Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

fastcompany.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 741 posts

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#71

Post by nerdwaller »

S_A_P wrote: post #17

100% agree with this. Its pretty interesting that I almost never use headphones anymore now because bluetooth headphones require a few things: 1) preplanning/foresight in charging the headphones 2) refer to number 1. I have 2 really nice pairs of bluetooth headphones, and almost NEVER use them. Guess what pair gets used almost daily? my 15 year old beyerdynamic DT770s. 3.5mm or ¼" plug, closed back. Not really the mo…

While “we” are in the 10% I try to think about the changes in the frame of the “90/10 rule” (also how I consider the impact of features in my applications). Anecdotally, dropping the headphone jack (and similarly adding the Touch Bar) has negatively impacted 0% of non-developers I’ve talked to about both.

If I were a company, I doubt I’d change course immediately unless the larger data set said something significantly in the other direction. As developers are still, even with our more frequent “upgrade” cycle, not the largest piece of the pie.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#72

Post by [deleted] »

WillPostForFood wrote: post #20
jacknews wrote: post #12

I don't think I've ever used my phone headphone jack (still 3.5mm), but I will absolutely never buy a laptop without 3.5mm. The article is spot on, no-one is served by this change, except manufacturers.

At this point I'd take a MacBook with a lightning jack, because now I have to carry a separate pair of headphones for my iPhone and my Macbook. I'd prefer 3.5mm everywhere, but if you are going to drop it, make it consistent across product lines.

[deleted]

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#73

Post by beloch »

Apple and Google seem to have approached removing the headphone jack, not as a way to reduce costs to the customer by eliminating an obsolete feature they don't use but, instead, as a way to increase the money they can squeeze out of customers by forcing them to replace perfectly good headphones they are currently using with new headphones hopefully made by Apple or Google.

I'm honestly not surprised by this. Headphone technology hasn't really changed for many decades. A good pair of cans made a very long time ago are probably still a good pair of cans. I have some Audio Technica woodies that I absolutely love and are still going strong after more than a decade. To Apple and Google, this is a state of affairs that cannot be allowed to stand! Where's the planned obsolescence and constant product turnover? Apple tried to make their earbuds a disposable commodity that need to be replaced frequently, but people caught onto the fact that it was just due to bad build quality and kept buying stuff from other companies. So, change up the connectors and force wireless standards that are, quite frankly, not that good for audio and ripe for eventual upgrade (i.e. bluetooth) into headphones so people won't be able to use the same pair for decades. Profit!

So what should consumers do if they like their current headphones or just don't want to deal with adapters, charging bluetooth devices, or sorting out multiple incompatible connectors? Buy phones that still have headphone jacks, like the Samsung S9.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#74

Post by S_A_P »

ddingus wrote: post #65
S_A_P wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am happy to discuss with anyone who downvotes as to why they disagree with me. My comment may be tangental but is completely relevant to the discussion and reinforces points made in the article.

I agree completely. Digital video had advantages. Despite those, analog still makes some sense, if nothing but fewer resources being needed. Outside some niche uses, digital video really does make general sense. I hear and often agree with analog arguments. I keep analog gear, and in my own hardware projects will stay analog, perhaps also having digital, depending. But, overall? People largely benefit more from digit…

I think you are onto something here. DRM is probably a driver here. if you have an analog signal, you can "pirate"...

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#75

Post by Bud »

S_A_P wrote: post #17

100% agree with this. Its pretty interesting that I almost never use headphones anymore now because bluetooth headphones require a few things: 1) preplanning/foresight in charging the headphones 2) refer to number 1. I have 2 really nice pairs of bluetooth headphones, and almost NEVER use them. Guess what pair gets used almost daily? my 15 year old beyerdynamic DT770s. 3.5mm or ¼" plug, closed back. Not really the mo…

AirPods require neither of these things. The case is always charging them. You want to use your beyerdynamics? Fine. Your phone came with an adapter for them.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#76

Post by zwkrt »

MAGZine wrote: post #59
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many have said thinner is the reason, yet phones without jacks are not thinner than those with. The problem solved was encouraging sales of some very expensive wireless earbuds. I really do think it was as simple as that. Those who want Bluetooth wireless could just as easily have it on a phone with a jack without losing any benefit. They already did.

