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

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

#341

Post by seanhunter »

People just love to find things to complain about. There are a number of great options:

1)Get a different phone or keep your old phone. Noone's forcing you to use one without a headphone jack. You could even use an older iPhone if innovation frightens you in general and you're happy with your old setup

2)Get/use an adapter. THey're not expensive and sometimes come with the phone

3)Get/use headphones with the new style of plug. You could probably use some new headphones as they get pretty janky over time

4)Use wireless. In lots of ways it's objectively better. Yeah you may need to get used to a new thing, but being good at adapting to change is an important muscle to exercise.

Honestly every time there's innovation there are all kinds of complaints, especially on here.

"Why do I have to change to USB-C? I'm fine with my old peripherals" (well your old computer still works with your old peripherals and if you want to use a new computer there are adapters).

"Why do I have to change to wireless headphones?" (you don't. Your old phone still works with old headphone jacks and there are adapters)

The idea that older people are completely unable to handle plugging a headphone adapter in but are somehow able to plug a headphone jack in is just bizarre. You can just pretend that the adapter is part of the cable with the headphones and always keep them together.

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

#342

Post by goldcd »

Doxin wrote: post #330
MAGZine wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

But then there's that one guy on youtube that managed to not only fit a headphone jack into an existing iphone but also a bunch of circuitry needed to switch the audio path. If a bloke with a little knowhow and a dremel can do a good job at it so can apple.

Not sure if I'd go with "little know-how" - but yes, he most certainly did it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utfbE3_uAMA

If nothing else it proves that the jack removal was not done for space-saving or anything other than business reasons.

However whilst I'm prepared to think ill of Apple under pretty much any circumstance - I'm utterly clueless why so many other vendors jumped in (as they don't have Beats to schill). Still convinced I'm missing something clutches onto OG Pixel

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

#343

Post by rkangel »

me551ah wrote: post #338

I am an audiophile and I don't miss the headphone jack at all. I've always hated the headphone jack on most phones since most of them are inherently low quality. If you have a high end headphone then the weakest link usually is the DAC ( Digital to Analog ) chip on your device. While there are some devices which are made with high fidelity audio in mind ( LG V30 which does come with a headphone jack ), most of the de…

Using phone audio in a way that benefits from that extra increase in audio quality is the minority case (based on my observations). Most people listen on the their phone when they are 'out and about', walking in town with car noise in the background, on the subway etc.. In those environments, the returns diminish quite quickly past a decent pair of noise isolating in ear headphones.

This is the case for which the new situation is the unarguable improvement, but I think it's rare enough that consumers as a group have lost more than they gain.

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

#344

Post by yiyus »

marzell wrote: post #219
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 also still use my DT770s as my daily headphones when I'm at my computer. I wish I had bought the Pro version way back when, as I believe it has detachable cables, and also higher resistance... it's difficult to modulate the volume on my desktop, as even 4-6% can be loud enough in some circumstances and there's not a lot of room for fine control at that level. In any case, I have had mine around the same length of t…

I don't know if this was the case "back when", but nowadays the pro version does not have detachable cables. The difference is that the cable is coiled (and I think a bit longer) and some parts (that do not affect the sound signature) are of slightly higher quality.

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

#345

Post by Tade0 »

jamesrcole wrote: post #289
ayoisaiah wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's wrong. How has removing the headphone jack made anyone's life better? I can't think of one way. It's not as if you couldn't use wireless headphones before the headphone jack was removed. Now that the jack is removed, you're forced to use a USB-C dongle (which has its disadvantages) or purchase expensive Bluetooth headphones if you want a decent enough quality / battery life.

> How has removing the headphone jack made anyone's life better? Ancestor comments of this have explained that. Removing headphone jack speeds up uptake of wireless headphones, and greater uptake of them makes them cheaper. These are changes that have already happened. This has benefited people who want to use wireless headphones.

, and greater uptake of them makes them cheaper.

Does it really? I haven't noticed any change in price that could be attributed to this and I bought a pair a few weeks ago, so I'm somewhat up to date with the pricing.

