Most PCs still have two separate ports though. So, how do you use a single jack headset on PC? One simple answer is to invest in a splitter. But, is there a way of using such headsets without a splitter? Show
The number of people using headphones has increased over the years, with wireless headphones gaining a significant rise in demand in 2019. Over the period of 5 years (2013-2018), the demand for wireless headphones increased from 1.7 million to 6.7 million, while their noise-cancelling counterparts (wired as well as wireless) grew to 8.3 million. Using a single jack headset on PC usually requires a splitter, a device that essentially distributes a single headphone jack’s functions into two; input and output. Understanding the Input & Output Functions on a Headphone JackTo get a better understanding of how this works, we first have to understand the basic structure of a headphone jack. If you look at some of the recent, high-end headphones, you are bound to see three ‘rings’ that separate the golden contacts. Old headphones had one ring, which meant that the headsets were mono. Two rings meant its stereo, but had no input capabilities. Three rings, separate the contacts into four parts, indicating that not only the headphones are stereo, they also have input capabilities. If you look at headsets with two headphone jacks, you’ll notice that the input and output jacks (usually pink and green) have two rings each. While one is a stereo output, enabling you to hear sounds, the other is for input, letting you communicate through the mic.  Using Single-Jacked HeadsetsRecent PCsFortunately, recent PCs come with two ports not specific to output or input. If you look closely around the headphone ports, you’ll see that one of them only has a headphone icon assigned to it, while the other has either a headset icon or a headphone icon beside a mic. This means you can plug your headsets with a single jack in the second port and use it for input as well as output. Laptops and MacBooks usually have a dual-purpose headphone port to allow for easy headset usage. Old PCsFor older PCs, you might have to tweak some settings or, unfortunately end up having to invest in a splitter since they might have ports specific to input and output. Tweaking the SettingsIf your microphone isn’t working despite having a dual-purpose jack,
On MacOS,
If none of the above mentioned steps work, you might have to either get your headphone port replaced or simply invest in a splitter. Using single jack headset on PC without splitters might require some efforts, even replacement in extreme cases, but is definitely doable. Splitters usually cost around $1 to $5, depending on the type you’re getting – a bargain compared to repair costs and efforts. Your PC most likely came with a standard 3.5 mm audio jack, which you can use with your headphones with microphone with only one jack. Nowadays, most gamers prefer wireless and Bluetooth headsets for their portability. However, wired headphones with mic offer excellent audio quality for unmatched gaming experience. Headphones with microphone with only one jack can truly emulate a gaming sound environment beyond what you would have imagined. Headphones with Microphone with One or Two JacksLet’s first discuss the types of headphone jacks before we differentiate the single and dual jacks. The most common audio connector is the headphone jack. Modern jack plugs are available in three sizes: 6.5 mm, 3.5 mm, and 2.5 mm. All the three versions are available in mono (two conductor) and stereo (three conductor). The stereo version uses two conductors for carrying the right and left channel audio data, and the third conductor for ground.
This is the largest jack found on headphones with microphone with only one jack. It is considered the standard connector for high-quality headsets engineered for home stereo systems and even smartphones. Basically, the larger size of the jack is sturdier and more difficult to break loose compared to the other jack sizes. The 6.5 mm jack is a commonly used in musical instrument amplifiers as well as recording equipment.
This is the least common audio connector I have come across on the market. It is popular with TTY devices, communication radios, and mobile phones. Cellular phones and smartphones manufacturers tend to favor the use of 3.5 mm jack instead of 2.5 mm jack. When you compare the sizes of a 3.5 and 2.5 mm jack by the naked eye, you will observe that they look almost similar.
This is the most popular headphone jack on the market. It is considered as a mini-phone connector found mostly on tablets, smartphones, portable DVD players, iPods, and personal computers.
Headphones with a single plug use a 3.5 mm jack that runs both the microphone and the speakers. Usually, they are compatible with newer laptops, tablet computers, iPads, and chromebooks. Headphones with dual jacks have two separate plugs: one for connecting the mic and the other for connecting the speakers. However, plugging two jacks to a PC may seem confusing for people who are new to wired over ear headphones with microphone.
