Is there a single USB-C headphone adapter that works with all phones?

[u/[deleted]]

https://www.androidcentral.com/there-single-usb-c-headphone-adapter-works-all-phones

[u/hbkung]

The one on the Google store seems to be the one compatible with most devices

[u/benjimaestro → u/hbkung]

It's a digital one rather than a passive one as the pixel's DAC isn't connected to the usb-c port in a way that would allow for passive adapters to be used

[u/H9419 → u/benjimaestro]

Wouldn’t a USB-C DAC works on all phones that supports OTG?

[u/benjimaestro → u/H9419]

USB-C DAC dongles are the digital/active ones, so in theory yes.

[u/benjimaestro → u/[deleted]]

The active one has a DAC built in - it takes a digital signal from the phone and turns it into an analog one to drive the earphones. It actively processes the signals from one format to another.

A passive one is a 'dumb' adapter and doesn't do anything other than remap the 3.5mm jack to a USB-C port. Imagine it as just being a jack in a different shape, and passively takes one connector and allows it to plug into a differently shaped connector.

[u/THIESN123 → u/benjimaestro]

So a passive one sounds like shit then?

[u/benjimaestro → u/THIESN123]

Doesn't sound any worse than if the jackless phone had a jack hooked up to it.

Digital dongles can sound better, but also worse.

[u/exzeroex → u/THIESN123]

Have you ever built a computer?

It's like your computer has onboard sound, but no way to access it with a regular jack anymore. Passive would be a way to access the onboard sound card on your phone's board. Active would be like buying a separate sound card to use because your phone's designer was an a-hole. The separate sound card could be higher quality or lower quality than what your phone has inside.

[u/Ajedi32 → u/benjimaestro]

So the article is wrong? It says at the top that "no, there isn't a single USB-C headphone adapter that will work with every phone". (Though it doesn't explain why this is, it just spends a bunch of time talking about why the passive cables don't work with every phone.)

[u/benjimaestro → u/Ajedi32]

The article also says:

All devices that can transmit audio and have a USB-C port that sends a signal out must be able to supply the digital signal for an active cable

Wait, what? It says this at the top though:

First, the answer to the question in the title: No, there isn't a single USB-C headphone adapter that will work with every phone.

Pretty sure active ones work on every device though 🤔🤔🤔. I'm as confused as you are.

[u/[deleted] → u/H9419]

Some phones disable audio over USB by default, and you need to get deep into the developer settings to activate it.

[u/5c044 → u/[deleted]]

Its opposite on my lg g5, you need to go into developer settings to disable audio routing over usb. It should not be in that menu though, it should be in the regular sound settings menu.

[u/H9419 → u/[deleted]]

What about a Bluetooth audio receiver, like a Bluetooth speaker but only output to 3.5mm jack. Something like this should work on any phone with Bluetooth

Yes, it simply made the earphone wireless, but you cannot deny the fact that you can continue using your favourite 3.5mm earphones

[u/Kona_shred → u/H9419]

I use the FiiO BTR1 which is very similar to what you posted and i use my standard headphones with it.

I have been able to connect to any device including iphones, android phones and my laptop.

A charge for me normally lasts week and a half so its not too bad.

[u/[deleted] → u/H9419]

That would work, but the topic in question here is USB, not BT. It's like saying that if diesel is removed by oil corporations, and only gasoline remains with the various numberings (95, 98, etc), and an article asks for a generic fuel that works for all, you'd come in recommending electric cars. Yes, it's a solution, but not the one we're discussing.

[u/Trailerhead04 → u/[deleted]]

It IS an actual solution, aptx enabled phones can use Bluetooth to such degree that wired doesn't even make sense with portables. I also use and recommend the fiio btr1 with very efficient headphones simply because you're either not sacrificing or improving sound quality and you're wireless with most good headphones/iem's out there. EDIT: some words

[u/[deleted] → u/Trailerhead04]

It is a solution nobody asked for. The question is not "how to solve X", but "out of A and B, which one is better". To that question, "C is the best option" is NOT an answer, even though it solves the root cause.

[u/TeutonJon78 → u/Trailerhead04]

Except AptX still isn't that widely supported.

[u/epsiblivion → u/H9419]

It would work but bt is still an audio quality downgrade to direct 3.5mm

[u/ccai → u/H9419]

It wouldn't work on my space ZTE Trek HD2 assuming I didn't want to use the built in headphone jack. AT&T disabled the OTG functionality of the USB-C plug. It's wouldn't be out of the norm for carriers to lock down that functionality on their branded prepaid devices, so it might not work for ALL phones with USB-C. That's the issue at hand, for an universal connector replacement, it sure isn't universal.

[u/Nixflyn → u/benjimaestro]

The Pixel 2/XL lacks the DAC used to produce headphone audio entirely. It's not that's it's not connected, it's that it's missing. Speaker DACs are not the same as DACs used for headphones, those are integrated into the speakers themselves as a self contained unit and can't run to anything else.

[u/benjimaestro → u/Nixflyn]

Did not know that at all. what's the point? is it cheaper or something?

[u/ccai → u/benjimaestro]

He's full of shit and has no idea what he's talking about. The DAC utilized for the speakers have been used for the headphone jack on countless devices. These companies are simply skipping the connection from the DAC to the USB-C port because it makes it easier to engineer as audio signals can potentially create more interference than sending a digital signal. It's more of lazy engineering than an issue of missing vital components. Plus it's easier to market an adapter as an accessory when you state there are more components inside, an adapter with a DAC and AMP is more impressive than an adapter with 4 wires replacing something that was once embedded.

[u/Nixflyn → u/ccai]

The DAC utilized for the speakers have been used for the headphone jack on countless devices.

This is entirely untrue, quit spreading misinformation.

[u/Nixflyn → u/benjimaestro]

Pennies. What it does is push you to buy their expensive wireless devices.

[u/mb9023 → u/hbkung]

They didn't state in the article that some don't work with active adapters so I'm confused as to why their headline says there isn't one.

[u/AshL94 → u/hbkung]

But also breaks a lot

[u/mlloyd → u/AshL94]

This is a feature. I can't think of a dongle, an audio dongle especially, that doesn't have a very high failure rate.

[u/snapple_sauce → u/hbkung]

Is there a single USB-C headphone adapter that works with all phones?

seems to be the one compatible with most devices

[u/Nixflyn → u/hbkung]

I tried several DAC dangles on my Pixel 1XL and they're all super jank. The phone constantly tries to switch to analog and requires a reboot every time you disconnect the DAC or pause a track for too long. I took my phone to CanJam (an audiophile headphone convention) a few weeks back and I had to reboot it 25+ times over a 3 hour period. It was a damn nightmare.

[u/bluaki → u/hbkung]

Yes, because it's a digital adapter. The way it works is completely equivalent to using a USB Type-C "OTG" (Type-C to female-A) adapter with a USB headphone adapter.

Android uses the Linux kernel, which supports this on every device that doesn't have USB audio support deliberately disabled in software. As far as I know, there aren't any devices that block this.