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The most obvious and instant feature of a headphone jack adapter is converting a device’s plug to fit a new format.
But the real, long-term benefit is extending the life of your favorite old earbuds or headphones. Just because a new device has an updated input, doesn’t mean you’ll need to discard the headphones or earbuds you love and have had for year. One adapter can breathe new life into an old pair, and keep it going for generations to come.
Materials inside these adapters can vary pretty widely, including copper, silver, gold, plastic, and steel. A jack adapter isn’t a new concept either, since a device’s inputs will inevitably evolve with technology, and there’s always an add-on for older inputs to keep them from becoming obsolete. The first phone-connectors were made in the late 1800s for use in telephone switchboards, while the more familiar 3.5mm inputs were made in the 1950s for use with transistor radios’ earpieces. Today, these type of adapters go beyond just headphones too, and can also be used to connect up your car’s aux cable, a laptop, or even a mixing board.
Some listeners may be going wireless and getting on the Bluetooth bandwagon, but there are still reasons to stick with wired for a while longer. Even though being tangle-free is a nice perk, and snagging your cable on doorknobs can be infuriating when it rips the buds out of your ears, a wireless connection can be spotty too. Some Bluetooth buds still need to re-connect and sync up every time you want to listen to something, which results in an unwanted and annoying lag time before you can get your music going. With wired, that’s never an issue. Having a reliable connection, since you’re plugged in directly to the source, means everything is instantaneously in your ears, with strong and uninterrupted sound transmission as long as the adapter holds up.
These four adapters can keep your buds going as the years, and devices, progress over time.
