Intel supposes to replace your headphone jack with USB Type-C

quangtran210489 · 04-28-2016, 12:07 AM

Copyright-infringing post deleted by moderator. The original can be read here.

murg · 04-28-2016, 06:18 AM

What will happen is that devices will have a USB-C port and a headphone jack.

David Munch · 04-28-2016, 06:37 AM

It would make sense to remove the audio jack by now. Plenty of alternatives, which are all digital, and all phones going forward will have at least three of them: USB-C, Lightning, Bluetooth, WIFI, NFC, DNLA, Airplay.

Phogg · 04-28-2016, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Munch

It would make sense to remove the audio jack by now. Plenty of alternatives, which are all digital, and all phones going forward will have at least three of them: USB-C, Lightning, Bluetooth, WIFI, NFC, DNLA, Airplay.

Oh look.
More special snowflakes who cannot comprehend the concept of durability and low cost as a design considerations.

fjtorres · 04-28-2016, 08:49 AM

I agree on the value of analog audio ports. But...

For a lot of intrinsically digital devices, adding an analog audio port is extra cost on both the electronics and physical side. So I'm thinking that *if* USB-C audio does take off, analog ports will become a premium feature and the very cheapest devices will be all-digital.

The biggest obstacle to USB-C audio won't be a lack of agreement on a standard or cost or consumer reluctance, though. The biggest problem is going to be Bluetooth, which has slowly been gaining traction and coming down in cost.

The biggest trend in gadget connectivity isn't digital cabling but rather wireless. WiFi. Bluetooth. Wireless HDMI. Wireless charging. NFC. Bluetooth is already so cheap to implement it comes for free on most WiFi chips. Bluetooth speakers are ubiquitous and cheap. Bluetooth headphones and remotes are increasingly common, increasingly cheap. So yes, adding audio out to USB-C will be trivial on the device side. But the real problem will be on the headphone side, getting the accessory makers to commit to a third line that will have to be priced cheaper than the Bluetooth line.

The time for wired digital audio may already be passed.
Analog audio will remain as a legacy port for a long long time just as the vintage analog AV ports still remain on TVs but eventually most portable electronics are going to go sealed and portless.

If anything, the longer term trend will be to all-WiFi connectivity (Internet of things) and possibly even power by WiFi for some very low power devices. We might see ereaders that trickle charge via WiFi or solar and WiFi. Indefinite battery life.

Still a ways off, though:

http://www.wired.com/2015/06/power-over-wi-fi/

theducks · 04-28-2016, 10:48 AM

The real reason?

DRM: Copy Protection

All the current Digital ports enforce Copy Protection.
The Analog port... Wide open. Inferior, but wide open

fjtorres · 04-28-2016, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

The real reason?

DRM: Copy Protection

All the current Digital ports enforce Copy Protection.
The Analog port... Wide open. Inferior, but wide open

Not necessarily inferior.
Sound is intrinsically analog; digital is just an approximation.

And DRM isn't the automatic reason why everything is done. Sometimes simplicity and cost factors into it.

rem736 · 04-28-2016, 01:02 PM

does usb-c allow for simultaneous audio output while also charging the device, like the apple lightning port and its predecessor, the apple 30-pin port?

cromag · 04-28-2016, 11:04 PM

There will soon be little adapter boxes (that you will have to buy) to connect your legacy headphones to your new device.

Sweetpea · 04-29-2016, 04:31 AM

I've had a phone (a HTC, Windows Phone 6 I think it was). It didn't have an earphone jack. You could only use the earphone supplied as it had to be connected through the USB charging port. Listening to music while charging was out of the question unless you bought an extra thingie so you could connect both at the same time.

Yes, in those days, bluetooth wasn't as common as it is now, but I still haven't found bluetooth earphones that I liked (both price and form!) And yes, I do charge my phone wirelessly, but I don't always have my wireless charger with me (which are most often the times I'll be using my phone as MP3 player) and I'd like to be able to charge and listen at the same time.

fjtorres · 04-29-2016, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I've had a phone (a HTC, Windows Phone 6 I think it was). It didn't have an earphone jack. You could only use the earphone supplied as it had to be connected through the USB charging port. Listening to music while charging was out of the question unless you bought an extra thingie so you could connect both at the same time.

