RCA Is An Analog Classic & It's Here to Stay

1. RCA Is An Analog Classic & It's  Here to Stay    Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of                           years,   you   know   the   whole   controversy   about   phone   companies doing away with the headphone jack and replacing                   it with a USB-C or Lightning port (in case of Apple devices).                         Apple was the first one to do it, and as usual, the industry                           followed. While phones are usually used to consume music on                     the go, and therefore, consumers have almost come to accept                     it, and are living the dongle life.    1​​

2. But the world is not yet ready for completely doing away with                         the headphone jack. People still consider audio cables are best                     suited for clear audio delivery. And they are not wrong to think                         that. ​RCA cables have established themselves in the music industry to deliver top of the line experience. They are now                                         also compatible with other kinds of audio connectors.    RCA cables deliver stereo sound via two cables that have                     connectors that are usually red and white colored, red of the                       right and white of the left stereo sound. Sometimes these                     cables have the same connectors on the other end as well. If                         not, they merge into a single 3.5mm jack.  Let us walk through all the uses of this 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio                           cable:  TV setup:  RCA ports are generally on televisions that need to route audio                       to a speaker or headphones. This pair of devices, TV, and                       2​

3. speaker connect via male to male 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable                       (RCA connectors are 2.5mm connectors). A 2.5mm or 3.5mm                   audio cable combines the functionality of these two channels                   into one.    Gaming setup:  Similarly, a gaming setup also needs an audio output. Gaming                     consoles don’t have very powerful speakers, so for a more                     immersive experience, you have to connect external speakers                 or headphones. If you prefer analog connectors because it                   delivers better audio, gaming consoles have RCA ports which                   3​

4. support them. So, you can connect your speakers via the same                       male-to-male 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable.  External Microphone  Some headphones have microphones to connect to your                 computer for internet enabled voice calling, or for recording                   audio. In this case, headphones often have 3.5mm connector                   that splits into two, one for audio input through the                     microphone and one for audio output from the computer to                     the headphones.      4​

5.   MP3 Player  Another use case, of this particular cable, is when you have to                         connect your portable device, like a phone or an mp3 player;                       you can easily do that with a ​2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable​. It gives you personal listening experience.                              External speakers:  Slightly bigger equipment that gives a high-quality audio                 output has a 3.5mm female port on them. Therefore, if you                       want to connect a smaller, portable, audio device to it, in most                         cases, it will have a 3.5mm a female port. This makes a                         male-to-male connector cable of this specification perfect for                 it.    With the invention of newer, faster, more versatile ports, the                     use of this cable and port has become limited and more niche.                         5​

6. Consumer gadgets have almost entirely upgraded to the digital                   transmission of audio-video via HDMI or even USB-C cables                   and ports. Audio output equipment comes with USB-C ports                   now, while premium devices have switched to Bluetooth and                   Wireless technologies for audio output and input.    Bluetooth and wireless technology, while very convenient, do                 have their own flaws. Sometimes the battery is not charged, or                       they have difficulty pairing with a device, or the chip                     malfunctions. Audio also tends to lag with these. The lag is                       insignificant if you are a casual consumer who uses these                     things for entertainment. But if you regularly have to mix                     audio, or edit audio video, a cabled connection will give you a                         more accurate audio output.  6​

7.     If you are looking for a pure audio experience, it is better to                           have as much cabled connection as possible and RCA cables                     are the best cables to use. The 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable is                           classic and as long as devices have these analog ports, you can                         use them.  RCA   connectors   are   old,   but   there   is   a   reason   why   manufacturers are not doing away with ports on their devices.                     This article walks you through various setups where they are                     convenient to use. ​Read on to know more​.  7​

8. If you found this Article useful, here are some other Articles                       that may be of interest.  How   to   Choose   the   Correct   Audio   Cable   Splitter   for   Headphones?  Why are RCA Cables Necessary in The Wireless Age?    8​