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

#346

Post by flurdy »

eksemplar wrote: post #178
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it's a pain in the ass to have to carry around another fiddly bit of tech gear which should have been completely unnecessary. Yeah, it's petty. But literally no one benefits from the absence of jack (or at least no user), so why inflict even a petty annoyance on some users with nothing gained for it?

Could they have build the iPhone XS with a jack? Because if they couldn’t, I’d argue that everyone who owns one benefits from it not having a jack. The real annoyance for me isn’t the lack of the jack, it’s that they haven’t also replaced the jack on the MacBook line yet.

Nooo. Don't take my headphone port from my MBP!

In my home office, I have it wired to my simple mixer and amp with which two other computers also connect to. And from that split into my speakers and a pair of headset.

All non-digital and no USB involved with other things that can go wrong. I am no Hi-Fi buff, I just like one volume and power button when I need to silence or amp things.

Whilst commuting on the train I also use the headphone jack, even though I also have a Bluetooth headset, but it is limited to two sources which are already used up by my iPad and phone.

I don't want to yet again swear internally whilst standing on a busy tube with 1000 other people with Bluetooth devices, and having to reset the pairing on my iPad/iPhone.

Ps. I have an old phone with a 3.5mm jack, but I never use it. I use audio on my phone only when commuting or walking and then use Bluetooth. But my old iPad and MBP are stationary so I only use 3.5mm devices with them.

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

#347

Post by coldtea »

LeonM wrote: post #323
randycupertino wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I hold on to my iPhone 6 like it's precious and won't install any software updates so as not to kill the battery. I have bluetooth headphones but they're a pain to charge and the headphone jack just works consistently. I love my iPhone 6!!

From a security point of view, it's really worrying that a lot of users refuse to upgrade software because of the track record of Apple making devices less usable with every upgrade. I prefer the method of Samsung in this case, they clearly state for the monthly update that it is mostly a security update. Where Apple seems to apply marketing by promising 'the best experience yet' and shiny new features with each majo…

>From a security point of view, it's really worrying that a lot of users refuse to upgrade software because of the track record of Apple making devices less usable with every upgrade.

A lot of users? iOS has the fastest and widest adoption rate for new releases of any mobile or not OS. Android specifically used to have awful fragmentation issues and phones never updated by the vendor 3 and 4 releases behind.

APPLE IOS 12 HAS SEEN THE FASTEST ADOPTION RATE, RUNNING ON 50% OF IPHONES AND IPADS (Oct 12)

https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/apple-ios-12-ha...

iOS 11 is now installed on 81% of Apple’s over a billion active iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices in the wild, up from the 76% adoption rate reported on April 25. By contrast, Android Oreo versions powered less than six percent of active Android-driven smartphones and tablets that had been accessing Google’s Play Store during a seven-day period ending on May 7, 2018.

https://www.idownloadblog.com/2018/06/05/ios-11-adoption-rat...

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

#348

Post by rkangel »

stouset wrote: post #274
ddingus wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Ah yes, let me just throw out the hundreds of dollars worth of apps, not to mention the rest of my investment in the ecosystem, because I might have to buy, once, an adapter that costs 1% of the sticker price of the phone and can just be permanently left attached. “Easy”.

Unfortunately that vendor lock-in is exactly the problem. We don't have easy free consumer choice to just pick up the phone that does have a 3.5mm jack, so we are left to complain as per the original article.

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

#349

Post by Yetanfou »

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.

"AirPods" also cost about the same as one of my phones (a Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 running LineageOS [1]) which comes with a 3.5" jack. With one fell swoop I get a phone which does not phone home (other than through the radio firmware blob of course), which runs for a week on a single charge and connects to all those things with 3.5" jacks which I happen upon, be it headphones or cassette adapters or older car radios without bluetooth.

To paraphrase some marketing slogans from the days of yore:

IBM said "Think" [2]

Apple said "Think different" [3]

I say "Think wisely"

[1] https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/whyred

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_(IBM)

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_different

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

#350

Post by topmonk »

glogla wrote: post #247

So you're okay with hurting other people, especially the elderly, disabled and poor, because you get something. I guess admitting that takes "courage" as well?

Making fast cars, downhill racing bikes and hang gliders all hurt the elderly, disabled, and poor, too, by that logic.
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