Comments on: Thingamajig Thursday: audio plugs

By: Skip

Skip — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:59:27 +0000

If I am replacing the 1/4 inch jack on a speaker and only “stereo” female jacks are available(i see from my 1/4 inch speaker cable with one black band) that a “mono jack is required, what are the problems repercussions of using the stereo jack?

Thank You

By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 20:44:40 +0000

There are also the smaller submini plugs, which are 3/32″, resembling the eigth inch plugs(called mini plugs).

Ipod Video and many camcorders use three banded mini plugs that have three RCA plugs on the other side. Because an Ipod needs to be compatable to standard headphones, however, the video channel is on a different conducter than a camcorder would use. Therefore, if you use a camcorder cable in an Ipod you have to switch one of the audio plugs with the vido in your TV.

By: Ishmael

Ishmael — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 07:20:24 +0000

> Like the animals on Noahâ€™s ark, they
> generally come in pairs, white is left
> in the stereo field, and red is right.

Either you’re very clever or you made a common mistake; I can’t tell which.

Even though the “two of every animal” is generally associated with Noah’s ark, Noah actually took seven of all of the “clean beasts” and “flying creatures”. (Genesis 7:2, 3)

Of course, you did say “generally”…

By: unitron

unitron — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:32:53 +0000

The RCA plugs and jacks are also known as “phono” (from phonograph) plugs and jacks.

The plug on the bottom is the type originally referred to as a “phone” (from telephone) plug.

As has been pointed out, a jack is the thing into which the plug gets plugged.

By: n2y2

n2y2 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 21:37:49 +0000

The yellow jack is almost always a coax cable (where the audio jacks are plain strait wiring) This allows a more data for the video signal.

By: Thomas Pfau

Thomas Pfau — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 19:23:40 +0000

“But why not call it by its proper name?”

Really. There’s a difference between a “plug” and a “jack”. A plug is a mail connector – all of the ends you display in your picture are plugs. The jack is the receiving connector.

Maybe you ought to stick to calling them “wires”?

By: Lauren

Lauren — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 18:57:38 +0000

Tell Dad we sometimes call them “patch cords” too. Phone operators started that, and radio mixing boards used to need them (as well as Moog synthesizers but that’s another story.)

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 18:52:00 +0000

Then there are the same wire with female endds of each, for those of use who string many wires together to do what they say can’t be done. And its getting harder every day to find quarter inch adapters for headphones which all come with miniplugs today. I’m a DJ and still need to plug the quarter inch (stereo) jack in a mixing board.

By: David

David — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:04:34 +0000

Nah, no Weisenheimers here… that’s exactly why we have a comments section. Otherwise, the post would be way too long. Thanks, guys, for throwing in follow-up info! I knew someone would call me out on the mono plug! While we’re dropping more facts, I should also add that the RCAs now come as a trio, as well. The added “yellow” plug carries a video signal, generally from your DVD player to your TV. Though it isn’t an audio cable, it’s still an RCA plug!

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 16:59:32 +0000

Wiesenhiemer time: although technically the last one is a 1/4 inch jack, but it’s actually mono, not stero. Whether it’s a 1/8 or 1/4 incher, you can tell if it’s mono or stereo by the number of black rings that divide the metal connector: 1 is mono, 2 is stereo and you’ll sometimes see more – like 3 on some devices that require 3 channels, like a stereo headset with a boom mic.