Intel wants USB-C to replace the headphone jack

[WelshDdraig]

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/27/11516410/intel-usb-c-audio-no-headphone-jack

 

http://i.imgur.com/BfqqLNo.jpg

 

Recently there has been a smartphone maker in China called LeEco who has done away with the 3.5mm headphone jack on its Android phones,

well before what everyone would have expected Apple to do (only with the lightning connector).

 

Well, it turns out that Intel has teamed up with LeEco and wants to do away with the 3.5mm standard on mobile devices

with a few reasons:

1: Its Analogue, switching over to a digital interface will allow manufactures to implement a DAC and amplifier (Very useful for high impedance headphones)

(My thoughts, most high impedance headphones are 3.5mm or use 1/8" jacks, so maybe a converter would be needed)

2: It can also then be modified to be used in health applications, such as temperature monitoring.

 

My thoughts:

I can see where intel is going with the idea. A universal connector that can transmit audio/data/video/power is great. But compatibility might be an issue and adoption might also be an issue

since there is so much of an eco-system already fro 3.5mm devices such as car inputs, headphones/speakers ect. But I don't want to to be come a 1 port solution, much like Apple's Macbook.

 

What do you guys think? Is this a smart move? Will there be issues, please leave them down below!

 

USB_rendering_trademark_USB-IF.bmp

[MrDynamicMan]

Yes. Because we need 10gbs for audio. 

This is as stupid as Apple wanting to get rid of the headphones jack. 

 

Too much of an ecosystem, too established, and nothing wrong with it. 

 

[ManWithBeard1990]

Well, a pair of headphones is an inherently analog thing. I can't see why the analog nature of the 3.5mm jack is a problem. Simplicity is a virtue, not a weakness.

[79wjd]

4 minutes ago, MrDynamicMan said:

Yes. Because we need 10gbs for audio. 

This is as stupid as Apple wanting to get rid of the headphones jack. 

 

Too much of an ecosystem, too established, and nothing wrong with it. 

 

Except that's not true at all. No high end home theater/stereo system uses analog audio for a reason. On a mobile device it's generally not as big a deal due to the quality of the headphones generally being used and the fact that interference isn't as big of a concern (although it still needs to be accommodated for). 

 

Not to mention a USB-C replacement would be able to handle future functionality. Plus I really want the Bluetooth standard to be pushed forward as it still not where it should be.

[Sauron]

I have no problem with using a different connector than the jack. what I have a problem with is sharing the same port with everything else.

[GoZone]

Let people have an option instead of getting it rid of it for every single device.

[WelshDdraig]

3 minutes ago, gFrenken97 said:

I can see how manufacturers want to get rid of it because the 3,5mm audio jack takes up a lot of space on the already tiny motherboard.

The 3.5mm jack has been around since 1964, I think it's time for a change.

 

 

 

Dont mind me asking, how do you get images to show in the post? I can't figure it out for some reason.

[MrDynamicMan]

3 hours ago, djdwosk97 said:

Except that's not true at all. No high end home theater/stereo system uses analog audio for a reason. 

 

On a mobile device it's generally not as big a deal due to the quality of the headphones generally being used and the fact that interference isn't as big of a concern (although it still needs to be accommodated for). 

 

Not to mention a USB-C replacement would be able to handle future functionality. 

Fair enough. But on anything that isn't a massive $3000 home theater setup, we don't need it. 

 

Mobile devices should always,  always have a headphone jack. There's literally no point  to change it. 

 

Such as...? 

 

 

3 hours ago, ManWithBeard1990 said:

Well, a pair of headphones is an inherently analog thing. I can't see why the analog nature of the 3.5mm jack is a problem. Simplicity is a virtue, not a weakness.

And what about cheap IEMs? Will they also have to include a built in Dac and amp? 

 

3 hours ago, gFrenken97 said:

I can see how manufacturers want to get rid of it because the 3,5mm audio jack takes up a lot of space on the already tiny motherboard.

The 3.5mm jack has been around since 1964, I think it's time for a change.

It's hardly like usb c will take less. 

 

Why? 

[79wjd]

3 hours ago, MrDynamicMan said:

Fair enough. But on anything that isn't a massive $3000 home theater setup, we don't need it. 

 

Mobile devices should always,  always have a headphone jack. There's literally no point  to change it. 

 

Such as...? 

 

Well interference is still an issue even on cheaper headphones. Isn't that what causes the noise when you rub/touch the headphone cable (shielded cables are a thing though, but that doesn't help much on IEMs or anything with a non detachable cable). 

 

Something smaller, less interference, a second port that could serve more than one purpose. 

 

Dont nut know yet, but that doesn't mean something won't come out (let's be honest, most tech innovations aren't things you would have expected before you were told about then).

 

3 hours ago, MrDynamicMan said:

And what about cheap IEMs? Will they also have to include a built in Dac and amp? 

Supposedly USB-C can support analog as well, so it would be up to the manufacturer as to whether they include analog and digital support or just one or the other. I would assume they would almost have to include analog support to accommodate 99% of headphones that people already have.

3 hours ago, MrDynamicMan said:

It's hardly like usb c will take less. 

 

Why? 

