Hi Guys

I have a decent pair of headphones that I need to plug in and out of various studio hardware.

I have been thinking this weekend what is the best way to not damage any of the headphone ports on my studio hardware by frequently plugging the jack socket in and out all the time?

I have decided to buy some duplicate headphone jack adaptors, and I am considering just leaving them in my hardware devices, so I can just screw the headphones in to the headphone adaptor I need instead of plugging the entire jack adaptor in and out of the headphone ports all the time?



Many thanks

Storm

 

I do not think I have ever had a headphones jack go bad on random studio gear. But that could be due to almost always using a console mixer with the headphones plugged in there, or a headphones amp. I don't really even remember seeing this on many dj mixers. you would think it would be worse with club mixers and people constantly plugging in, but often they are Rane or other durable brand and can take some serious abuse. I think you might actually be more likely to screw up your headphones cable by twisting it so much to screw it back into the cable adapter if it is threaded. If it just clicks into a generic unthreaded adapter, i'm sure that would be fine.

 

I don't think it's something you should bother.

In any case you have to twist the cable (weaker part) to screw it if you want jack firm OR screw the jack keeping the cable firm, "stressing" contacts in anyway.
Don't forget you have the weaker 3.5mm jack strained.

If you really want this, use a non threaded 6mm jack adapter.

 

Won't that be a huge pain to do each time? I think the twisting from screwing the adapter on might also damage the headphone port if we're nitpicking. Although both methods should do minimal damage.

I voted to keep in since that's what I do for mine but I don't have much gear and no need to disconnect. Never had a headphone port go bad

 

Hey Clone

You make an excellent obervation there that I didnt think of.

I have just tested from your comment that its not that easy to screw in the headphones when the jack is already inserted in to a devices headphone port and I can see how easily I am twisting the cable on the actual headphones trying to screw it in which could seriously damage the cable and probably very quickly.

I really appreciate your insight, I have now just ordered some straight plugin adaptors without screw threads, I will send the other adaptors I ordered back to Amazon.

Thanks very much

Storm

 

Hey Orbitbooster

Thanks for the reply, like the comment before yours, you make an excellent observation and one I didnt think of yesterday and after trying using the screw thread adaptors its not that easy to attach the headphones without putting stress in the headphone cable and twisting it.

I have ordered some non screw thread adaptors.

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Storm

 

Hey George Santos

You are absolutely right after just testing it. I didnt even think last night that it would be twisting the headphone cable trying to screw it on to the adaptor or how awkward it is doing it when the adaptor is already plugged in.

I have just ordered some non threaded adaptors which is much easier to use.

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Storm

 

I'm a bit late but I'll say it anyway.

I once had a similar problem but my concern was the place to plug the head phones in was hard to reach on the equipment i was swapping between.

end result was a cheap mixer. plugged all the head phone out puts into the mixer and my headphones never needed to be unplugged from the mixer.

it was a second hand behringer mixer. I wouldn't dare use for anything else since when the volume was max on a channel it'd bleed into the next channel but for a head phone output switcher it was great.

 

Good idea with getting the mixer.

I'm quite lucky that everything is accessible where I need to plug the headphones in to, getting the second lot of jack plugs without the screw head has done the trick for me.

 

Your luck with the unthreaded adapter is frequently not the way it works out. Many headphones only work with a threaded adapter; and some only *with their own adapter*. That can make your original plan be worse, because you really cannot tell which are which. they are all gold and 1/4". But they are just different enough to make a 300$ pair of headphones sound worse than something you buy at the gas station for 10$.