this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023
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There’s a lot more capability with USB-C audio though. Even entirely discounting Bluetooth, there are plenty of high quality USB-C headphones out there that blow the pants off of what you could do with a 3.5mm jack.
No lol. It all gets converted to an analog signal to drive the headphones. There's no difference in fidelity between 1/8" and USB-C. It's literally the exact same signal.
Except you’re not limited to the phones hardware and space constraints with USB. You can put the DAC, you know the thing that does that conversion, in the headphone end now, whereas you couldn’t with 3.5mm because you can push power over USB. Meaning you have the ability to get headphones with a much better DAC, which will provide better audio quality.
It also frees up space in the phone for more battery, different radios, and other things.
It's a tradeoff of convenience. I want the jack because it's a universal standard that doesn't require external batteries or the right alignment of the stars for proper functionality. Quality has been fine since the dawn of the smartphone, IMO, at least for earbuds. You're still free to use a USB DAC if there's a jack!
DACs in phones these days are totally fine these days. There really isn't any need for an external one unless you need to drive higher impedance cans. Quality-wise, they're totally fine.
Where's our different radios and other things? They just keep adding more camera lenses, and MORE MEGAPIXELS.
Nothing innovative or useful, and now we're forced to buy more shit (adapters) to make other things we already have, work with our phones.
I'll stick with my "mid grade" phone that does all of the same things, but also connects to 3.5mm
PS. This mid grade phone also has USB C if I really wanted a custom DAC, and alternatively I can also charge and listen to things at the same time, with no extra cost
Uh, since Apple removed it they’ve added the mmWave antenna, the ultrawideband chip, the satellite antenna, and a thread radio.
Fair point about Apple. They did also remove the home button and optimized their display further to accommodate that though.
If only it wasn't so proprietary, I could get on the apple train. Still mad about my headphones jacks though.