although I have it mainly because the AirPod Pros were not out then.
- williamdclt 7y ago
  On one hand you avoid frustration, on the other hand you miss out on greater enjoyment.
  - throwaway287391 7y ago
    I think I'd mentally adjust to the improved quality as the "new normal" pretty quickly and not get much out of it thereafter, leaving only the frustration when I couldn't have my audiophile quality. Seems like there's very little upside in it for me personally. I don't doubt that some people can genuinely sustain additional enjoyment out of it though.
    - snazz 7y ago
      I've noticed this trait with myself in a number of other aspects (operating system--no way I'm going back to Windows after having used Linux for years!), but luckily I haven't been spoiled by other people's good audio equipment yet. If you haven't gotten into high-end audio already, I'm guessing you're not the type who "listens to equipment" as opposed to listening to music. So long as you're paying more attention to the music than the minute differences between exponentially more expensive pairs of headphones (or DACs and amps), you're probably not going to have the problem you're afraid of. I can rarely hear the difference between my midrange Sony wireless headphones and my friend's super fancy open-back headphones when there's an equalizer profile applied to each to make them sound similar.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- dkonofalski 7y ago
  I would consider myself an audiophile but I agree with you wholeheartedly. My AirPods and other headphones are more than good enough to listen to music when I'm out and about. I've never carried a DAC anywhere because, at least for me, the only time I'm listening to high fidelity stuff is when that's my sole objective. I don't need lossless quality when I'm listening to music on a train or on the subway or even while I'm working. I've never been taken out of my mindspace because I may have possibly heard a compression artifact. It feels to me like people just want to complain to complain.
- drusepth 7y ago
  I think Tennyson's famous lines "Tis better to have loved and lost, / Than never to have loved at all" apply here. :)
wastedhours 7y ago
On the flip side, my phone does have a headphone jack and it's been a perennial weak spot. Debris gets in there far too easily to the extent that it doesn't even allow me to use a standard headphone cable. I'm not an audiophile, so wireless headphones and streamed music is more than good enough for me - but as someone who has a headphone jack and would be more than willing to use it, it's not exactly been a bed of roses after a couple of years of use. Am sure a manufacturer with better QA than OnePlus might be better, or if I'd have wrapped my phone in bubble-wrap every time I place it in a pocket it wouldn't have got stuff in there. But that's the anecdata from someone with one.
- andrewem 7y ago
  A headphone jack can be easily cleared of debris with a wooden toothpick. Before I figured that out I also found it impossible to keep using the jack.
  - dkonofalski 7y ago
    Also a great way to ruin the contacts and disable it forever. Use compressed air and something other than a toothpick. Eeek.
    - jhloa2 7y ago
      I have never had an issue using wooden toothpicks for the headphone and lightning cable jacks. It feels like you'd really have to try to break the pin connections that way
  - jbarberu 7y ago
    I've found a paperclip to work the best. Just bend it around a joint a couple of times until it snaps off and you have a little fish hook that'll grab onto any lint and pull it out with minimal risk of damaging the connectors :)
  - mantap 7y ago
    I use an interdental brush. It's soft and designed for getting debris out of sensitive places. Works a treat.
easytiger 7y ago
I've spent about $600 on various Bluetooth headphones and nothing beats the simple plug and play of a half decent $50 corded set. Add to that the fact that fully cordless earbuds are beyond ergonomic failure. At least corded can hang around your neck. Bud's one has to pop in and out, hold, put in your pocket. The idea of continuing conversations even if they have passthrough is very rude
- nogabebop23 7y ago
  When I'm sweating at the gym or out in the rain the last thing I want is expensive headphones, earbuds or especially over the year. I'm likely not listening to (nor in an environment promoting) the highest fidelty music. I want a pair of < $20 ear buds that when grubby or stop working are easily replaced. Blue tooth may work 98% of the time but the old 3.5mm audio is 100%
  - mgkimsal 7y ago
    I sleep with wired earbuds and white noise. They're $5 cheapos because they break every couple of months or so. and yeah, when working out, I have another set of cheaper earbuds, wired. Wireless might be nice for workouts, but when I tried it, I just kept having to remember to charge them - yet another 'thing to charge' that I didn't want to bother with.
  - jniedrauer 7y ago
