USB Type-C Headphones Were Nowhere in Sight at CES 2019 (androidauthority.com)

In a sea of 3D audio products and true-wireless earbuds, USB Type-C headphones were nowhere in sight at CES 2019. From a report: This absence isn't an accident, however. Rather, it's the deafening silence of an abandoned product category. While many looked to USB-C audio as the successor to the famed physical port, the available models aren't catching on, and they don't seem to be going anywhere. Their absence at CES 2019 doesn't paint a rosy picture of their future, either.

In general, it takes new standards quite a while to catch on, however, USB-C was thrust into the limelight far before its time. When Apple and Google ditched their headphone jacks, it limited the pool of audio peripherals to Bluetooth, or the very young USB-C category. Perhaps with a little more time and backing from a few more serious partners this could have matured alongside its older brother the TRRS plug, but it just wasn't to be. [...] One of the biggest issues that companies need to navigate pertains to source and peripheral device compatibility. USB Type-C headphone cables can either be active or passive -- or manifest as a dongle adapter. This inconsistency, paired with the fact that Audio Accessory Mode has yet to be universally supported, results in a barrage of compatibility issues. Hence why many users are unable to operate playback controls or use a headset's integrated microphone.

Comments

I take it as a point of pride

[olsmeister]

that I still use a 1/8" headphone jack.

There's no mystery here

[Anonymous Coward]

Those of us who prefer the advantages of wired headphones over the advantages of Bluetooth ones see no advantages at all in USB-C.

Re:There's no mystery here

[Joce640k]

Ummm, the target audience is "people who don't want Bluetooth audio".

shouting

[tcc3]

3.5mm FOREVER
3.5mm FOREVER
3.5mm FOREVER

Well duh.

[fishscene]

Nobody wants USB-C headphones. We want universal headphones that work not just with cell phones and computers, but professional audio equipment, older audio equipment... and we want it to be near or at 100% compatibility for future audio products. Any digital interface is, by design, going to fail to meet the needs of the ones who purchase it. I for one am glad it was nowhere to be seen.

Pride?

[sjbe]

I take it as a point of pride that I still use a 1/8" headphone jack.

If that gives you a sense of pride I think you might want to set the bar a little higher on your life goals.

Re:Pride?

[PopeRatzo]

But this is on a phone. Sure, by all means have a smashing system at home where space requirements are lax, but on a phone, where the vast majority of people are streaming music from Spotify (or similar) into their noisy car, bluetooth fidelity is perfectly acceptable.

So, you don't see any problem with manufacturers deciding to replace perfectly good audio quality with lower quality?

People listen to a LOT of music on their phones, and not just in their car. The fact that a 2019 flagship phone cannot deliver audio fidelity as good as a 2014 (or 2009) model is absurd.

best path

[fluffernutter]

I have a hard enough time finding a set of regular wired headphones that I like. I'm not putting myself through that pail for something that works on 2% of my devices (conservative estimate). Anyone who removes the headphone port is an idiot. It seems that audio quality is getting the back seat these days; at one time we had portable music devices. Now that went away because everyone started to use their phones and the phones are forcing us to go to bluetooth so there goes the best path for audio.

No jack, no sale

[nctritech]

I refuse to buy a phone without a 3.5mm jack and SD card slot. Removing either of those is extremely user-hostile and based solely in corporate greed. The argument about people wanting thinner phones is total bullshit. No one really cares if their phone is 0.2mm thinner. People want longer battery life, ease of use, and a phone that doesn't bend to the curve of their hipster asses in their back pockets. People do NOT want to carry overpriced USB Type-C dongles with third party manufacturer lock-out (and potential future DRM lockdown inconveniences a la HDCP) everywhere, nor do they want to carry a different set of headphones for phone and non-phone use. I also seriously doubt that Sennheiser is going to produce USB Type-C professional headphones anytime soon.

Plus, it'll be really hard to use my TRRS-plugged card reader for my credit card processor if I don't have such a jack on my phone.

Re:It is

[skids]

I loved this:

One of the biggest issues that companies need to navigate pertains to source and peripheral device compatibility. USB Type-C headphone cables can either be active or passive -- or manifest as a dongle adapter. This inconsistency, paired with the fact that Audio Accessory Mode has yet to be universally supported, results in a barrage of compatibility issues.

So, in other words, a complete repeat of every Bluetooth or USB audio adventure ever. No lessons learned.

(2019 and my 10 year old Sony-Ericsson BT headset still doesn't work with Sony Playstations. But at least the Playstation Store keeps getting new updates, and according to the PS4 patch notes, it must by now have the most "improved system stability" ever.)