4 types of wired headset connectors

Business

4 types of wired headset connectors

Author

Daniel Gniazdo

Posted

< p>July 10, 2015

Reading time

6

minutes

Headsets can connect to phones, computers and other audio devices in many different ways. That's a good thing, because you can always find a headset for just about any type of connection you can think of. It's also a "bad" thing, because you have to keep track of these connections. Below I will give you a brief overview of the most common ones.

To say something pretty obvious, there are two main ways to connect a headset to a phone or computer:

< p> wired

and

wireless

. We have already looked at the two main wireless standards in our previous article "

DECT vs Bluetooth

".

But what are the main types of wired headphone connectors?

Well, let's take a look…

Wires were the standard way to connect headsets to other devices, until

Bluetooth headsets< /p>

and other wireless technologies have emerged. Wired connections rely on a physical cord between devices, but the connectors, plugs, and outlets involved can be very different. Here are the ones you are likely to encounter:

RJ9 (aka RJ10, aka RJ22)

What is that?

This one is a bit tricky. "RJ" stands for "

Registered Jack

", so now you know this anecdote. You may come across headset vendors who use one of the following terms: RJ9, RJ10 or RJ22. So those are three different types of connectors, right?

The short answer is: No. The terms are used interchangeably to refer to a headset that plugs into the standard handset port of a desk phone (potentially via p>

an amplifier

). The headset then essentially replaces the handset.

The longer, more technical, and more pedantic answer is: These headset connectors all refer to the same four-contact handset jack

4P4C

p>

, and they shouldn't even use the "RJ" terminology, because they don't connect directly to a public telephone network and zZZZzZZzzzzzz. You can

find out more here

, if you wish it.

The main takeaway here is:

RJ9=RJ10=RJ22

Used for:

Desk phones.

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Most older landline desk phones have a square, modular handset port. Headsets with RJ9 connectors can use this port to support the handset function. Some newer desk phones have a dedicated "headset" port, which can be used with RJ9 headsets without taking the place of the "handset".

To make matters even more confusing, a certain headset is not always guaranteed to work with a certain desk phone, even if both use RJ9. This is caused by fun things like pin alignment, and there is

adapters and amplifiers

that help bridge these connections.

USB

What is that?

You know what USB is, but for the sake of anyone stumbling into the 21st century with no prior knowledge of personal computers:

USB is short for "Universal Serial Bus", and it's the most widely used computer port – you could even say it's universal. It's used to connect all sorts of things to your computer, from functional things like a keyboard or mouse to weird things like miniature USB-powered lava lamps. Some smartphones also use USB/mini-USB/micro-USB connections to transfer data. USB headsets are designed to take advantage of this universal connectivity.

Used for:

Computers.

USB headsets plug into the computer's USB port and usually automatically pick up on all audio, including

Skype conversations

and others. This procedure is usually plug-and-play, so you can be up and running in seconds. Many USB headsets also have control units with buttons that let you do things like change the volume and directly mute calls.

3.5 millimeter plug

What is that?

The 3.5mm jack should also be familiar to you. It is a widely used way to connect musical gadgets to audio output like earphones and headphones. The 3.5mm plug from a headset plugs into the matching 3.5mm jack on whatever audio device you're using.

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3tips to virtualize an organization for long-term flexible working p>

Used for:

Newer computers, portable music players and mobile phones.

The 3.5mm jack is quite versatile and used in many different audio devices. By far, the majority of newer smartphones have a 3.5mm jack that lets you plug in 3.5mm headphones. You can then listen to music and use the headset for calls. The same goes for tablets and music players (except music players aren't usually designed for phone calls).

Newer computers work the same way, but some of the older ones actually have two separate 3.5mm jacks. – one for the microphone and one for the headphones. This is why some headsets come with two separate 3.5mm plugs – one for the microphone in jack (red or pink) and one for the audio out jack (black, blue or green). You can also buy

special conversion cables

that allow you to use headsets with these older computers.

A 2.5 millimeter plug

What to do?

The 2.5mm plug is the older but smaller sibling of the 3.5mm plug. It's pretty outdated these days, but it works pretty much the same as the more modern 3.5mm version.

Used for:

Usually older cell phones and some desk phones

The 3.5mm jack is quickly becoming the norm, but older cell phones have a 2.5mm jack for connecting headsets. You can find similarly outdated headsets with 2.5mm jacks, but even then some of them may need an adapter to work with a 2.5mm cell phone. Confused? Don't worry, me too.

Some desk phones also come with a 2.5mm headset port instead of the more commonly used RJ9. But you can find converter cables that allow you to connect any wired headset to these phones.

Special Mention: Quick Disconnect

What is that?

The Quick Disconnect (QD) concept is not quite like the rest of the connections above. There is no dedicated “QD” port on your computer or phone. You can go check it out, I'll wait.

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Instead, a QD cable consists of two modular parts - one that plugs into the computer or phone and the other into the headset itself. Together they form a QD connection between them. This allows you to quickly unplug the headset without interrupting the call in progress. Then you can walk away and pretend your headphones are wireless (except you won't actually be able to hear or say anything).

This is useful if you need to move around and look for things while talking to someone but don't want to take off the headset to do so. When you get back to the office, just plug the headset back in and continue the call. Perfect!

Used for:

Desk phones (via RJ9) or computers (via USB or 3.5mm)

Due to the modular design, you can have a

QD headphones

which connects to RJ9 or USB or 3.5mm ports. All you need is to swap out the part that connects to the desk phone or computer, and you're good to go. You can buy

separate cables

that have the type of connector you need, then use them with your existing QD headset. Just make sure they are compatible, as each vendor tends to have their own set of QD cables.

Since USB and QD connectors are quite similar, you'll be forgiven for trying to insert a QD plug directly into your laptop's USB port. But you will need a

QD to USB adapter

to make it work.

***

It can sometimes be difficult to find the right headphones with the right connection options, so you can always

contact the Jabra sales team

for advice.

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