What is a headphone jack? Compare 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks in detail

Currently, the 3.5 mm headphone jack is an extremely popular jack size today. So what's special about this headphone jack? How to distinguish between 3.5 mm and 2.5 mm jack? Let's find out with TipsMake right away in the following article.

What is a 3.5mm headphone jack?

The 3.5 mm headphone jack is an industry standard 3.5 mm audio jack used to connect headphones to an audio device and transmit the signal in analog format.

What is a headphone jack? Compare 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks in detail Picture 1

Learn the basic principles of headphone jack types

Currently, there are 3 types of headphone jacks on the market: TS , TRS and TRRS . However, the most common are TRS and TRRS while the TS type is very rare.

The reason the TS type is rare is because this type of headphone jack does not support stereo sound and microphone. This also means that users can only listen to one side of the headset, it does not support listening to both sides. That's why it's very inconvenient for users to use.

TRS and TRRS support stereo sound so users can use both sides of the headset. But TRS does not support microphone. Therefore, TRRS that supports both stereo and microphone is more popular because it allows users to both listen and respond to conversations.

Classify

Currently, there are 3 main types of 3.5mm jacks: 

1. TS type audio jack: Does not support stereo and microphone, the listener will receive the same sound from left and right.
2. TRS type audio jack: This type of jack only supports listening to music, watching movies, etc. but cannot talk on the phone. Because this jack does not support microphones.
3. TRRS type audio jack: This is an extremely popular type today with four wires, with microphone and stereo functions.

What is a headphone jack? Compare 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks in detail Picture 2

Advantages and disadvantages of 3.5 mm jack

Like many other types of headphone jacks, the 3.5 mm jack also has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's find out right below.

Advantage

The 3.5 mm headphone jack is commonly used by:

1. Convenient for users who have the habit of listening to music while charging.
2. Can be used with many 3.5mm jack devices, specifically most current laptop models.

Defect

Besides the advantages, any type of headphone jack also has disadvantages that need to be overcome. And below are the disadvantages when it comes to the 3.5 mm headphone jack:

1. The sound quality is not good because the signal is transmitted in analog format.
2. Takes up camera, battery and processor space.
3. Makes the phone thicker.

With these advantages and disadvantages, the 3.5mm headphone jack will likely be eliminated from the future trend of smartphones. However, the 3.5 jack still maintains its status with laptops because it is compatible with most brands, low price and diverse accessories. At the same price, users have more choices with many segments.

In addition, the development of 3.5 jacks on other devices such as speakers, etc. is still extremely popular at the present time.

What is a headphone jack? Compare 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks in detail Picture 3

Difference between 3.5mm and 2.5mm jack

In fact, the original headphone jack was designed with a size of 6.3 mm. But due to many inconveniences in use, it has been shrunk to 3.5 mm and 2.5 mm like today.

Most devices have a 3.5 mm or 2.5 mm headphone jack designed for headphones or computer speakers. That's why music headphones are also produced in the same size.

What is a headphone jack? Compare 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks in detail Picture 4

Regarding the name, the 3.5mm headphone jack is called 'mini' while the standard 2.5mm headphone jack is called 'submini' . However, both sizes have common names such as: audio plug, phone, stereo, headphone.

The most obvious difference between the two is size. The diameter thickness of the 2.5 mm sockets is 3/32 inch and the 3.5 mm is 1/8 inch. In addition, in terms of use, the 3.5 mm jack is the appropriate size for laptops, music players, phones, and other portable electronic devices.

The 2.5 mm jack is an ideal choice for phones that support audio, not just limited to cordless phones. 

Epilogue

Hopefully with the above article, you know what a headphone jack is as well as how to distinguish between 3.5 mm and 2.5 mm headphone jacks . If you have any comments, please comment below to let us know. Thank you for following the article.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 03 October 2023