Intel to make USB-C standard for audio
If there’s any new invention proving to have a whole lot of potential, it has to be USB type-C. The standard has proven to stand the test of time. With more manufacturers adopting the standard, technology is moving from the many different cliché cables, wires and data transfers we know to a better, faster and universal standard. USB-C not only promises best speeds through USB 3.1(Superspeed+), but a way to unify many devices with reversible cables and cross-platform compatibility. The new MacBook for instance has the same charger port as the Nexus 6p and will share this feature with upcoming devices. Recently Chinese manufacturer LeEco released three smartphones without the regular headphone jacks but rather with USB-C headphones and this was heralded as a bold move.
Realising the potential of this technology, Intel has made a move to make USB-C audio a standard. This means in summary that the standard 3.5mm jack will be abandoned. Initially people may reject the idea since it seems one port on a device such as a smartphone would have to take chargers, earphones and other pluggables; but USB-C is digital compared to the analog standard 3.5mm jack. This opens up a host of possibilities and technologies to how we listen to music. First of there is an opportunity for manufacturers to produce headphones with built-in amplifiers. Headphones can now include other technologies (theoretically like say, charging a phone while plugged in) and improve sound quality. Intel now proposes to “promote the move from analog to digital” and indeed it seems the initial hardware would be exensive but over time, USB-C headphones may be able to achieve prices similar to what we have presently. What do you think of Intel’s move? Leave a comment.
Via: |The Verge|
Source: |Anandtech|
Image Credit: |Anandtech|
