View Full Version : Headphones.
geoff1248
17th Jan 2010, 20:01
I will shortly be going long haul to Melbourne via San Francisco on United.
To ease the boredom I will be taking a netbook with my MP3s and some videos. However at some point the battery will run flat so I may want to watch a film that the airline is providing. I have a nice pair of noise cancelling headphones so the question is can I plug them straight into the armrest socket or do I need some sort of converter. The headphones have a 3.5mm jack.
Markocuts
17th Jan 2010, 20:28
There are some airlines that allow you to use your headphones with the standard 3.5mm jack, but very few.
Most will require an adaptor which splits the 3.5mm into two in order to hear the sound in both ears - a quick google image search found the image below - and these can be bought much more cheaply than a pair of earphones. You can probably get one at the airport but it will be more expensive than sorting it out before hand.
Have a nice trip!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/310MAC4K1YL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
Mark
Background Noise
17th Jan 2010, 20:28
No, they generally have a double socket - you need a converter like this:
http://www.audiospares.com/image.php?type=T&id=746
raffele
17th Jan 2010, 21:32
Maplin is the best place for cheap audio converters - Aircraft Headphone Adaptor : 3.5mm Stereo Jack Adaptors : Maplin (http://maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=28654)
Some airlines still require them, some have retrofitted single 3.5mm stereo jacks when they've upgraded IFE systems. For a couple quid though you can be sure to use your headphones
Hartington
18th Jan 2010, 07:08
If you are in Business or First United have emPower sockets so you can buy the necessary adapter and plug your netbook in.
You get the adaptor plugs shown above, included in the package. I've always been able to use mine - except on a couple of BA flights where the socket was so worn nothing worked - including BA's.
A couple of airlines (QF, I think) have a three prong plug. Here the third prong is to power the noise-cancelling. The Bose use a battery so the don't need power. The two prong adapter works here (power socket is a smaller size).
I have have never needed an adapter on United. I just plug in the single 3.5 mm plug.