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Headphones suited for accidental walk away from pc (Yank-proof-audio plugs idea).
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Skybuck Flying
Apr 17, 2012, 9:39:52 PM4/17/12
to
Hello,
If you own a headphone then you might recognize the following situation:
You're "computing" behind your PC or you are in a voice chat with somebody.
Something happens you need to stand up and you walk away.
But you completely forgot that you were wearing a headphone.
The end result is:
1. You walk away.
2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over time,
especially if this happens multiple times.
Another situation is:
4. Stepping on the cable and janking the headphone with "cable-to-plug"
damage.
I myself own a sennheiser HD 590 headphone which has plugs on both ends of
the cord. One which goes into the headphone and one which goes into my PC
soundblaster, TV or receiver/whatever.
Because I was a bit uncarefull as described above the cable-to-plug
attachment points have become somewhat damaged. This damaged is not visible
from the outside. I think the cables/connections inside the wire leading up
to the plugs has become unstable/loose. Which leads to signal loss and
crackling and me having to push a bit against the cable into the plug to try
and get the sound back. This is ofcourse somewhat annoying and stupid and a
real waste of money on an otherwise pretty much perfect headphone at least
for my purposes.
So only because a tiny little fraction of cable gets loose the headphone
sort of loses in value.
The way creative labs solved this for their gigaworks speaker set is
interesting:
The cables/copper wires are simply stuck into holes. And if I trip over a
cable then it easily pops out without damaging to much. So in a way that is
a superior design which can withstand damage easy.
Conclusion:
The "plug" design for headphones is flawed.
Therefore my suggestion for the electronics/audio industry if it doesn't
already exist:
"Invent a headphone with easy de-pluggable cables/plugless cables as to
withstand damage/yanks easily".
This should be pretty easy to invent, simply replace the "plug" design, but
2 holes and a copper cable with two ends which can be stick into it... and
some clips which push against it to keep the wire cables in place...
This will have to be done on both sides. On the receiver side and on the
headphone side.
So this means the receiver design will also need to change.
However changing both might be expensive/impossible/to late to market.
So an alternative solution could be the following:
A special plug could be invented which follows the usual/common design, but
it adds a new design on the other end of the plug where the copper wires can
be easily plugged in and where they easily pop out if a yank happens.
These plugs should then exist/be manufactured in all kinds of shapes and
sizes to match current audio plug designs/holes.
So conclusion:
Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
So these could be called: "Yank-proof-audio plugs for headphones and perhaps
other devices too".
(Perhaps this already exists ??? I would love to have some of these plugs to
replace the plugs for my sennheiser HD 590)
Bye,
Skybuck.
If you own a headphone then you might recognize the following situation:
You're "computing" behind your PC or you are in a voice chat with somebody.
Something happens you need to stand up and you walk away.
But you completely forgot that you were wearing a headphone.
The end result is:
1. You walk away.
2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over time,
especially if this happens multiple times.
Another situation is:
4. Stepping on the cable and janking the headphone with "cable-to-plug"
damage.
I myself own a sennheiser HD 590 headphone which has plugs on both ends of
the cord. One which goes into the headphone and one which goes into my PC
soundblaster, TV or receiver/whatever.
Because I was a bit uncarefull as described above the cable-to-plug
attachment points have become somewhat damaged. This damaged is not visible
from the outside. I think the cables/connections inside the wire leading up
to the plugs has become unstable/loose. Which leads to signal loss and
crackling and me having to push a bit against the cable into the plug to try
and get the sound back. This is ofcourse somewhat annoying and stupid and a
real waste of money on an otherwise pretty much perfect headphone at least
for my purposes.
So only because a tiny little fraction of cable gets loose the headphone
sort of loses in value.
The way creative labs solved this for their gigaworks speaker set is
interesting:
The cables/copper wires are simply stuck into holes. And if I trip over a
cable then it easily pops out without damaging to much. So in a way that is
a superior design which can withstand damage easy.
Conclusion:
The "plug" design for headphones is flawed.