Supposedly 3.5mm does already take up more space internally. (Read the article)

[ManWithBeard1990]

Also,an advantage the jack has that USB doesn't is that it can somewhat act as a strain relief: suppose you have headphones with an anled connector, as  many of them do, the connector can spin in the jack because it's round. Puts way less stress on the jack and the PCB. There's no way they can make the USB-C connector as durable as that, being mashed about in your pockets all the time it'll fail eventually. Remember it's about the same size as micro-USB which has a poor reputation already. C is supposed to be more durable but time will tell. I doubt it can surpass the good old 3.5 mm plug.

[SpaceTurtle917]

This will be a very slow difficult integration product but i can still see it working in the end. Though honestly I feel like a new standard for a digital mobile jack would be nice. Something smaller and seperate from the usb port so it dosn't get in the way of common things like charging. 

[79wjd]

3 minutes ago, ManWithBeard1990 said:

Also,an advantage the jack has that USB doesn't is that it can somewhat act as a strain relief: suppose you have headphones with an anled connector, as  many of them do, the connector can spin in the jack because it's round. Puts way less stress on the jack and the PCB. There's no way they can make the USB-C connector as durable as that, being mashed about in your pockets all the time it'll fail eventually. Remember it's about the same size as micro-USB which has a poor reputation already. C is supposed to be more durable but time will tell. I doubt it can surpass the good old 3.5 mm plug.

I know a decent number of people who have broken the 3.5mm connector inside the jack. While it's durable, it's also fragile because of it's length. And look at the lightning connector, which is very durable, so USB-C can definitely show a similar durability. 

[Technic77]

15 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Except that's not true at all. No high end home theater/stereo system uses analog audio for a reason. On a mobile device it's generally not as big a deal due to the quality of the headphones generally being used and the fact that interference isn't as big of a concern (although it still needs to be accommodated for). 

 

Not to mention a USB-C replacement would be able to handle future functionality. Plus I really want the Bluetooth standard to be pushed forward as it still not where it should be.

Except the fact that professional recording studios use analog TRS 1/4" and XLR for most of their connections. You won't find a studio without analog audio somewhere in the chain. There's a reason for that.

[GoodBytes]

I think Intel should focus on fixing their graphics card drivers, before pushing things it has no business into.

[Sauron]

6 minutes ago, ManWithBeard1990 said:

Also,an advantage the jack has that USB doesn't is that it can somewhat act as a strain relief: suppose you have headphones with an anled connector, as  many of them do, the connector can spin in the jack because it's round. Puts way less stress on the jack and the PCB. There's no way they can make the USB-C connector as durable as that, being mashed about in your pockets all the time it'll fail eventually. Remember it's about the same size as micro-USB which has a poor reputation already. C is supposed to be more durable but time will tell. I doubt it can surpass the good old 3.5 mm plug.

That's true, that thing is indestructible.

[Technic77]

Just now, gFrenken97 said:

Or maybe because it's ridiculously expensive to upgrade and not (yet) neccessary.

Look at software, many companies still use Windows XP, or even Windows NT

Professional recording studios are being built today with analog audio. They have millions of dollars at their disposal.

[patrickjp93]

21 minutes ago, MrDynamicMan said:

It's hardly like usb c will take less. 

 

Why? 

30% less actually.

[SirRoderick]

So is the DAC in the headphones in this plan? Because that would mean a whole new factor to consider with buying headphones. 

[Kobathor]

This would be great, if manufacturers put two USB-C ports on their phones. But I doubt that would happen. A single port on my phone sounds like a nightmare I would have in my sleep. I would absolutely hate having to use an adapter to use my headphones and charge my phone at the same time.

 

And yes, I know Bluetooth headphones exist. For now, and probably for a while, they suck, and if they don't suck they're hundreds of dollars. Not an option.

1 minute ago, SirRoderick said:

So is the DAC in the headphones in this plan? Because that would mean a whole new factor to consider with buying headphones. 

Yeah, that sucks too.

[MrDynamicMan]

1 minute ago, patrickjp93 said:

30% less actually.

30% of a headphone jack ain't much. It'll make a difference, but not a big one. 

[patrickjp93]

Just now, MrDynamicMan said:

30% of a headphone jack ain't much. It'll make a difference, but not a big one. 

The circuitry on the motherboard can be scrapped and the designs made cheaper and smaller and more flexible. Fine by me.

[Curufinwe_wins]

See I would buy this argument but HTC already provides a DAC in their newest flagship device. 

 

One port is a device I will never buy. 

 

Two USB ports and I could learn to live with it (even being super annoyed for now). 

[patrickjp93]

3 minutes ago, Curufinwe_wins said:

See I would buy this argument but HTC already provides a DAC in their newest flagship device. 

 

One port is a device I will never buy. 

 

Two USB ports and I could learn to live with it (even being super annoyed for now). 

Most would probably be 2-port solutions, and in the worst case, a USB-C splitter won't be expensive.

[79wjd]

8 minutes ago, patrickjp93 said:

Most would probably be 2-port solutions, and in the worst case, a USB-C splitter won't be expensive.

Still. I wouldn't want to have to deal with a splitter. Although, I would personally switch to everything bluetooth. As it is, I'd like to mod my DT990s for bluetooth connectivity, if only I could do the same with my SE215s, as I do still prefer them to my BackBeat Go 2s.

[zMeul]

1 hour ago, Alexp10v2 said:

Its Analogue, switching over to a digital interface will allow manufactures to implement a DAC and amplifier

that' BS

to implement an external DAC you will need to power it, where fom? the the phone's battery of course - and you're back where you started

 

there's nothing wrong with the headphone jack

if they want to implement an alternative (not replacement) via the USB type C, that's OK