Google has quietly issued a new version of its USB-C headphone adapter that improves latency and music playback time, especially on Pixel handsets.
Why even mention this?
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Well, I’ve had about a year of nothing but problems with the USB-C port on my Pixel 2 XL(s). The problems are so bad, I’ve had to exchange my handset twice. And now I’m wondering if the problem I had the first time around—where audio worked sporadically and then simply stopped working entirely—might have been helped by an improved headphone adapter.
Maybe not. But I’ve ordered one regardless to see whether I can hear any difference.
Anyway, according to the product listing, this new version of the Google USB-C Digital to 3.5 mm headphone adapter provides “38 percent more playback time and has a 53 percent improvement on plug-in latency than [the] previously available Pixel 2 headphone adapter.” It “works best on Pixel and other devices running Android P or higher,” Google adds.
At $12, it’s also $3 more expensive than the magical version it replaces.
Thanks to Android Police for the tip-off.
skane2600
<p>I suspect that the internal DAC is more efficient, and of course, depending on how the phone is designed, both DACs might be active at the same time anyway. Not to mention that "latency" isn't really a factor when plugging into a headphone jack. </p><p><br></p><p>As Scotty said: "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."</p>