Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you know the whole controversy about phone companies doing away with the headphone jack and replacing it with a USB-C or Lightning port (in case of Apple devices). Apple was the first one to do it, and as usual, the industry followed. While phones are usually used to consume music on the go, and therefore, consumers have almost come to accept it, and are living the dongle life.
But the world is not yet ready for completely doing away with the headphone jack. People still consider audio cables are best suited for clear audio delivery. And they are not wrong to think that. RCA cables have established themselves in the music industry to deliver top of the line experience. They are now also compatible with other kinds of audio connectors.
RCA cables deliver stereo sound via two cables that have connectors that are usually red and white colored, red of the right and white of the left stereo sound. Sometimes these cables have the same connectors on the other end as well. If not, they merge into a single 3.5mm jack.
Let us walk through all the uses of this 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable:
TV setup:
RCA ports are generally on televisions that need to route audio to a speaker or headphones. This pair of devices, TV, and speaker connect via male to male 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable (RCA connectors are 2.5mm connectors). A 2.5mm or 3.5mm audio cable combines the functionality of these two channels into one.
Gaming setup:
Similarly, a gaming setup also needs an audio output. Gaming consoles don’t have very powerful speakers, so for a more immersive experience, you have to connect external speakers or headphones. If you prefer analog connectors because it delivers better audio, gaming consoles have RCA ports which support them. So, you can connect your speakers via the same male-to-male 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable.
External Microphone
Some headphones have microphones to connect to your computer for internet enabled voice calling, or for recording audio. In this case, headphones often have 3.5mm connector that splits into two, one for audio input through the microphone and one for audio output from the computer to the headphones.
MP3 Player
Another use case, of this particular cable, is when you have to connect your portable device, like a phone or an mp3 player; you can easily do that with a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable. It gives you personal listening experience.
External speakers:
Slightly bigger equipment that gives a high-quality audio output has a 3.5mm female port on them. Therefore, if you want to connect a smaller, portable, audio device to it, in most cases, it will have a 3.5mm a female port. This makes a male-to-male connector cable of this specification perfect for it.
With the invention of newer, faster, more versatile ports, the use of this cable and port has become limited and more niche. Consumer gadgets have almost entirely upgraded to the digital transmission of audio-video via HDMI or even USB-C cables and ports. Audio output equipment comes with USB-C ports now, while premium devices have switched to Bluetooth and Wireless technologies for audio output and input.
Bluetooth and wireless technology, while very convenient, do have their own flaws. Sometimes the battery is not charged, or they have difficulty pairing with a device, or the chip malfunctions. Audio also tends to lag with these. The lag is insignificant if you are a casual consumer who uses these things for entertainment. But if you regularly have to mix audio, or edit audio video, a cabled connection will give you a more accurate audio output.
If you are looking for a pure audio experience, it is better to have as much cabled connection as possible and RCA cables are the best cables to use. The 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable is classic and as long as devices have these analog ports, you can use them.
RCA connectors are old, but there is a reason why manufacturers are not doing away with ports on their devices. This article walks you through various setups where they are convenient to use. Read on to know more.
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