unfit plugs (mm & " standard problem ?)

[rich110]

I tried to seperate my PC speaker further apart so I buy myself some longer wires and mini jack to 'redo' my speakers. When I plug the mini jack (that I purchase from audio shop) into the line-out (aka speakers) of my sound card, I found that they don't fit perfectly. Sometimes I have to pull out the jack a little bit before the speakers could work (before it wasn't like that). If it have been a wrong size jack, it could not be 'plug in' at all, but now it is just a 'not fit'. Does anybody has any idea? Could this be a mm/inches standard problem? This also happens to my other jack extension and converters.

Does anybody have any idea what's going on. Is this really a 1/8&quot; - 3.5mm problem ? (1/8&quot; <> 3.5mm to be exact). What would be that on the sound card? 1/8&quot; or 3.5mm ? How am I suppose to know which one I should get (if the store are selling both standard) ? Any marking on the plugs to identify.

 

[mainegeek]

Bring your speakers to the store with you and jave them match up the ends correctly.

 

[ANFPS26]

Did you buy stereo plugs/jacks? They are different from just phono plugs. You need stereo. Phono (monaureal) has one channel. Stereo has two.

Jim

 

[ttterk]

Used to see this all the time when I worked in audio sales. Every manufacturer seemed to have a slightly different idea of how far the jack should go into the plug, and sometimes the tolerance stack-up went too far.

You may have to trim a little rubber or plastic off the jack so it'll go farther in, or put a washer on so it won't go so far in.

The best bet was finding or creating a jack that fit the plug in question, and using it as a template if you needed more of 'em.

The good news? 1/8&quot; does equal 3.5mm. There's almost never a problem on jack & plug diameter.

Sloth is the mother of invention. Necessity is just a mother...

 

[rich110]

Hi ttrek,

Tks for the info. Your template idea does not work (at least for me). Next time you get a new jack->? plug, you may never get it from the same manufacturer as your last purchase for we never know who the manufacturer was in the first place.

About the 1/8&quot; and 3.5mm issue : I never know they were talking about the diameter of the metal core (how stupid for me) I know how the plug (female) works and I should not worry any more but still 1/8&quot; = 3.175mm. If you say 1/8&quot; and 3.5mm can be used interchangeably, I will say 'YES' but if you say they are the same, I will say 'NO'.

 

[ttterk]

Eek! You are absolutely right. The numbers are not the same. I can only plead temporary sanity.

Now if we factor in 3/32&quot; mono and stereo jacks . . .

Sloth is the mother of invention. Necessity is just a mother...