Therefore my suggestion for the electronics/audio industry if it doesn't
already exist:
"Invent a headphone with easy de-pluggable cables/plugless cables as to
withstand damage/yanks easily".
This should be pretty easy to invent, simply replace the "plug" design, but
2 holes and a copper cable with two ends which can be stick into it... and
some clips which push against it to keep the wire cables in place...
This will have to be done on both sides. On the receiver side and on the
headphone side.
So this means the receiver design will also need to change.
However changing both might be expensive/impossible/to late to market.
So an alternative solution could be the following:
A special plug could be invented which follows the usual/common design, but
it adds a new design on the other end of the plug where the copper wires can
be easily plugged in and where they easily pop out if a yank happens.
These plugs should then exist/be manufactured in all kinds of shapes and
sizes to match current audio plug designs/holes.
So conclusion:
Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
So these could be called: "Yank-proof-audio plugs for headphones and perhaps
other devices too".
(Perhaps this already exists ??? I would love to have some of these plugs to
replace the plugs for my sennheiser HD 590)
Bye,
Skybuck.
alie...@gmail.com
Apr 17, 2012, 10:17:51 PM4/17/12
to
On Apr 17, 6:39 pm, "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7I...@DreamPC2006.com>
wrote:
Mark L. Fergerson
wrote:
> Hello,
>
> If you own a headphone then you might recognize the following situation:
>
> You're "computing" behind your PC or you are in a voice chat with somebody.
>
> Something happens you need to stand up and you walk away.
>
> But you completely forgot that you were wearing a headphone.
>
> The end result is:
>
> 1. You walk away.
>
> 2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
> 3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over time,
> especially if this happens multiple times.
Lose the cable. Infrared headphones.
>
> If you own a headphone then you might recognize the following situation:
>
> You're "computing" behind your PC or you are in a voice chat with somebody.
>
> Something happens you need to stand up and you walk away.
>
> But you completely forgot that you were wearing a headphone.
>
> The end result is:
>
> 1. You walk away.
>
> 2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
> 3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over time,
> especially if this happens multiple times.
Mark L. Fergerson
Jim Thompson
Apr 17, 2012, 10:25:22 PM4/17/12
to
On Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:39:52 +0200, "Skybuck Flying"
I have a pair of Sony IR phones that just recently died.
Does anyone still make IR phones?
...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Does anyone still make IR phones?
...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Bill Graham
Apr 17, 2012, 10:28:02 PM4/17/12
to
and I never would have imagined that the teenage set would still be attached
to their computers (or other sound producing devices) with an old fashioned
wire!!
Spehro Pefhany
Apr 17, 2012, 10:46:48 PM4/17/12
to
On Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:39:52 +0200, the renowned "Skybuck Flying"
Pretty idiot-proof.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
sp...@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
<Window...@DreamPC2006.com> wrote:
>
>
>Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
See Apple's MagSafe power connector design (US 7,311,526).
>
>
>Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
Pretty idiot-proof.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
sp...@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
P E Schoen
Apr 17, 2012, 10:56:50 PM4/17/12
to
"Skybuck Flying" wrote in message
news:3c9b0$4f8e1b65$5419acc3$18...@cache1.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
> So conclusion:
> Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are
> "yank-proof".
> So these could be called: "Yank-proof-audio plugs for headphones
> and perhaps other devices too".
> (Perhaps this already exists ??? I would love to have some of these
> plugs to replace the plugs for my sennheiser HD 590)
Look at the Magsafe Power Adapter for the MacBookPro:
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/design.html
I seem to remember a TV commercial about this. The same basic design might
work for headphone connections. Basically a magnet and a few spring-loaded
gold-plated mating connectors.
Paul
news:3c9b0$4f8e1b65$5419acc3$18...@cache1.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
> So conclusion:
> Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are
> "yank-proof".
> So these could be called: "Yank-proof-audio plugs for headphones
> and perhaps other devices too".
> (Perhaps this already exists ??? I would love to have some of these
> plugs to replace the plugs for my sennheiser HD 590)
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/design.html
I seem to remember a TV commercial about this. The same basic design might
work for headphone connections. Basically a magnet and a few spring-loaded
gold-plated mating connectors.
