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

fastcompany.com

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

#91

Post by tuananh »

whiddershins wrote: post #51
wickedOne wrote: post #35

apple ditched the floppy drive with the release of their g3 hardware, the ethernet port with the macbook air (and built in cd/dvd drive), before that they ditched the serial & parallel port, etc. any of us still missing those? needless to say that it kinda sucks when a new device forces you to buy new adapters / peripherals, but in the long run, is this really an issue?

As I mentioned in another comment, those were computer standards. 3.5mm is an audio standard. It's an important difference.

standard comes and go. ethernet is not a standard anymore these days.

heck even if my laptop comes with a ethernet port, i still couldn't use it at my workplace.

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

#92

Post by Johnny555 »

paulcole wrote: post #80
Johnny555 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.”

It's unanswerable -- what were the bluetooth headset sellers selling before the iPhone ditched the headphone jack? Maybe they were selling higher margin (but lower cost) wired headphones that had a lot fewer support headaches. Few people call support to ask how to pair their 3.5mm jack with the phone.

The Airbud designers could have designed the same product even if the iPhone still had a headphone jack, so it's hard to say definitively that their life is measurably better now.

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

#93

Post by fingerlocks »

Bud wrote: post #81
BLKNSLVR wrote: post #3

The blog ends with the best and most insightful comment: And no human’s life is measurably better since Apple had the “courage” to remove the 3.5 mm jack. But a lot of our lives are just a little worse. The author also points towards active de-standardisation between Android and iOS: "if only there was one universal audio port they both could use" Apple gets an advantage from this with their iron-grip on compatible p…

It's not that insightful, since it's obviously false. The fact is that the much-improved water resistance made possible in part by ditching the headphone jack has made a lot of users' lives much better, because they have dunked their iPhones in water and the result has been no damage, as opposed to the expense and inconvenience of replacing their phones. It would have been more effective if the author didn't cherry-p…

I've always been skeptical about this claim.

Apple's own 3.5mm -> lighting dongle is surprising resistant to water (I've spilled coffee on mine and it still works), but I can't find any information of whether the dongle itself is waterproof. I've looked.

Also, Samsung made a phone with a waterproof 3.5mm female port. They weren't the first.

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

#94

Post by ddingus »

Bud wrote: post #75
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.

What charges the case?

No need for a phone that requires an adapter. There are great phones that drive all audio gear nicely.

Those phones will win in the market too.

Cost / benefit ratio is more favorable. Has been, will continue to be, and that will be true because digital audio does nothing new.

Video does! We have great reasons for DV.

Those do not apply to audio. Ears are not like eyes.

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

#95

Post by ddingus »

joelhooks wrote: post #52
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…

I just use the adapter and keep a couple in reserve for when I lose one. Works great.

Lets say I can buy music rather than adapters.

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

#96

Post by jamesrcole »

ddingus wrote: post #94
Bud wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

What charges the case? No need for a phone that requires an adapter. There are great phones that drive all audio gear nicely. Those phones will win in the market too. Cost / benefit ratio is more favorable. Has been, will continue to be, and that will be true because digital audio does nothing new. Video does! We have great reasons for DV. Those do not apply to audio. Ears are not like eyes.

> No need for a phone that requires an adapter. There are great phones that drive all audio gear nicely. Those phones will win in the market too.

Why do you say they'll win?

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

#97

Post by ddingus »

joelhooks wrote: post #56
whiddershins wrote: post #47

Apple has had great success in the past by pushing new standards in computer peripherals, deprecating old standards, and generally moving the industry forward by fiat. I think we've all benefitted somewhat from this attitude, even if it was inconvenient. The distinction here is that the 3.5mm standard isn't/wasn't a computer peripheral standard. It is/was an audio industry standard. There are many uses for 3.5mm that…

The adapter works great with the Shure SE846 IEMs. I’d rather use the speakers than die on the no adapter hill.

Easy, get a phone that does not force this stuff.

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

#98

Post by ggg9990 »

S_A_P wrote: post #19
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…

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.

Unsolicited tip: cultivate some misanthropy so that you can relish downvotes.

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

#100

Post by finnthehuman »

mh8h wrote: post #89
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…

It's not like the old headphones can't be used without a headphone jack. The 3.5mm-to-lightning or 3.5mm-to-usb-c dongles are small and relatively cheap. I just keep mine hooked up to my wired headphones.

>I just keep mine hooked up to my wired headphones.

This works great, until...

You leave the pair of headphones with the dongle behind by mistake and spend the rest of the day frustrated because you have access to a perfectly good pair of headphones but no the dongle.

Or you stick to one primary pair of headphones and are frequently taking the dongle on and off making it even easier to misplace or leave behind.

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