Why You Should Choose the Type with Only One Jack?Although you can play online without a headset with other players (headphones and microphone combined in one unit), doing so can be challenging when chatting with other gamers. Your computer’s microphone might not be strong enough to capture your voice, or it might pick all the sounds in the room, like the sound of your hard drive engaging. Without headphones with microphone with only one jack, your speakers will broadcast everything back through your mic. Wired over ear headphones with microphone are the best. They are designed to balance the game sounds with your voice chat, and they are usually designed with maximum comfort in mind. I would like to convince you to use headphones with microphone for PC that plug into a combined mic/headphone jack. Here are the reasons why:
One of the main reasons why you should use wired headphones with mic is superior audio quality. Wired headsets that plug into a combo jack offer superior audio quality than the conventional dual jack input.
Traditional two-jack headphones require you to connect the mic cable to the mic input and the headphone cable to the headphone input. Therefore, more connections mean more wires, which can be quite annoying sometimes. However, with one-jack headsets, you are able to reduce the number of wires that connect to your computer.
There are three major types of jacks: TS, TRS, and TRRS. The TS port does not support microphone and stereo sound. What this means is that TS handles mono sound; both headphones regenerate the same thing. Then there is the TRS jack, which doesn’t support mic sound, but does a great job of supporting stereo sound. This simply means that you can listen to other gamers but you cannot chat with them. Traditional gaming headphones come with two separate TRS jacks for headphones and mic. If you fail to connect the mic jack, you wilat supports microphone and headphones is a TRRS jack. The TRRS connector is the most popularl not be able to chat with other gamers. The only connector among the three th with newer laptops, smartphones, and MP3 players. Apart from providing the convenience of connecting to a single jack on your PC, a TRRS connector is backwards compatible and saves space when used with a laptop.
The use of headphones with microphone for PC with one jack is a big improvement over the traditional two jacks. The TRRS jack (supports mic and headphones) produces lower impedance signal and they have superior signal to noise ratio.
How to Use Headphones with Microphones with One Jack in Laptop or PC?Latest laptop models are integrated with a combined microphone and headphone jack as a substitute for the traditional dual audio jack. The adoption of the combined mic/headphone jack is used on tablets, smartphones, convertibles, ultrabooks, and MacBook. Headphones with microphone with only one jack are easy to use. All you have to do is plug them in the combined microphone and headphone jack. However, the same cannot be said for a headset with two jacks.
Connecting Headphones with Two Jacks to PCTo Separate Microphone and Headphone JacksIf your laptop has two audio jacks (mostly the old models), follow the following guidelines to connect your gaming wired headphones with mic.
To a Combined Microphone and Headphone JackIf your computer has a combined jack for the mic and headphone, then you will need a Y-adapter to be able to convert your dual jack headphones into headphones with microphone with only one jack. Y-Adapter This is a connecting audio cable that is used to join the mic and headphone lines into a single input that goes into the computer. Usually, a Y-Adapter is fitted with two female connectors (TRS) and one male (TRRS). The best headphone audio adapter splitter should have a sturdy and compact design that consumes less space in your laptop bag. Headphone jack adapter can be found at online stores, and are available for purchase in brick and mortar stores. Using the Y-Adapter is pretty simple. All you have to do is plug in the headphone and mic jacks of your wired headphones with mic into the corresponding inputs on the adapter. Then go ahead and plug your adapter into the single audio jack (combo jack) on your PC.
Recommendation of Arkartech Headphones
Buy Now Highlights:
The ArkarTech V3 Stereo Gaming headset looks much more expensive than its $26.99 price tag you can also find it on amazon. The V3 delivers the surprisingly deep bass response, and it sounds much better than I expected from headphones in this price range. One of the most impressive feature of this wired over-ear headphones with microphone is their wide compatibility. You can have a wide gaming experience on your PC, Mac, Mobile, Switch, PS 4, and Xbox. The headset is remarkably easy to use, just plug and play on your laptop. You can use the Y cable adapter to connect the headphones to your Switch. However, you will need a Microsoft adapter in order to use the headset with an older Xbox One console. The V3 is equipped with a noise-canceling mic that is Omni-directional and adjustable. You can conveniently adjust the microphone’s position to achieve a personalized fit. The mic performs better compared to some of the more expensive headsets I have reviewed. I felt completely comfortable wearing this set of wired headphones with mic. The headset has a leather padded design, which is lightweight. It has removable ear pads that are breathable and comfortable.
