Audio Mic Splitter (Mobile Headset, PC Input)

errlloyd

Does anyone know where I can get one of these without spending 7e on postage. (So basically is it available brick and mortar anyway).

Or does anyone have a better solution to wanting to use smartphone headsets with PC inputs?

ED E

DX.com will take 3wks but cheap and free postage.

Remember, there isn't a standard pinout for combined jacks. What will work with an apple headset will give you no mic and one ear only for a samsung headset say, or vice versa.

errlloyd

ED E wrote: »

DX.com will take 3wks but cheap and free postage.

Remember, there isn't a standard pinout for combined jacks. What will work with an apple headset will give you no mic and one ear only for a samsung headset say, or vice versa.

Yeah, there are two right? I need the Apple one I think, the headset and mic work with my HTC phone, but the controls (volume up etc) don't, which I think means it is an apple product.. Thanks a mil.

ED E

There are several:

The standard 3.5mm headphones (no in-line controls on the cable) use the configuration of (from left to right)
TRS- Tip, Ring, Sleeve. The pinout for these connections is: Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground.

Connection types for headphones with a mic (and newer ones with volume control) are configured in
TRRS- Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve.

On TRRS there are 2 types-
1. The original TRRS configuration was created by Nokia and has a pinout of Left Audio, Right Audio, Mic, Ground.

Apple came along and in typical elitist fashion changed their pinout to Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground, Mic.

This is why many apple headsets will not work with android, because the last 2 connections, for Mic and Ground are switched. The issue is with the hardware.

The way that songs are skipped (forwards, backwards, and pause) occurs by sending signals down the ground channel (when you tap the button it shoots an electrical signal that the phone will pick up and interpret).
The way that volume is increased/decreased occurs by sending signals down the Mic channel.
This is why- if you try a set of newer iPhone earbuds on the GSIII- as I have- the center button does nothing, but yet the volume up and volume down both pause tracks, and allow you to skip them!!

Additionally, Apple has patents on their TRRS connection- in fact on the resistances (the actual ohm resistance in-line on the controls- not to get scientific or anything ) so that the headphones are designed to work only with Apple products. In other words- you could have a device with the same TRRS Pinout as apple products- but the headset wont work because the resistances (ohms) of the headphones send signals that your phone is not allowed to interpret into the correct actions (since apple patented these)

Shamelessly stolen from android central.

Johnboy1951

errlloyd wrote: »

Does anyone know where I can get one of these without spending 7e on postage. (So basically is it available brick and mortar anyway).

Or does anyone have a better solution to wanting to use smartphone headsets with PC inputs?

My preference would be a separate headset with the correct plug for the PC ...... or even better a USB connected headset for the PC.

errlloyd

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

My preference would be a separate headset with the correct plug for the PC ...... or even better a USB connected headset for the PC.

I have two really good headsets that work with my laptop and phone etc, the only device they don't work with is the PC, which I use irregularly, but still want to be able to use a decent headset with (because when I use it, it's for hours at a time). So buying one headset and having the adapter is preferable, though getting the right one is an absolute minefield.