Paul
mpm
Apr 18, 2012, 1:30:43 AM4/18/12
to
>
> - Show quoted text -
Well, they do make BlueTooth headphones....
But hey, they may be old-fashioned, but I'm kinda counting on those
wires to help me reach my senior years !!
Who needs tempermental wireless connections! (Cerainly my blood
pressure doesn't) :)
Give me wired headphones any day!
-mpm
mike
Apr 18, 2012, 3:06:39 AM4/18/12
to
On 4/17/2012 6:39 PM, Skybuck Flying wrote:
> 1. You walk away.
>
> 2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
> 3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over
> time, especially if this happens multiple times.
>
snip
> 1. You walk away.
>
> 2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
> 3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over
> time, especially if this happens multiple times.
>
> So conclusion:
>
> Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
>
> So these could be called: "Yank-proof-audio plugs for headphones and
> perhaps other devices too".
>
> (Perhaps this already exists ??? I would love to have some of these
> plugs to replace the plugs for my sennheiser HD 590)
>
> Bye,
> Skybuck.
>
It's not rocket science.
>
> Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
>
> So these could be called: "Yank-proof-audio plugs for headphones and
> perhaps other devices too".
>
> (Perhaps this already exists ??? I would love to have some of these
> plugs to replace the plugs for my sennheiser HD 590)
>
> Bye,
> Skybuck.
>
Get yourself an extension cable and tie the cable, not the socket,
to something stationary.
Tie your headphone cable to your body.
Now, when you walk away, the connection is pulled STRAIGHT, no matter
which direction you go. That will go a long way toward accomplishing
your goal.
Or, you could just unplug the damn cable before you walk away....
spamtrap1888
Apr 18, 2012, 10:50:12 AM4/18/12
to
On Apr 17, 7:46 pm, Spehro Pefhany <speffS...@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat>
wrote:
Apple got a patent on was its ability to be plugged in either right
side up or upside down.
wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:39:52 +0200, the renowned "Skybuck Flying"
>
>
> <Windows7I...@DreamPC2006.com> wrote:
>
> >Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
>
> See Apple's MagSafe power connector design (US 7,311,526).
>
> Pretty idiot-proof.
>
Magnetically secured power connectors were prior art -- the feature
>
> >Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are "yank-proof".
>
> See Apple's MagSafe power connector design (US 7,311,526).
>
> Pretty idiot-proof.
>
Apple got a patent on was its ability to be plugged in either right
side up or upside down.
hamilton
Apr 18, 2012, 11:00:41 AM4/18/12
to
>> 1. You walk away.
>>
>> 2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
Or Saying, "I forgot to go to the toilet".
Sounds like better training is in order.
"This is not a technical problem"
GMAN
Apr 18, 2012, 1:18:41 PM4/18/12
to
GMAN
Apr 18, 2012, 1:20:17 PM4/18/12
to
Joel Koltner
Apr 18, 2012, 2:03:45 PM4/18/12
to
spamtrap1888 wrote:
> Magnetically secured power connectors were prior art -- the feature
> Apple got a patent on was its ability to be plugged in either right
> side up or upside down.
Wow. I'm amazed that was considered "novel..."
> Magnetically secured power connectors were prior art -- the feature
> Apple got a patent on was its ability to be plugged in either right
> side up or upside down.
Some of the first things I was taught once I was working in industry was
to try to design connectors so that they could be plugged in backwards
and everything would still work... or if that wasn't feasible (i.e.,
you'd just about had to double the number of pins), at least verify that
*nothing will blow up* if someone does plug one in backwards if, for
some reason, you can't use mechanical polarization to avoid the problem.
(Similarly... try not to put identical connectors side-by-side on a PCB,
particularly if swapping those two connectors will blow something up.
We had this exact situation at a PPoE, but I never could convince a
production manager to change or at least move one of the connectors --
he'd go on about how we "just shouldn't hire" people who'd ever make the
mistake of plugging them in backwards. He changed his tune after one of
his own guys did plug them in backwards, killing the boards, and his
department was charged a couple thousand in repair costs...)
spamtrap1888
Apr 18, 2012, 3:24:09 PM4/18/12
to
Jeroen Belleman
Apr 19, 2012, 4:23:46 AM4/19/12
to
The quantity of pompous prose to describe it in the patent
is flabbergasting. Granted, the usual power supply jacks are
abominable by contrast.
