Read more.But will need the weight of device makers to make its initiative a success.
Read more.But will need the weight of device makers to make its initiative a success.
Yeah because phones main problem right now is too many ports and not thin enough.
*rolls eyes*
Last time I checked battery life was the one biggest boon for mobile users, making phones thiner and drawing power off the USB rather than using some sort of integrated DAC/AMP isn't going to make things better.
Intel has its head up its behind lately. Hopefully some of it's competitors give it enough of a spanking to see sense.
sybrows (30-04-2016)
So, with this i can not enjoy my music and charge at the same time anymore? And my nice sennies wont be compatable with future phones.... futures not looking good.
Haven't they heard of bluetooth?
Edit to add:
How about a bluetooth to headphones converter:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015Q8IR0A/
I think this is a great idea. It might get a bit confusing, but having ALL periphrals and extensions (mice, keyboards, USB keys, monitors, printers, headphones, etc) all connect to a desktop needing only one type of cable is mesmerising!
As people have pointed out, the real difficulty comes with mobile. I see most manufacturers either being lazy & keeping the headphone jack, or having just one USB port. Tbh I think a USB port at the top & the bottom (or on the side or something) of a smartphone would be cool.
Although I'm against making a great standard connector redundant I'd like to see USB-C take off and work with everything. You would still need *most* of the audio stuff already present to make speakers etc. work but if it means more room for a bigger battery I'm in
Old puter - still good enuff till I save some pennies!
Not sure what to make of this honestly, it would certainly be convenient if a lot of devices used the same port, and I would like to see USB C take off, but as ever the transition to it picking up is going to be a rough time, and while audio will gather attention for such a brave move, I think its the wrong move.
Out of anything USB C could be used for, replacing 3.5mm was nowhere on my list. I'm glad it can do either analogue or digital but personally right now I would rather stick to 3.5mm, and if the switch is going to happen, switch after USB C has more prominence.
The part about headphones requiring their own amps and dacs is somewhat concerning too, though also somewhat promising. This could improve sound quality as a whole, making it entirely dependent on the headphones as opposed to whatever system youre using affecting the sound. On the other hand it means if you get good quality headphones and the manufacturer fits it with a crappy amp/dac, theres nothing you can do about it short of digging into its innards.
We'll see what happens, but I think they shouldve pushed for more standard USB devices to adopt USB C first, and equally wider adoptions on devices, since a lot of PCs and laptops only have 1 USB C port. But as ever thats the rough start of a new port, nobody fits them because nobody uses them, but nobody uses them because there arent enough being fitted and on top of that, not enough uses for it available.
With all the stuff USB-C apparently needs to be used for, bring on the wearable USB-C hub. Sure, it's going to be one clunky piece of kit, but just slap an Apple logo on it and it'll sell like hot cakes.
Getting rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack for the reasons stated in the article is just a bad idea. As is using a BT to headphone adapter...
So we will need to spend more on adaptors.
jag272 (28-04-2016)
It's not like USB audio is a new idea though - the headset currently perched on my work monitor is USB. But as others have said I just can't see mobile device manufacturers adding an extra couple of USB-C ports, so you're going to end up with a device with a single port that you have to do everything through. So either more adapters, or only one peripheral at a time.
Personal audio has always seemed like a perfect use case for Bluetooth to me - didn't realise BT audio adapters had actually become sensibly priced nowadays. Any chance of a reader review from someone who buys one of DwU's suggested adapters? (although I have to admit the audio geek in me would probably go for one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CZVCYU0?psc=1)
To be fair though guys most people aren't charging their phones or using the connector when they're using headphones are they?!?!?!?!!?
Old puter - still good enuff till I save some pennies!
What worries me about this is the quality of the connection. Audio jacks are pretty robust for movement (eg running/exercise) but most devices I've used often disconnect the USB connection at even the slightest of movement.
Audio jacks work when either end rotates, maybe aside from some crackle. More robust.
This is just Intel trying to get more USB license money. Just like Apple wants to sell more adapters and Beats headphones with their rumoured change.
Personally I think they should just make better products and not just squeeze the existing customers for more money. Then maybe their customer bases wouldn't shrink so fast. Otherwise it puts more value in old products, than new. Thats very bad.
McEwin (28-04-2016)
My worry with that would be that audio quality is highly dependant on power supply quality. Being right next to the cell pack of a phone seems pretty good. My gaming headset has the USB/DAC logic in what looks like a very elongated USB connector that plugs into the PC, so that gets a reasonable power connection from the USB but would really suck to have such a large lump hanging out of the phone (would seem over delicate too). So I guess for this to work, you would need the DAC to be up in the cans of the headphone themselves or an earbud volume/mic blob part way up the dable, at which point you are a long floppy cable away from the phone power source.
Bluetooth means headphones having their own battery which is a disadvantage in aggro of another thing to charge, but means a nice high current power source right next to the analogue circuitry, and really short drive cabled from the amp to the speaker elements so that would be a plus.
I don't own any bluetooth headphones, I think I'm talking myself into it
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