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I use 3.5mm audio jacks for my boom box, laptop, android phone, iPhone, iPod Touch, portable personal analog FM radio (no external speakers), and my classical sound system on a shelf. I assumed that the signals were standardized, but Wikipedia says there isn't a single standard, though there do seem to be a bunch of standards followed by different companies.

When I google audio headphones with 3.5mm jacks, they typcally don't specify the conductor assignments. It seems like it should be the luck of the draw whether a headphone is compatible with a given device. Why are there not more incompatibilities devices and headphones with 3.5 mm jacks?

user2153235
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    Headphones (without microphone) only use the 3 pin (stereo) type jack and these are all wired the same. The assignment for these 3 conductors is standard. The different standards relate to the 4th connection on headsets (with microphone). On an incompatible device, this is either unused or grounded. So there is no "lucky draw" otherwise there would be a market for adapter leads to connect your headphone to a certain device. And there isn't as the worst that can happen is that the microphone doesn't work. An adapter cannot solve that anyway. – Bimpelrekkie Aug 22 '17 at 07:31
  • That's the answer. You might add that stereo lead pinout is tip = left, ring = right and sleeve = common or ground. – Transistor Aug 22 '17 at 08:20
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    @Bimpelrekkie If you had put that up as an answer I would have voted it up. – RoyC Aug 22 '17 at 09:37
  • No formal standard published by an appropriate body such as ISO, maybe, but certainly a de-facto standard in that pretty much everyone follows it. – Finbarr Aug 22 '17 at 09:45
  • @RoyC Thanks. I'll do so and include a neat picture. – Bimpelrekkie Aug 22 '17 at 09:45

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Headphones (without microphone) only use the 3 pin (stereo) type jack and these are all wired the same.

The assignment for the 3 left/right/ground conductors is standard.

The different standards relate to the 4th connection on headsets (with microphone). On an incompatible device, this is either unused or grounded.

So there is no "lucky draw" otherwise there would be a market for adapter leads to connect your headphone to a certain device. And there isn't as the worst that can happen is that the microphone doesn't work. An adapter cannot solve that anyway.

Then you'd need to use a headset from another manufacturer, preferably one from the same manufacturer as your device.

enter image description here

Bimpelrekkie
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  • Thank you, bimpelrekkie. I won't be afraid of burning out my new iPhone using the earpieces that I currently own. – user2153235 Aug 23 '17 at 01:16
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    The competing standards for TRRS wiring are CTIA (which is shown in your diagram) and OTMP which is L/R/M/G (Mic/Ground reversed). The Keyword "TRS" should probably appear here somewhere too. – Frosty Sep 27 '17 at 14:18