Jeroen Belleman
Bill Graham
Apr 19, 2012, 9:22:09 PM4/19/12
to
mpm wrote:
>> You mean to tell me that they don't have "Wi-fi" headphones yet? I
>> am 76, and I never would have imagined that the teenage set would
>> still be attached to their computers (or other sound producing
>> devices) with an old fashioned wire!!- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Well, they do make BlueTooth headphones....
>
> But hey, they may be old-fashioned, but I'm kinda counting on those
> wires to help me reach my senior years !!
> Who needs tempermental wireless connections! (Cerainly my blood
> pressure doesn't) :)
> Give me wired headphones any day!
>
> -mpm
Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You've either got to put up
>> You mean to tell me that they don't have "Wi-fi" headphones yet? I
>> am 76, and I never would have imagined that the teenage set would
>> still be attached to their computers (or other sound producing
>> devices) with an old fashioned wire!!- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Well, they do make BlueTooth headphones....
>
> But hey, they may be old-fashioned, but I'm kinda counting on those
> wires to help me reach my senior years !!
> Who needs tempermental wireless connections! (Cerainly my blood
> pressure doesn't) :)
> Give me wired headphones any day!
>
> -mpm
with the wires that you trip over, pull the connectors off of and get
intermittant operation out of, or you have to go wireless. To me, thay are
all junky, poorly made toys. but what can you expect from these 3.5 mm mini
connectors? And you are going to have to put up with them whether you go
blue tooth or not. The source devices they use now-a-days are just too small
to accomodate anything larger... You couldn't fit a decent sized connector
into the edge of my iPad... So, as long as you have to put up with junk, you
might as well buy convenient junk.......
Bill Graham
Apr 19, 2012, 9:27:45 PM4/19/12
to
Spehro Pefhany wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:39:52 +0200, the renowned "Skybuck Flying"
> <Window...@DreamPC2006.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are
>> "yank-proof".
Problem is, somethin's gotta give. If it isn't the plug, then either you
> On Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:39:52 +0200, the renowned "Skybuck Flying"
> <Window...@DreamPC2006.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Somebody should invent/design/produce special plugs which are
>> "yank-proof".
will be snatched off your feet, or the device will be snatched onto the
floor. It might as well be the cheap connector.....
spamtrap1888
Apr 20, 2012, 4:20:27 AM4/20/12
to
On Apr 19, 6:22 pm, "Bill Graham" <w...@comcast.net> wrote:
> mpm wrote:
> >> You mean to tell me that they don't have "Wi-fi" headphones yet? I
> >> am 76, and I never would have imagined that the teenage set would
> >> still be attached to their computers (or other sound producing
> >> devices) with an old fashioned wire!!- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > Well, they do make BlueTooth headphones....
>
> > But hey, they may be old-fashioned, but I'm kinda counting on those
> > wires to help me reach my senior years !!
> > Who needs tempermental wireless connections! (Cerainly my blood
> > pressure doesn't) :)
> > Give me wired headphones any day!
>
> > -mpm
>
> Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You've either got to put up
> with the wires that you trip over, pull the connectors off of and get
> intermittant operation out of, or you have to go wireless. To me, thay are
> all junky, poorly made toys. but what can you expect from these 3.5 mm mini
> connectors?
If inline stereo jacks are available, splicing one and a plug into a
> mpm wrote:
> >> You mean to tell me that they don't have "Wi-fi" headphones yet? I
> >> am 76, and I never would have imagined that the teenage set would
> >> still be attached to their computers (or other sound producing
> >> devices) with an old fashioned wire!!- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > Well, they do make BlueTooth headphones....
>
> > But hey, they may be old-fashioned, but I'm kinda counting on those
> > wires to help me reach my senior years !!
> > Who needs tempermental wireless connections! (Cerainly my blood
> > pressure doesn't) :)
> > Give me wired headphones any day!
