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Headphone jacks are easier to use with friends. A few years ago, if a friend was riding with me in the car, I would offer them a chance to plug their phone into
by UtopiaPunk 2y ago
Headphone jacks are easier to use with friends. A few years ago, if a friend was riding with me in the car, I would offer them a chance to plug their phone into the audio system using a 3.5mm cable. Now, most of my friends don't have a phone with the audio jack, and pairing their phone via bluetooth is a small headache that also seems to have a small random chance of failure.
Similarly, I used to keep a "headphone splitter" cable in my laptop back and backpack. If I were listening to something interesting or funny, I could share that with someone, connecting two (or more!) pairs of headphones to one device. I think it may be technically possible to do something similar on the latest bluetooth standards, but even thinking about trying to do it makes me tired.
On a different note, I have an old but nice hifi stereo in my home. It has a few different audio sources, but the one I use the most is my previous smartphone, which sits next to the stereo, permanently connected with a 3.5mm cable. It has no mobile data plan, but it connects to my home's wifi, and I use it to play music from a streaming service and to my media server that holds a collection of ripped CDs. I think it's a great way to extend the usefulness of an elecronic device, but that is only made possible by utilizing widely adopted standards.
- outlore 2y agoi feel your pain about splitting of audio without a headphone jack. there are some devices like the Airfly Duo (no affiliation) that can connect via Bluetooth to two devices, but those require that at least your device has an audio jack
- hoerensagen 2y agoSplitting audio via Bluetooth works completely fine for me. Doesn't need any extra apps or devices. But I was also very surprised when found out that this works now.
- ofrzeta 2y agoHow does it work? I've never seen it and a Google search doesn't show anything useful. What Bluetooth version?
- MrJohz 2y agoI went searching for it the other day, and my impression for most tablets/phones is that it's supported at the hardware level by most modern devices, but it needs to be enabled at the OS level. Right now, only Samsung are really doing that, but presumably at some point Android and iOS will have it as a built-in feature as well. IIUC, this is part of Bluetooth v5, it might specifically be connected to LE Audio, but I don't know the details.
- ofrzeta 2y agoOk, I found out now that the feature is called "multi-streaming". "Multi-Stream Audio will enable the transmission of multiple, independent, synchronized audio streams between an audio source device, such as a smartphone, and one or more audio sink devices" https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enhancements/le-audio/ https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enha...
- stuaxo 2y agoIs this for stuff like the Mini rig, where you can have a few speakers all playing the same thing?
- hoerensagen 2y agoIs use it for headphones. Perfect for watching movies on train journeys.
- dmonitor 2y agoI'd just invest in a USB/lightning > 3.5mm adapter
- alecco 2y agoBut now most people have wireless headphones.
- dTal 2y agoI bought one recently for less than half the price of a cup of coffee. The electronics are so small that it is impossible to tell where they have been hidden, and any audio imperfections that may exist are below my personal threshold of audibility, which - if I may toot my own horn a little - is not a particularly forgiving standard. I am awed by modern technology.