Last week we reviewed Belkin’s Headphone Adapter, the first product we’d received for using third-party headphones with the iPhone’s recessed headphone jack. We’ve since received another such adapter, RadTech’s $7 ProCable - Audio Extension Cable 3.5mm Male - Female—which I’ll call “adapter” for short.
Like Belkin’s solution, RadTech’s adapter plugs into the iPhone’s recessed jack and then provides a standard headphone minijack for connecting your favorite headphones; it worked well with a range of third-party headphones. However, whereas the Belkin adapter is short (two inches), thick, and rigid, RadTech’s is 6.5 inches long overall with a thin, flexible cable in the middle. Although it doesn’t feel as sturdy as Belkin’s Adapter, the RadTech cable is less restrictive; its short plug isn’t much longer than that of the iPhone’s stock earbuds, so you don’t have to leave additional clearance at the top.
On the other hand, one downside to the RadTech adapter’s more-flexible design is that the weight of its headphone-jack “pod” tugs on the end of your headphone cable a bit.
Although I was impressed with the build quality of the Belkin adapter, I think the lower price and flexible design of the RadTech ProCable makes it more appealing for everyday use.
(We’ll be looking at adapters from Griffin and Shure as soon as they arrive.)
The adapter I need is one I can use between my iphone earphone jack and the AUX input of my car, BUT I also want the same switch in the adapter that Apple has in their earphones for pausing and trsck control without having to wake the iphone display up. Even a mike on a wire connecting to my visor from the same adapter would be cool for a low cost speaker phone.
Keith: check out the link to the Shure adapter, above.
I really would like an adaptor that extracts mono audio and microphone into a standard 2.5mm or 3.5mm headset jack. That way I can use any standard headset with earbud and fixed mic, most of which are better than Apple's one which hangs down. I might just buy one of these and change the wiring...
This plug thing is the only part of the iPhone that irritates me. All the adapters and modifiers you guys are asking for... have existed for 30 years and are available for $4 to $9. But they don't fit. So now we have to wait until Belkin and Monster bring their "iPhone versions" that cost $19.95 and $24.95.
Hopefully someone will engineer a tiny headphone extender (similar to Apple's TTY adapter) that just sticks out of the iPhone by 1/2 inch instead of 2.5 inches like the Belkin. And charges $3.95 for it instead of 10 or 20.
Hopeful in Boulder,
Jim
I just bought a simple radio shack Y adapter (the gold tipped one) for $6.99 -- and snipped off one -- worked a little magic with a razor blade -- and viola, an adapter that works quite well in my car. I even made one up for my wife. This was my only choice for the time being -- because these adapters are not available anywhere yet. I love the iPhone so far. Especially now that I can use it as an iPod in the car.
The recessed jack is worth the trouble because it holds the weight of the plug in its grip, taking that strain off the plug itself. It means more reliable connections and longer lasting headphones on iPods or iPhones. It also enables the plug to be smaller. Since they added the audio input this is a good time to improve the basic plug.
Dan,
The Nike HJ80 Skylon earphones worked for me on the iPhone. It doesn't have a microphone for phonecalls but I plan to use an adapter for that.
Sandeep
Observation... Apple actually makes a small extension cord which easily works as well as 3rd party solutions on the iPhone. The only catch is that you have to buy another product to get it.
The First Generation Apple iPod shuffle Sport Case comes with a 3.5~4" white adaptor cable used to allow the connection of any headphone cable to the Shuffle sport case while retaining the case's water-resistant [note: resistant, not water-proof] case.
The rub is that if you buy it via Apple, they are going to charge you $29 for it. However, if you do a search on eBay you can find dozens of these cases available for purchase via Buy-It-Now for under $7 before shipping, and you get the shuffle sport case to boot.
I've tried the little adaptor cable that comes with this case on my iPhone and it works great and since I have a number of Apple Earbuds which have the proper sized plug for use with the Shuffle Sport case, it's not like I'm sacrificing anything. If you already have a Shuffle the case is nice for protection and use in high heat/humidity/damp conditions, and if you don't need it give it to a friend who has a 1st Gen. Shuffle...
Just thought I'd mention it. Keep up the good work Dan!
Cheers!
-- Chuck
Nice tip, Chuck! When we received the RadTech cable, my first reaction was, "That looks like the adapter Apple used to include with the shuffle case." I didn't think to actually, um, *try* it ;-) I'll post this tip in a new entry.
As I used to say: "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome!!!
This probably fits under "Adapt"... =)
Happy to be of assistance!
Cheers!
-- Chuck
A quick and dirty hack.
You can use your dock as a car plug adapter in a pinch.
It's line out so you will have to use the car stereo as volume control.
This is much later than the rest of the comments so I'm not sure if you'll get this. Can I use this adapter with a Schosche AUX input in my car?