Daddy
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« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2010, 10:56:46 PM » |
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In the post you read about them not working with the Droid, they must have been referring to the remote buttons. There's really nothing in software that could break the basic talk/listen functionality, since that's just simple analog signals.
If you look at the plug, it's divided into four sections. One is a common ground, one is the left channel signal, one is the right channel signal, and one is the monaural (monovocal?) microphone signal. The remote buttons probably work by shorting the mic line to ground a number of times in a pattern that software can recognize (with hardware support), but other than that, it's just straight analog.
It has to be this way because headphones/headsets are simple analog devices. Put simply, the earpiece speakers as well as the microphone on the end of the boom are just coils of wire surrounded by stationary magnets and attached to a paper or plastic cone. (Some microphones are built a little differently, but the operational principle is the same.)
An analog signal through the speaker coils generates a varying magnetic field that causes a push and pull effect with respect to the surrounding stationary magnet. This magnetic attraction/repulsion moves the cone in and out to create sound waves in the air next to your ears.
Similarly, the vibrations in the air next to the microphone generated by your voice push and pull the mic's cone, which vibrates the mic's coils past its stationary magnet, inducing another analog electrical signal in the microphone's coils.
These analog signals are transferred directly to and from the device through the cord. It's only inside the device that the analog signals are converted to/from digital and sent to/from software.
This is much more practical and efficient than having digital circuitry (DAC, ADC, codec, etc.) built into the headset itself, and providing power through the headset jack for all this stuff to work.
What's more, the sizes and locations of the contacts on the plug are standardized, so pretty much any stereo headset with a 3.5 mm (1/8") plug divided into four sections should work, as far as the essential talk/listen functionality goes.
Thanks for the link and recommendation. They look like they'd be more comfortable than the standard ear buds that came with the Moment, and if they sound as good as you say, then even better. At a hundred bucks, though, I think I'll keep looking for something a little cheaper.
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