I messed up the headphone audio jack on my laptop. It still functions, but one headphone is about half the volume of the other headphone.
That’s not ideal.
So, I looked for USB-to-audio-jack adapters, and along the way I’m getting an education in types of audio jacks. I want to be able to use a pair of headphones which also have a microphone. That means I’m looking for a TRRS — Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve — adapter. Other audio jack types include TS (Tip, Sleeve) and TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve).
It gets more complicated from there.
After a quick web search, here are two articles I’ve found so far which have been very helpful:
- “Understanding TRRS and Audio Jacks” by Cable Chick, dated Feb 13, 2014, on CableChick.com.au.
- “What Are the Differences Between TS, TRS and TRRS Audio Connectors? Which One Should You Use?” by Alex Sporano, dated June 1 2022, on Movo.
I’m sure there’s more out there and there’s lots more for me to learn.
I talked to someone who was running an engineering class for kids, where they worked on solving problems with small pulleys, wheels, axles, motors, and so on. The person running the class said they found 90% of engineering is troubleshooting. I agreed; that’s true of any technology. I’m going down this rabbit hole because I messed up a piece of equipment and now I’m finding ways to work around my screwup, and it’s still 90% troubleshooting.