My understanding is that the headphone jack actually occupies a lot of space. If you have opened up a phone before, it is evident that all internal space is _very_ well accounted for, so removing a headphone jack is actually a very tangible increase in usable internal space. And it's not just the jack, you need to include a DAC in the device, too! This means being able to include more/new co-processors, different/bet…

Well in any case iPhones got bigger and thicker in the last cycle so they must have neededa lot of extra room.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#77

Post by unclebucknasty »

com2kid wrote: post #14
Johnny555 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never plugged my headphones into a jack and had them fail to work (ok, on my old cassette Walkman, I sometimes had to jiggle the plug around to get the headphones to work, but modern devices seem to have solved that problem (through gold plated connectors? I dunno)). But around once every 8 times I get into my car, I need to turn off/on Bluetooth on my car, my phone, or both to get it to connect. More rarely, I…

Cars are a special type of awful. As much as I prefer headphone jacks, I'll readily admit that my $15 BT headphones from Amazon connect every time I turn them on. Car BT implementations are actually an interesting world in of themselves, I've seen car BTs wreck havok with other BT peripherals attached to a phone. The level of "how?" was truly amazing.

>Cars are a special type of awful

Bluetooth pairing always seems a bit unclear. Do I start the scan on my phone or the device? Cars seem to be particularly bad in making this clear or otherwise don't work reliably per instructions.

If you want a really bad Bluetooth experience, see Acura. Calls can require active "transfer" to Bluetooth devices when you're streaming, and there is otherwise clunkiness and competition for the car's audio system, for instance if you try to use car nav.

And, woe be unto you if you have multiple in-range devices. There's a pretty good chance it'll vomit and you'll end up with mixed pairing profiles that essentially require you to restart the car and/or disable Bluetooth on one device.

Not sure how they managed to get Bluetooth so wrong, but it's a solid contributor to an overall poor infotainment center design.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#78

Post by Johnny555 »

MAGZine wrote: post #59
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many have said thinner is the reason, yet phones without jacks are not thinner than those with. The problem solved was encouraging sales of some very expensive wireless earbuds. I really do think it was as simple as that. Those who want Bluetooth wireless could just as easily have it on a phone with a jack without losing any benefit. They already did.

My understanding is that the headphone jack actually occupies a lot of space. If you have opened up a phone before, it is evident that all internal space is _very_ well accounted for, so removing a headphone jack is actually a very tangible increase in usable internal space. And it's not just the jack, you need to include a DAC in the device, too! This means being able to include more/new co-processors, different/bet…

So make the phone 0.5mm thicker or so, and you can make the battery thicker and shorter to make room for the headphone jack (with higher capacity than it had before)

I don't know who is pushing for wafer thick phones that are increasingly fragile with shorter battery life.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#79

Post by [deleted] »

S_A_P wrote: post #17

100% agree with this. Its pretty interesting that I almost never use headphones anymore now because bluetooth headphones require a few things: 1) preplanning/foresight in charging the headphones 2) refer to number 1. I have 2 really nice pairs of bluetooth headphones, and almost NEVER use them. Guess what pair gets used almost daily? my 15 year old beyerdynamic DT770s. 3.5mm or ¼" plug, closed back. Not really the mo…

[deleted]

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#80

Post by paulcole »

Johnny555 wrote: post #61
paulcole wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was responding to this: > And no human’s life is measurably better since Apple had the “courage” to remove the 3.5 mm jack.

That's what he meant by "false dichotomy" -- airbuds and bluetooth headphones can still exist even if phones still have audio jacks.

Review what I quoted and tell me if that statement alone is true or false — without simply repeating “false dichotomy.”
Post reply on HN