Yes, in those days, bluetooth wasn't as common as it is now, but I still haven't found bluetooth earphones that I liked (both price and form!) And yes, I do charge my phone wirelessly, but I don't always have my wireless charger with me (which are most often the times I'll be using my phone as MP3 player) and I'd like to be able to charge and listen at the same time.

"You can tell the pioneers by the arrows in their backs."

Wireless tech is all a work in progress.
USB-C audio hasn't even started.

latepaul · 04-29-2016, 07:12 AM

Well I have a Nexus 6p (which I love) and I've already gone through a couple of USB-C cables that worked initially but failed quickly. Turns out there's a lot of cables not quite up to spec.

Also I've got some nice headphones I'd be loathed to replace but I don't like using an adapter.

murg · 04-29-2016, 09:29 AM

There is massive infrastructure for analog audio.

If USB headphones were going to take off, it would have happened already. I have a gaming headset that's USB. There just isn't that much USB head audio out there.

Considering the extra cost of USB anything, I really don't see USB-C audio overtaking analog audio. Initially, the technology is going to be priced too high, and while it will get cheaper, it will never approach the cheapness of analog headphones or buds or whatever.

Alpha o · 04-29-2016, 10:14 AM

One had better be a cable type of connector that doesn't use the battery like bluetooth.
Samsung Galaxy 4 is so bad on sound, I found a speaker that used the audio jack.
Using bluetooth and watching a baseball game chew up the battery really fast. If you are watching 4K video, you might have a battery problem. Someone needs to get more efficient.

The other disadvantage, some car audio systems. Ours is geared to other half's flip phone for phone calls. If I have bluetooth enabled on my phone, the system in the car wants that phone and ignores the flip. The first choice in the car system is Audio, from any source, then phone. The flip has only one ringtone that qualifies as audio (mp3 and cut) Maybe newer models have addressed this. This car is a 2013.

That's quite a few current devices that will have to be accounted for.

Phogg · 04-29-2016, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by latepaul

Well I have a Nexus 6p (which I love) and I've already gone through a couple of USB-C cables that worked initially but failed quickly. Turns out there's a lot of cables not quite up to spec.

Also I've got some nice headphones I'd be loathed to replace but I don't like using an adapter.

Your cables were up to spec.
The specification is utter crap for durability. It is completely inadequate for something that gets used while being carried around.

04-28-2016, 12:07 AM	#1
quangtran210489 Banned Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2016 Device: ipad	Intel supposes to replace your headphone jack with USB Type-C Copyright-infringing post deleted by moderator. The original can be read here. Last edited by HarryT; 04-28-2016 at 09:01 AM.

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04-28-2016, 06:18 AM	#2
murg No Comment Posts: 3,240 Karma: 23878043 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Australia Device: Kobo: Not just an eReader, it's an adventure!	What will happen is that devices will have a USB-C port and a headphone jack.

04-28-2016, 06:37 AM	#3
David Munch Scholar Posts: 1,008 Karma: 3999312 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kobo Libra H2O + iPad Air 4	It would make sense to remove the audio jack by now. Plenty of alternatives, which are all digital, and all phones going forward will have at least three of them: USB-C, Lightning, Bluetooth, WIFI, NFC, DNLA, Airplay.

