Slashdot Mirror
Buying Headphones in 2018 is Going To Be a Fragmented Mess (theverge.com)
Vlad Savov, writing for The Verge: At CES this year, I saw the future of headphones, and it was messy. Where we once had the solid reliability of a 3.5mm analog connector working with any jack shaped to receive it, there's now a divergence of digital alternatives -- Lightning or USB-C, depending on your choice of jack-less phone -- and a bunch of wireless codecs and standards to keep track of. Oh, and Sony's working hard on promoting a new 4.4mm Pentaconn connector as the next wired standard for dedicated audio lovers. It's all with the intent of making things better, but before we get to the better place, we're going to spend an uncomfortable few months (or longer) in a fragmented market where you'll have to do diligent research to make sure your next pair of headphones works with all the devices you already own.
Don't buy hardware that doesn't adhere to established, working standards, like USB, USB-C, or 3.5mm jack.
The Pentaconn thing seems interesting, as it's still an analog connection.
I don't know how to complain about companies ditching the 3.5mm jack without sounding like a Luddite.
>they dropped 3.5mm because it was too big?
No, they dropped the 3.5mm jack because the phone was too thin. Battery life suffers also. Thicker phone -> Thicker battery and 3.5mm jack. It's a win, win.
I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
Only thing I can imagine is if that's 4.4mm wide, and pretty flat.
This whole debacle is all about Digital Restrictions Management, and nothing else. None of these new jacks are analog, but rather are all digital. Remember the musical mafiaa's complaining about the "Analog Hole" for decades? They convinced Apple to fill it, and then everyone else dutifully followed along.
This has nothing to do with aesthetics, size, production costs, and any of the other nonsensical explanations. This is solely to set the stage so you can't easily record what you hear.
It lacks a very important feature: vendor lock-in.
Circumcision is child abuse.
> Would someone tell me how this happened?
Apple had the courage to remove a decades old, industry standard headphone jack.
But industry standard is an understatement. This jack was used by much more than smartphones and tablets. It was the standard on PCs. Old stereo equipment back to the early 1980's had this jack. Walkman cassette players. Car entertainment systems use this jack. MP3 players and personal video pod type players. I can just barely describe how widely used this jack was and for how long. This jack was used everywhere on the entire planet. It was way more standard than electrical outlets which vary by country.
But . . . Apple!
The king of ever changing non standard connectors that have "premium priced" cables, dongles, etc. Do you see a pattern yet?
I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
You did have a choice, but you made the wrong one.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
3.5mm stereo and 1/4-inch. everything else is a gimmick that will be crap in several years. stand your ground!
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
The public cares more about what advertisers tell them is cool than what's functional. Otherwise, we'd all be driving Volvo 240s :)
The inventor of modern headphones still is quite conservative about their lineup and they still build some of the best in the industy. If you only look for expensive fidgety mainstream junk, you're in for trouble. Don't.
For best cost/performance ratio I recommend the Custom 1 Pro +. ... Yeah, admitted, that name does suck. Then again they are genuises at headphones and a little low profile on marketing - who cares? And, yes, it's a regular headphone with a nice and neat 3.5mm jack, as it should be. Made in Germany, btw., not some chinese sweatshop. If that should mean something to you.
You're welcome.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca