Hi All,
Newbie here!! Where are some places that I can get good quality 3.5mm
stereo plug? Note: I just want the plug with no cable (or headphones).
Also, I was wondering how much power and current typical 3.5mm stereo
headphones require to work? Is there a standard or electrical spec for
3.5mm stereo plugs?

Thanks in advance for you prompt response.

Clem

MCM Electronics and Parts Express come to mind, there are others.
There is very much a direct relationship between price and quality.
Switchcraft and Neutrik are quality brands, there are others which I
can't name off the top of my head.

There is a lot of variation in the sensitivity of headsets which means
a lot of different amounts of power to drive them.
NO, there's no standard.

If you closely examine the structure of 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch (3.5mm)
jacks, you will find that they both function on the basis of "POINTS OF
CONTACT", all of the signal tranfer takes place through a very small
percentage of the surface area of either.

They have been used for headphone connectors successfully for decades.

Lee

Radio Shack.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi All,
Newbie here!! Where are some places that I can get good quality 3.5mm
stereo plug? Note: I just want the plug with no cable (or headphones).
Also, I was wondering how much power and current typical 3.5mm stereo
headphones require to work? Is there a standard or electrical spec for
3.5mm stereo plugs?

Thanks in advance for you prompt response.

Clem

wrote:
Hi All,
Newbie here!! Where are some places that I can get good quality 3.5mm
stereo plug? Note: I just want the plug with no cable (or headphones).
Also, I was wondering how much power and current typical 3.5mm stereo
headphones require to work? Is there a standard or electrical spec for
3.5mm stereo plugs?

Assuming you are asking because you are thinking of using it as
a power connector, that would be the last thing I'd do with those.

Yet, the connector on the Apple Powerbook 1400C that I have, and
apparently other Apple laptops, uses a glorified 3.5mm stereo
connector. They add an extra shield layer to it, but it works
without it. They don't even use a mono connector, even though
they are just running +24VDC to it. I forget the current, but
it's at least 1amp and perhaps it's 2amps. Since I didn't get
an AC adaptor with my used 1400C, I just used a 3.5mm connector
from Radio Shack. Seems to work fine, though I sure do think
it's an odd choice for the purpose.

You definitely want bare connectors for this purpose. Cutting
the earpieces off a set of cheap headphones for the connector
and cable isn't really a good choice if you want it for power,
because headphone wires tend to be quite small.

Michael

Thanks in advance for you prompt response.

Clem

On 25 Nov 2005 00:03:50 -0800, wrote:

Newbie here!! Where are some places that I can get good quality 3.5mm
stereo plug? Note: I just want the plug with no cable (or headphones).
Also, I was wondering how much power and current typical 3.5mm stereo
headphones require to work? Is there a standard or electrical spec for
3.5mm stereo plugs?

Be careful. 3.5mm jacks are notoriously flimsy and fragile. And, as
they often contain switching and are mounted in miniature equipment
can be a nuisance to replace. The moulded plastic plugs supplied with
headphones etc.are at least lightweight and put minimum strain on the
jack. You can buy heavier versions, but they will BE heavier. Not
necessarily a good idea.

If the plug has broken on a favourite pair of earphones, I suggest you
splice in a replacement cable, complete with plug. I'm sure you have
old earphones lying around?

An added complication is the lightweight flexible cable used on
earphones. It is very hard to solder onto a replacement plug. It's
not all that easy to splice, either, but with practice you can do a
neat job with minimum solder and some heat-shrink sleeving.

If all this is irrevelant, you can buy stereo 3.5mm plugs from any
electronic parts store or supplier. For the reasons above, go for the
lightest, not the "strongest" looking.

On 25 Nov 2005 00:03:50 -0800, wrote:

Hi All,
Newbie here!! Where are some places that I can get good quality 3.5mm
stereo plug? Note: I just want the plug with no cable (or headphones).
Also, I was wondering how much power and current typical 3.5mm stereo
headphones require to work? Is there a standard or electrical spec for
3.5mm stereo plugs?

Thanks in advance for you prompt response.

Clem
Using as a power connector is a bad idea. It is to easy to short the
supply when inserting the plug. Also if used in a Automobile, that tip
will throw sparks if it hits metal.

Hey Guys,
Thanks for you input. I have a couple more questions. When using 3.5mm
stereo headphones, how much current and voltage is required to power
typical 3.5mm headphones? I know this may vary because there is no
standard but I am looking for a "ballpark" figure.

Thanks,
Newbie Clem

In article .com, wrote:
Hey Guys,
Thanks for you input. I have a couple more questions. When using 3.5mm
stereo headphones, how much current and voltage is required to power
typical 3.5mm headphones? I know this may vary because there is no
standard but I am looking for a "ballpark" figure.

Thanks,
Newbie Clem


Many phones are about 30 ohms impedance, not all. 1 or 2 volts may give a nice signal.
2 volts would make .133 watts. Thats 2 sq divided by 30. 2 volts is an equivalant 8 ohms output
wattage of .5 watts. In other words, a .5 watt amplifier is needed to drive those 30 ohm headphones
to a 2 volt level. 2 volts RMS will also draw.067 amps, and .093 amps peak.

greg

wrote:

Newbie here!! Where are some places that I can get good quality 3.5mm
stereo plug? Note: I just want the plug with no cable (or headphones).
Also, I was wondering how much power and current typical 3.5mm stereo
headphones require to work? Is there a standard or electrical spec for
3.5mm stereo plugs?

google "Mini Plug" You'll get tons of hits.

At one point Sony was making a mini plug with a slightly different
geometry than the "standard" one, and using a sony plug with a non-sony
jack could cause premature failure. (or vice versa). Not sure if this
is still true.

//Walt