what are the advantages of each jack? Sorry in advance if this is a noob question.
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Savannah, Georgia
correct me if i'm wrong:
1/4, generally a better sound and used in professional hardware.
1/8, more compact and used in some (unmodified) chip instruments.
Last edited by Aeros (Oct 17, 2012 11:43 pm)
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Nottingham, UK
There's effectively no difference for most applications really except for space constraints and considerations about adaptors and leads. Total preference thing.
Last edited by ForaBrokenEarth (Oct 17, 2012 11:43 pm)
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Ottawa, ON
Aeros wrote:
1/4, generally a better sound
Please, tell me how the size of a connector affects the quality of sound.
The only difference I've noticed is that 1/4 plugs/jacks are generally tighter and less prone to accidental disconnection.
Last edited by jmr (Oct 17, 2012 11:47 pm)
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babylon
i would decide by looking at what your gonna plug it into. i personally like rca's cause they plug into the aux input of my car like a champ. if you got a mixer of choice id base it off that.
edit:spelling
Last edited by walter b. gentle (Oct 17, 2012 11:49 pm)
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ohio gozaimasu
ForaBrokenEarth wrote:
There's effectively no difference for most applications really except for space constraints and considerations about adaptors and leads. Total preference thing.
This. While there may be some difference in sound, there really is not enough to completely justify using 1/4" (Unless, perhaps, you're going for some high-quality lossless audio release). Most (non-dj) mixers use 1/4", so having a respective jack greatly simplifies one's setup. 1/8" plugs right into most computers and commercial headphones/earbuds, and for that 1/8" is preferable for quick and efficient recording/listening. It all just depends what you're planning to do.
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walter b. gentle wrote:
i would decide by looking at what your gonna plug it into. i personally like rca's cause they plug into the aux input of my car like a champ. if you got a mixer of choice id base it off that.
edit:spelling
for instance lets say I were to plug a amp into my gameboy
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Cooshinator wrote:
ForaBrokenEarth wrote:There's effectively no difference for most applications really except for space constraints and considerations about adaptors and leads. Total preference thing.
This. While there may be some difference in sound, there really is not enough to completely justify using 1/4" (Unless, perhaps, you're going for some high-quality lossless audio release). Most (non-dj) mixers use 1/4", so having a respective jack greatly simplifies one's setup. 1/8" plugs right into most computers and commercial headphones/earbuds, and for that 1/8" is preferable for quick and efficient recording/listening. It all just depends what you're planning to do.
I think this sums up the thread.
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Ottawa, ON
Cooshinator wrote:
While there may be some difference in sound
As an electrical engineer I'm VERY curious to hear an explanation as to how the physical size of an audio connector affects the signal carried through it.
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Lexington, KY
jmr wrote:
Cooshinator wrote:While there may be some difference in sound
As an electrical engineer I'm VERY curious to hear an explanation as to how the physical size of an audio connector affects the signal carried through it.
Been looking for answers online and yeah... it really seems like there is no difference whatsoever.
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ohio gozaimasu
jmr wrote:
Cooshinator wrote:While there may be some difference in sound
As an electrical engineer I'm VERY curious to hear an explanation as to how the physical size of an audio connector affects the signal carried through it.
I never said there was for sure a significant difference; perhaps there's none at all. I'm going off of what I've heard from other people. Perhaps larger surface area = stronger connection, and people use it for the same reason they use thicker wire and gold-plated connectors. I think most likely the issue is that 1/8" cables are thinner and overall less durable than 1/4" cables, along with (although less notable with) the male and female connectors. So it's not necessarily that the size will modify the signal, it's just that the 1/8" cable have a higher chance of disrupting the signal. Again, I am no expert on the issue. I may be wrong on certain points and you, as an electrical engineer, most likely know more about the subject than I.
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Chicago, IL
jmr wrote:
Cooshinator wrote:While there may be some difference in sound
As an electrical engineer I'm VERY curious to hear an explanation as to how the physical size of an audio connector affects the signal carried through it.
It depends if it is a TS TRS connector, if the cord is balance or unbalanced, what type of shield the cord has, and the quality of solder. Also how you wrap and care for your cords. It has been said before that its based on what your plugging into, but from experience, 1/8 inch TRS cables are often of lesser quality in comparison to my 1/4 inch cords.
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Savannah, Georgia
squidula wrote:
It depends if it is a TS TRS connector, if the cord is balance or unbalanced, what type of shield the cord has, and the quality of solder. Also how you wrap and care for your cords. It has been said before that its based on what your plugging into, but from experience, 1/8 inch TRS cables are often of lesser quality in comparison to my 1/4 inch cords.
+1
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Ottawa, ON
squidula wrote:
It depends if it is a TS TRS connector, if the cord is balance or unbalanced, what type of shield the cord has, and the quality of solder. Also how you wrap and care for your cords. It has been said before that its based on what your plugging into, but from experience, 1/8 inch TRS cables are often of lesser quality in comparison to my 1/4 inch cords.
Very true, but those factors affect cables regardless of connector size.
That being said, I suppose the larger form factor of a 1/4 plug allows for thicker and more durable cable, better shielding and thus better noise immunity.
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IL, US
walter b. gentle wrote:
i would decide by looking at what your gonna plug it into. i personally like rca's cause they plug into the aux input of my car like a champ. if you got a mixer of choice id base it off that.
edit:spelling
if i remember correctly (probably heard from either low-gain or my dad who was an electrical engineer), rca jacks werent actually designed with frequent connecting and reconnecting in mind and tend to wear down faster than 1/8" or 1/4"...probably not fast enough to really be noticable to most people, but something to keep in mind
(i looked on wikipedia, mmemory still is good: "It was originally a low-cost, simple design, intended only for mating and disconnection when servicing the console.")