>
> > -mpm
>
> Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You've either got to put up
> with the wires that you trip over, pull the connectors off of and get
> intermittant operation out of, or you have to go wireless. To me, thay are
> all junky, poorly made toys. but what can you expect from these 3.5 mm mini
> connectors?
line would be an appealing solution, if that was the weakest link.
(Neither plug nor jack would break at the computer end.)
Jon Elson
Apr 20, 2012, 5:47:36 PM4/20/12
to
Skybuck Flying wrote:
>
> 2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
> 3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over
> time, especially if this happens multiple times.
>
You might look at the connectors on Plantronics headsets.
>
> 2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
> 3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over
> time, especially if this happens multiple times.
>
They are a very funny-looking connector, but I suspect the
major design goal was to make them so they pull apart without
damage or ripping somebody's ear off. it is basically two
flat pieces with hermaphoditic wiping ribbon contacts, IIRC.
Jon
Robert Baer
Apr 21, 2012, 5:17:29 AM4/21/12
to
Hey, idiot..with that "solution", walk away and drag the computer off
its desk and *CRASH*
its desk and *CRASH*
Nico Coesel
Apr 21, 2012, 3:03:08 PM4/21/12
to
"Skybuck Flying" <Window...@DreamPC2006.com> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>If you own a headphone then you might recognize the following situation:
>
>You're "computing" behind your PC or you are in a voice chat with somebody.
>
>Something happens you need to stand up and you walk away.
>
>But you completely forgot that you were wearing a headphone.
>
>The end result is:
>
>1. You walk away.
>
>2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
>3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over time,
>especially if this happens multiple times.
There are special headsets with quick-disconnect plugs for this
>Hello,
>
>If you own a headphone then you might recognize the following situation:
>
>You're "computing" behind your PC or you are in a voice chat with somebody.
>
>Something happens you need to stand up and you walk away.
>
>But you completely forgot that you were wearing a headphone.
>
>The end result is:
>
>1. You walk away.
>
>2. You yank the headphone of your head or get stuck.
>
>3. The cable attachment to the headphone plug gets loose/damaged over time,
>especially if this happens multiple times.
situation:
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/encorepro
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/cable-2.5mm-to-3.5mm
Police, firebrigade, etc use these kind headsets.
--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
josephkk
Apr 28, 2012, 10:07:34 PM4/28/12
to
On Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:28:02 -0700, "Bill Graham" <we...@comcast.net>
wrote:
Yes they do. Though wifi headsets are not common and are mostly paired
with USB transmitters. There are plenty of bluetooth headsets, both
native and with USB paired transmitters. I have no clue to what Skyturds
problem really is. Failure to shop maybe?
?-)
wrote:
with USB transmitters. There are plenty of bluetooth headsets, both
native and with USB paired transmitters. I have no clue to what Skyturds
problem really is. Failure to shop maybe?
?-)
josephkk
Apr 28, 2012, 10:13:56 PM4/28/12
to
someone? What planet are you from?
?-)
josephkk
May 4, 2012, 12:42:41 AM5/4/12
to
What is the input interface? What is the transmitter power?
ASUS make some nice headphones (with mic) that are bluetooth from a USB
interface.
?-)
Paul Hovnanian P.E.
May 3, 2012, 3:27:12 PM5/3/12
to
My Bose headphones have a mini-plug and jack built into the headphone end as
well as the PC/audio component end. If the cord gets caught, often that end
simply unplugs. And once the cord gets beat up, replacing it is trivially
simple.
Perhaps the headphone manufactureres figure that the assembly will pull
loose at its weakest link. And for some people, that would be their head
popping off.
--
Paul Hovnanian mailto:Pa...@Hovnanian.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!
well as the PC/audio component end. If the cord gets caught, often that end
simply unplugs. And once the cord gets beat up, replacing it is trivially
simple.
Perhaps the headphone manufactureres figure that the assembly will pull
loose at its weakest link. And for some people, that would be their head
popping off.
--
Paul Hovnanian mailto:Pa...@Hovnanian.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!
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