USB-C and 3.5mm earphones?
QI’ve used a pair of old earphones for a long time, which have eventually given up the ghost (the cable has frayed to the point where the audio is just too crackly). I know I can buy another pair cheaply, but I learned recently that my Samsung Galaxy A13 phone can accept earphones that connect via its USB-C charging port. Is there any good reason to do this?
I sometimes used my old earphones on my ageing tablet, which charges via a different kind of socket. So, is there any real difference between using the old 3.5mm jack or the USB-C socket? Geoff Wallace
AThere are a number of ways to look at this, plus a practically unlimited choice of products to choose from. So, we can talk about the differences only in the broadest sense. However, from your perspective at least, we think the ultimate choice is pretty simple.
Connecting earphones via USB-C creates a direct digital connection to the audio source (your phone, in this case).
That means earphones connected this way receive a perfect facsimile of the original audio output. What that actually ends up sounding like in your ears is, of course, subject to many factors – but, fundamentally, a USB-C connection offers the best starting point for audio reproduction.
By contrast, when you plug in via a 3.5mm jack you are connecting to an analogue socket. The source audio will already have undergone some digital-toanalogue conversion to make this possible. The quality of this conversion can vary wildly, though it tends to be only audio professionals that notice the subtle differences. Does it really matter which type of connection you use? Well, for everyday listening from the average smartphone, we’d argue not a lot. There are great USB-C earphones and terrible 3.5mm models, but also vice versa.
Practically speaking, and on a smartphone in particular, connecting via a 3.5mm jack offers the small advantage of keeping the USB-C port free for charging. And, in your case in particular, opting for a 3.5mm set would also keep them compatible with your old tablet (which sounds like it has the older microusb charging port in addition to its analogue jack socket).
Want to know the difference between technical terms? Email noproblem@computeractive.co.uk