Earlier today I thought I'd broken my audio jack, it turned out to be nothing but a problem a restart fixed. But that got me wondering. How long can a audio jack last under normal circumstances?
So, my question is: Under normal use,
-
Define "normal". Plugged in and left in place undisturbed for years at a time, like in a home audio or installed house system, a single plug or jack can outlast you. In touring pro-audio, where the connections are set up and broken down daily, not to mention thrown around by union roadies, protected by contract from liability and who couldn't give a flying flip about replacement cost, the lifespan of a brand-new plug or jack can be measured in hours.– KeithSCommented Jan 24, 2014 at 21:20
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
There is no specific expected lifetime of an audio jack. It depends on the quality of the jack, though they are pretty basic, so it is unlikely to be the point of failure of most devices. On your computer for example, I would expect just about any part of your computer to fail before the audio jack itself failed. It's kind of like asking how often a power outlet fails, there isn't any set answer and it is generally a long, long time.
answered Jan 16, 2014 at 5:40
-
Interesting. Good too know! I would've expected it too fail quite fast due too usage of one, but it'd seem that's not the case.– RainbowDashDCCommented Jan 16, 2014 at 17:27
-
@RainbowDashDC - they are extremely durable, it's really just a couple of metal clips that push up against the barrel of the cable and a hard plastic or metal tube. There isn't anything to have wear and tear on. Audio cables themselves are far more likely to fail than the jacks and when a cable is making noise, it is often the case that the cable itself or the connections to the jack are going bad. I've seen the occasional connector on a cable itself go bad, but it's still a relatively rare occurrence, typically after years of abuse on a cheap cable in a harsh professional audio setup.– AJ Henderson ♦Commented Jan 16, 2014 at 17:30