    Counterpoint: I got really sick of the cable constantly yanking on my ears, so I got some Jabra Elite Active 65ts and I've used them for thousands of miles of running since then. The sound quality is great, they're comfortable (I never even notice them once I put them in), the case charges them so I don't need to remember, and they keep running like a champ in the rain. I couldn't go back to using wired earbuds for running at this point.
    - the_pwner224 7y ago
      With a jack you have the choice. I recently got Bluetooth headphones for exactly the same reason as you, but continue to use them wired with my computer because it's just better. Bluetooth works almost all the time, but not 100%.
mkertajaya 7y ago
Did you look at AudioQuest DragonFly DAC? I have been using it for a while and it works great. You can use your regular cable headphone with it.
PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
And it's not even about only headphones. It's about billions of audio devices that take one thing as input: line-level audio. Home stereos, car stereos, portable amps, hotel-room docks and TVs, PA systems and mixers. Then there's the idiotic problem that Apple created but never even solved: blocking the phone's sole port with a "headphone dongle," which prevents you from CHARGING the phone. So now if you want to listen to music while navigating (which kills the battery quickly), you're screwed. I ended up buying a few of the Lightning-to-30-pin-iPod adapters, which you can then plug a USB+audio cable into. Yes, the ancient 30-pin iPod connector has line audio out, and the cool thing is that it's a true line out; the volume control has no effect on it, so you only have one volume control to dick around with (the one on the amp).
- Dahoon 7y ago
  You can disable the volume on most phones. Granted "most phones" mean android.
Foivos 7y ago
Have you considered LG phones. They pride themselves on having a powerful DAC and obviously headphone jack
robbyking 7y ago
I absolutely hated not having a headphone jack so I finally gave in a bought a pair of AirPods Pro. They are literally my favorite thing I've bought in the last decade. I know it's an extremely expensive solution, and it's super shitty that Apple is basically forcing you to buy them, but now that I have them I love them.
- smiley1437 7y ago
  Same with me I got AirPods, now I never use any other headphones (which I used to love). I feel gross when I call them 'magical' but they sortof really are
- thirdsun 7y ago
  > I know it's an extremely expensive solution, and it's super shitty that Apple is basically forcing you to buy them, but now that I have them I love them. That’s an exaggeration. As mentioned in another comment Apple’s lightning to jack adapter is cheap, well done and enables all your high end headphones to be used with the iPhone. Just leave them attached to your headphones if you keep forgetting to bring them with you. Plus, there are countless non-Apple wireless headphones options if you really don’t like adapters. Airpods are by no means mandatory.
karmelapple 7y ago
Just for reference for others, the Apple headphone adapter I've used with my iPhone XS is rock solid, and I've never had a problem with it.
- abruzzi 7y ago
  The main problem I've had with it is it gets lost--constantly. Now I'm generally disorganized, which probably explains why I cold never find it when I wanted it. I know some people leave it on the cable but my headphones get used much more on other devices than on the iPhone, so I was constantly pulling it off to plug into a mixer or keyboard, and it would get lost. In the end I solved it by junking my XS and getting a used SE.
Shivetya 7y ago
well for those of us who live with blue tooth head sets the lack of jack has not been an issue. even when I needed corded headphones the lightning to standard jack worked fine on my 8+. Since it can wireless charge I could go charge and used a corded headset, but to be honest I haven't found a need as the quality of blue tooth headsets/air pods has been superb
- j79 7y ago
  I live with a couple bluetooth headsets (Apple's AirPods, Bose QCs, and a pair of Beats), and I would say 95% of the time it's not an issue. There's the 5% of the time, however, where I need to re-pair the headset (not the biggest issue in the world) or the battery is dead (bigger issue) and I rarely, if ever, have the dongle on me (or even a pair of headphones to use the dongle with) - obviously the biggest issue when I want to listen. That 5% of the time, while not often, is enough to remind me why I held onto my iPhone 6S until it finally died on me. As an iPhone user, I truly wish Apple would offer an iPhone 12 with a headphone jack, because I would absolutely buy it (two of the best pair of headphones I own are corded and it's a shame I can't just plug them into my iPhone when I please...)
thirdsun 7y ago
I think Apple’s official Lightning to jack adapter is fine for mobile use. Sure, it’s not ideal, but a headphone jack comes with other trade offs which have been discussed to death. At the end of the day I’m under no illusions that audio people like me, who enjoy good wired headphones, are a niche group. Most people don’t miss the jack at all and I think having the adapter is an acceptable solution for everyone else.