04-28-2016, 08:49 AM	#5
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	I agree on the value of analog audio ports. But... For a lot of intrinsically digital devices, adding an analog audio port is extra cost on both the electronics and physical side. So I'm thinking that if USB-C audio does take off, analog ports will become a premium feature and the very cheapest devices will be all-digital. The biggest obstacle to USB-C audio won't be a lack of agreement on a standard or cost or consumer reluctance, though. The biggest problem is going to be Bluetooth, which has slowly been gaining traction and coming down in cost. The biggest trend in gadget connectivity isn't digital cabling but rather wireless. WiFi. Bluetooth. Wireless HDMI. Wireless charging. NFC. Bluetooth is already so cheap to implement it comes for free on most WiFi chips. Bluetooth speakers are ubiquitous and cheap. Bluetooth headphones and remotes are increasingly common, increasingly cheap. So yes, adding audio out to USB-C will be trivial on the device side. But the real problem will be on the headphone side, getting the accessory makers to commit to a third line that will have to be priced cheaper than the Bluetooth line. The time for wired digital audio may already be passed. Analog audio will remain as a legacy port for a long long time just as the vintage analog AV ports still remain on TVs but eventually most portable electronics are going to go sealed and portless. If anything, the longer term trend will be to all-WiFi connectivity (Internet of things) and possibly even power by WiFi for some very low power devices. We might see ereaders that trickle charge via WiFi or solar and WiFi. Indefinite battery life. Still a ways off, though: http://www.wired.com/2015/06/power-over-wi-fi/

04-28-2016, 10:48 AM	#6
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,896 Karma: 55267620 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	The real reason? DRM: Copy Protection All the current Digital ports enforce Copy Protection. The Analog port... Wide open. Inferior, but wide open

04-28-2016, 01:02 PM	#8
rem736 purpose priority passion Posts: 645 Karma: 9002000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: socal, usa Device: sony prs-350, b&n ngp, rM2, kindle scribe, boox poke5	does usb-c allow for simultaneous audio output while also charging the device, like the apple lightning port and its predecessor, the apple 30-pin port?

04-28-2016, 11:04 PM	#9
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 24,390 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	There will soon be little adapter boxes (that you will have to buy) to connect your legacy headphones to your new device.

04-29-2016, 04:31 AM	#10
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	I've had a phone (a HTC, Windows Phone 6 I think it was). It didn't have an earphone jack. You could only use the earphone supplied as it had to be connected through the USB charging port. Listening to music while charging was out of the question unless you bought an extra thingie so you could connect both at the same time. Yes, in those days, bluetooth wasn't as common as it is now, but I still haven't found bluetooth earphones that I liked (both price and form!) And yes, I do charge my phone wirelessly, but I don't always have my wireless charger with me (which are most often the times I'll be using my phone as MP3 player) and I'd like to be able to charge and listen at the same time.

04-29-2016, 07:12 AM	#12
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,265 Karma: 10203040 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	Well I have a Nexus 6p (which I love) and I've already gone through a couple of USB-C cables that worked initially but failed quickly. Turns out there's a lot of cables not quite up to spec. Also I've got some nice headphones I'd be loathed to replace but I don't like using an adapter.

04-29-2016, 09:29 AM	#13
murg No Comment Posts: 3,240 Karma: 23878043 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Australia Device: Kobo: Not just an eReader, it's an adventure!	There is massive infrastructure for analog audio. If USB headphones were going to take off, it would have happened already. I have a gaming headset that's USB. There just isn't that much USB head audio out there. Considering the extra cost of USB anything, I really don't see USB-C audio overtaking analog audio. Initially, the technology is going to be priced too high, and while it will get cheaper, it will never approach the cheapness of analog headphones or buds or whatever.

04-29-2016, 10:14 AM	#14
Alpha o Addict Posts: 282 Karma: 2603524 Join Date: Jan 2015 Device: Onyx Boox Darwin, inkBOOK Obsidian	One had better be a cable type of connector that doesn't use the battery like bluetooth. Samsung Galaxy 4 is so bad on sound, I found a speaker that used the audio jack. Using bluetooth and watching a baseball game chew up the battery really fast. If you are watching 4K video, you might have a battery problem. Someone needs to get more efficient. The other disadvantage, some car audio systems. Ours is geared to other half's flip phone for phone calls. If I have bluetooth enabled on my phone, the system in the car wants that phone and ignores the flip. The first choice in the car system is Audio, from any source, then phone. The flip has only one ringtone that qualifies as audio (mp3 and cut) Maybe newer models have addressed this. This car is a 2013. That's quite a few current devices that will have to be accounted for.

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