Buy Now Highlights:
The very first impressive feature of V1 Gaming Stereo Headset by ArkarTech is its excellent compatibility. It supports smartphones, tablets, laptops, PC, PSP, Nintendo Switch, new Xbox One, and PS4. The headphones connect directly to your PS4, laptop, PAD, and mobile, but you will need the included Y cable adapter to connect to your Nintendo. Also, you will need a Microsoft adapter to connect to the original Xbox One. The headset is integrated with a foldable microphone that is 120 degrees adjustable, which allows you to obtain a perfect fit. The mic guarantees a clear voice collection by reducing the effects of ambient noise. Its 4 pin TRRS jack connection to your laptop or mobile and the high precision magnetic neodymium driver deliver superior stereo sound with deep bass and rich details. At less than $30 I found this gaming headphones to be extremely comfortable. Firstly, they are remarkably lightweight for an over-ear design. Secondly, the headband is adjustable and allows for maximum air permeability. The headset also comes with an eye-catching LED light effect that features seven colors that change automatically to improve your gaming experience.
Buy Now Highlights:
If you are searching for wired over-ear headphones with the microphone which have wide compatibility, then look no further than the ArkarTech N11. They will work with your Mac, Mobile, Switch, PlayStation 4, new Xbox, PC, and laptop. It has a 3.5 mm jack at the end that goes directly into your laptop or mobile (plug and play). You do also get a splitter (Y cable adapter) so as you can use the headset for headphone audio and mic when connecting to Nintendo. The headphones come with a very decent cable that is tangle-free and it’s around 2.1 m long. One of the attributes that qualify this product as a gaming headset is its noise-canceling microphone. The mic is soft Omni-directional and 120-degree adjustable for preference and comfort. I found this headset to be quite impressive as far as PC games are concerned. It is loud with negligible distortion. The headphones hold pretty well after a few hours of gaming with amazing comfort. The headband adjustability is impressive, you will hardly complain about the fit.
In ConclusionThe use of headphones with microphone with only one jack makes life very easy for gamers. You do not have to worry about buying a splitter (Y cable adapter) in order to connect your headphones to your PC. Industry leading products such as ArkarTech gaming headphones come with a 4-pin 3.5 mm jack that connects easily to your new laptop, PAD, mobile, PS4, and new Xbox. For gamers, the headset is the better choice when it comes with an easy installation method. You can still keep on using your headset with two jacks with your old laptop, but if you are planning to buy a new one, then you should consider buying a new pair of headphones with microphone with only one jack. How do I get my microphone to work on one jack?Purchase a 3.5mm headset/mic Y connector cable.
Cables like this have two female 3.5mm jacks and a single 3.5mm male plug. You can order a connector like this online. They are generally inexpensive, costing less than $10. Make sure the 3.5mm Y connector you purchase is meant to connect audio headphones and a mic.
How do I use external mic and headphones with one jack?If your laptop or desktop PC only has one audio jack and your headset or headphones have two, the easiest solution is to use an adapter. These are small cables, or boxes that let you convert your dual cable solution into one that fits into just a single 3.5mm headset jack.
Can I use single jack headset on PC without splitter?Using single jack headset on PC without splitters might require some efforts, even replacement in extreme cases, but is definitely doable. Splitters usually cost around $1 to $5, depending on the type you're getting – a bargain compared to repair costs and efforts.
Why isn't my laptop picking up my headphone mic?Try the following solutions: If your headset has a Mute button, make sure it isn't active. Make sure that your microphone or headset is connected correctly to your computer. Make sure that your microphone or headset is the system default recording device.
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How do I get my headphone/mic to work on my laptop with one jack?
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