this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2023
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Headphone jacks are a 19th century invention, if having them restricts innovation then I am all for removing them.
We can't only consider innovation today, we also have to consider its ecological impact. Jack plugs and headphones are way more durable than Bluetooth equivalent. I have 16 yo jack headset that still works perfectly, I only had to change the cushions twice.
It's specifically the wire that always breaks first. How can they be more durable?
You can repair a broken cable fairly easily.
When you buy wireless headphones you know upfront that they will die within a few years and you will not be able to replace the tiny glued in, oddly shaped batteries they come with.
I like the convenience of BT at times, but I really miss having headphone jacks and hate having to bring adaptors with me.
If you can financially, buy (second-hand) higher-end material, it will come with stronger wires and stronger connections.
For example, see the difference in the constraints damper on these connectors:
vs Apple's:
Jack being simple technology, it's also very easy to get it repaired by the nearby tech enthusiast armed with a soldering iron.
To add to that, many IEMs (and many other headphones too probably) come with removable cables.
So stop making any technological advancement because of the potential impact of e-waste? Not saying it’s a bad thing but it will have have its own environmental implications. No new energy development, we have to rely on existing oil and nuclear technology rather than investing in making renewable energy sources cheaper and more efficient.
It's not an either-or situation, we can do both at the same time, we just have to consider environmental impact as an essential component of innovation.
At the point we are at, yes we have to make a major change, e-waste is an immense problem for many years and we are only starting to fight it.
Inventions not thinking about e-waste at all shouldn't be allowed anymore.
So are speakers and batteries.
True, but we don’t have any practical alternatives for them.
What's the practical alternative to headphone jacks? Bluetooth is crap and carrying around extra dongles is annoying.
Bluetooth headphones are more practical due to not having wires. Jack is better for latency.
Practical for some scenarios, but impractical in others. A headphone jack also offers better sound quality overall and a less flaky connection, with no audio cutouts. It's not just latency, it's a superior and more reliable way to transmit high quality audio. And there's no battery to worry about charging. And a standard set of wired headphones can last for DECADES while a Bluetooth headset will start to die in about five years or less because the battery is non-replaceable lithium-ion. And there's no concern about whether your wired headphones are optimized for Android or iPhone, it's a standardized connector with an identical experience on both. And there's no issue with wireless interference on the 2.4GHz band that Bluetooth operates on.
I can come up with more if you want.
Technically 20th century, if I'm not mistaken? I just don't see how they would restrict innovation, I guess
Apparently it’s based on a plug invented in 1878, according to the BBC.
Interesting! It's cool to know how stuff we use/used was developed
By that logic let's just replace the most superior household plug. The 3 pin UK plug.
Unless there's an alternative, no it's not restricting innovation.
A "19th century" technology that objectively produces better sound quality and uses less energy. And I already have wired earbuds and headsets.