by hajile 7y ago

throwaway287391 7y ago

Comments like this always make me really glad that I've never tried "good" audio equipment. I think music sounds great with my Sony XM3s and even my AirPods, and I don't have to travel with a DAC to experience it. shrug

Bahamut 7y ago
I think it depends on what you want - I have some pricier headphones myself & I used to own monitor speakers too, but I never think to use any of it with a phone. I use a phone to be on the go, and having big headphones don't go with that well unless I'm sitting for a long time like an airplane. So far I've been dealing with being on the go with the PowerBeats Pro - it's good enough for my purposes (light, good battery life, sound is good enough, somewhat compact), although I have it mainly because the AirPod Pros were not out then.
williamdclt 7y ago
On one hand you avoid frustration, on the other hand you miss out on greater enjoyment.
- throwaway287391 7y ago
  I think I'd mentally adjust to the improved quality as the "new normal" pretty quickly and not get much out of it thereafter, leaving only the frustration when I couldn't have my audiophile quality. Seems like there's very little upside in it for me personally. I don't doubt that some people can genuinely sustain additional enjoyment out of it though.
  - snazz 7y ago
    I've noticed this trait with myself in a number of other aspects (operating system--no way I'm going back to Windows after having used Linux for years!), but luckily I haven't been spoiled by other people's good audio equipment yet. If you haven't gotten into high-end audio already, I'm guessing you're not the type who "listens to equipment" as opposed to listening to music. So long as you're paying more attention to the music than the minute differences between exponentially more expensive pairs of headphones (or DACs and amps), you're probably not going to have the problem you're afraid of. I can rarely hear the difference between my midrange Sony wireless headphones and my friend's super fancy open-back headphones when there's an equalizer profile applied to each to make them sound similar.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
dkonofalski 7y ago
I would consider myself an audiophile but I agree with you wholeheartedly. My AirPods and other headphones are more than good enough to listen to music when I'm out and about. I've never carried a DAC anywhere because, at least for me, the only time I'm listening to high fidelity stuff is when that's my sole objective. I don't need lossless quality when I'm listening to music on a train or on the subway or even while I'm working. I've never been taken out of my mindspace because I may have possibly heard a compression artifact. It feels to me like people just want to complain to complain.
drusepth 7y ago
I think Tennyson's famous lines "Tis better to have loved and lost, / Than never to have loved at all" apply here. :)

wastedhours 7y ago

On the flip side, my phone does have a headphone jack and it's been a perennial weak spot. Debris gets in there far too easily to the extent that it doesn't even allow me to use a standard headphone cable. I'm not an audiophile, so wireless headphones and streamed music is more than good enough for me - but as someone who has a headphone jack and would be more than willing to use it, it's not exactly been a bed of roses after a couple of years of use. Am sure a manufacturer with better QA than OnePlus might be better, or if I'd have wrapped my phone in bubble-wrap every time I place it in a pocket it wouldn't have got stuff in there. But that's the anecdata from someone with one.

andrewem 7y ago
A headphone jack can be easily cleared of debris with a wooden toothpick. Before I figured that out I also found it impossible to keep using the jack.
- dkonofalski 7y ago
  Also a great way to ruin the contacts and disable it forever. Use compressed air and something other than a toothpick. Eeek.
  - jhloa2 7y ago
    I have never had an issue using wooden toothpicks for the headphone and lightning cable jacks. It feels like you'd really have to try to break the pin connections that way
- jbarberu 7y ago
  I've found a paperclip to work the best. Just bend it around a joint a couple of times until it snaps off and you have a little fish hook that'll grab onto any lint and pull it out with minimal risk of damaging the connectors :)
- mantap 7y ago
  I use an interdental brush. It's soft and designed for getting debris out of sensitive places. Works a treat.

easytiger 7y ago

I've spent about $600 on various Bluetooth headphones and nothing beats the simple plug and play of a half decent $50 corded set. Add to that the fact that fully cordless earbuds are beyond ergonomic failure. At least corded can hang around your neck. Bud's one has to pop in and out, hold, put in your pocket. The idea of continuing conversations even if they have passthrough is very rude

nogabebop23 7y ago
When I'm sweating at the gym or out in the rain the last thing I want is expensive headphones, earbuds or especially over the year. I'm likely not listening to (nor in an environment promoting) the highest fidelty music. I want a pair of < $20 ear buds that when grubby or stop working are easily replaced. Blue tooth may work 98% of the time but the old 3.5mm audio is 100%
- mgkimsal 7y ago
  I sleep with wired earbuds and white noise. They're $5 cheapos because they break every couple of months or so. and yeah, when working out, I have another set of cheaper earbuds, wired. Wireless might be nice for workouts, but when I tried it, I just kept having to remember to charge them - yet another 'thing to charge' that I didn't want to bother with.
- jniedrauer 7y ago
  Counterpoint: I got really sick of the cable constantly yanking on my ears, so I got some Jabra Elite Active 65ts and I've used them for thousands of miles of running since then. The sound quality is great, they're comfortable (I never even notice them once I put them in), the case charges them so I don't need to remember, and they keep running like a champ in the rain. I couldn't go back to using wired earbuds for running at this point.
  - the_pwner224 7y ago
    With a jack you have the choice. I recently got Bluetooth headphones for exactly the same reason as you, but continue to use them wired with my computer because it's just better. Bluetooth works almost all the time, but not 100%.

mkertajaya 7y ago

Did you look at AudioQuest DragonFly DAC? I have been using it for a while and it works great. You can use your regular cable headphone with it.

PunksATawnyFill 7y ago

And it's not even about only headphones. It's about billions of audio devices that take one thing as input: line-level audio. Home stereos, car stereos, portable amps, hotel-room docks and TVs, PA systems and mixers. Then there's the idiotic problem that Apple created but never even solved: blocking the phone's sole port with a "headphone dongle," which prevents you from CHARGING the phone. So now if you want to listen to music while navigating (which kills the battery quickly), you're screwed. I ended up buying a few of the Lightning-to-30-pin-iPod adapters, which you can then plug a USB+audio cable into. Yes, the ancient 30-pin iPod connector has line audio out, and the cool thing is that it's a true line out; the volume control has no effect on it, so you only have one volume control to dick around with (the one on the amp).

Dahoon 7y ago
You can disable the volume on most phones. Granted "most phones" mean android.

Foivos 7y ago

Have you considered LG phones. They pride themselves on having a powerful DAC and obviously headphone jack

robbyking 7y ago

I absolutely hated not having a headphone jack so I finally gave in a bought a pair of AirPods Pro. They are literally my favorite thing I've bought in the last decade. I know it's an extremely expensive solution, and it's super shitty that Apple is basically forcing you to buy them, but now that I have them I love them.

smiley1437 7y ago
Same with me I got AirPods, now I never use any other headphones (which I used to love). I feel gross when I call them 'magical' but they sortof really are
thirdsun 7y ago
> I know it's an extremely expensive solution, and it's super shitty that Apple is basically forcing you to buy them, but now that I have them I love them. That’s an exaggeration. As mentioned in another comment Apple’s lightning to jack adapter is cheap, well done and enables all your high end headphones to be used with the iPhone. Just leave them attached to your headphones if you keep forgetting to bring them with you. Plus, there are countless non-Apple wireless headphones options if you really don’t like adapters. Airpods are by no means mandatory.

karmelapple 7y ago

Just for reference for others, the Apple headphone adapter I've used with my iPhone XS is rock solid, and I've never had a problem with it.

abruzzi 7y ago
The main problem I've had with it is it gets lost--constantly. Now I'm generally disorganized, which probably explains why I cold never find it when I wanted it. I know some people leave it on the cable but my headphones get used much more on other devices than on the iPhone, so I was constantly pulling it off to plug into a mixer or keyboard, and it would get lost. In the end I solved it by junking my XS and getting a used SE.

Shivetya 7y ago

well for those of us who live with blue tooth head sets the lack of jack has not been an issue. even when I needed corded headphones the lightning to standard jack worked fine on my 8+. Since it can wireless charge I could go charge and used a corded headset, but to be honest I haven't found a need as the quality of blue tooth headsets/air pods has been superb

j79 7y ago
I live with a couple bluetooth headsets (Apple's AirPods, Bose QCs, and a pair of Beats), and I would say 95% of the time it's not an issue. There's the 5% of the time, however, where I need to re-pair the headset (not the biggest issue in the world) or the battery is dead (bigger issue) and I rarely, if ever, have the dongle on me (or even a pair of headphones to use the dongle with) - obviously the biggest issue when I want to listen. That 5% of the time, while not often, is enough to remind me why I held onto my iPhone 6S until it finally died on me. As an iPhone user, I truly wish Apple would offer an iPhone 12 with a headphone jack, because I would absolutely buy it (two of the best pair of headphones I own are corded and it's a shame I can't just plug them into my iPhone when I please...)

thirdsun 7y ago

I think Apple’s official Lightning to jack adapter is fine for mobile use. Sure, it’s not ideal, but a headphone jack comes with other trade offs which have been discussed to death. At the end of the day I’m under no illusions that audio people like me, who enjoy good wired headphones, are a niche group. Most people don’t miss the jack at all and I think having the adapter is an acceptable solution for everyone else.