
Intel Proposes to Use USB Type-C Digital Audio Technology - njaremko
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10273/intel-proposes-to-use-usb-typec-cables-to-connect-headsets-to-mobile-devices
======
moskie
It's recently occurred to me that the prolificness of the 3.5mm audio
connector is something to revere. Wikipedia tells that it's been around since
_1964_ , with its fame really coming with the Walkman in 1979. So, a connector
introduced _over fifty years ago_ is still in wide use today. How is that even
possible? RJ11 phone jacks I think were introduced around the same time, but
they seem archaic and old-fashioned in a way the 3.5mm audio jack doesn't. It
just astonishes me that the audio connector has been a solved problem for this
long, and with all the other advances in tech we've seen.... audio connectors
didn't need any improvements.

It makes me very skeptical of any replacements. If a fifty year old connector
has been essentially flawless all this time, it's gonna be a tough sell to
convince me that something else is really needed now.

~~~
rpgmaker
I think it needs to die and be replaced by a _standard_ wireless audio
technology of some sort, more efficient than bluetooth. I honestly don't know
how people can go about their daily commutes with cables dangling from their
ears. To me, that is very uncomfortable. Bluetooth has served me well over the
years but I think we need something better and way more _energy_ efficient.

~~~
hamburglar
And I honestly can't figure out how people can tolerate connection flakiness,
quality issues, and battery drain for a set of headphones. I have tried many
BT audio solutions and this is not wanna-be-audiophile pickiness, but the
experience is universally substandard as far as I can tell.

~~~
nisse72
Watching a video on my mac, and listening over bluetooth, the audio lags the
video by at least 0.5 second, it's unwatchable if there's any sort of
dialogue.

------
tristor
From everyone who has invested heavily in high-quality audio equipment over
the years and understands the dangerous path to DRMed digital, I say "Fuck you
Intel!". We don't want your USB-C. We'll happily stick to 3.5mm stereo analog
outputs.

~~~
bryanlarsen
The proposal includes stereo analog output.

~~~
rbanffy
For now. Think DVI-A.

~~~
bryanlarsen
Great example. VGA and DVI-I are still supported by lots of new video cards
and laptops even though analog video has been dead for quite a long time.

~~~
pdkl95
Yes, it's a great example, because VGA _is_ broken by the newer standards
because of HDCP. As others in this thread have mentioned, HDCP is included in
this new USB spec.

There has been a lot of effort over the years to close the so-called "analog
hole" at the end of the DRM chain of trust. The stereo output exists only to
distract people during the transition period. The analog out hardware may
exist in the future, but the _software_ will refuse to send it any data. This
is not theoretical; we already see this with Blu-ray software, where you get
an error message if you use a VGA monitor without HDCP.

Bonus: with Win 10 forcing updates, once the hardware is common, you won';t
get a choice about the update that disables the "analog hole".

------
fpgaminer
As others have pointed out, this may be a means to foist DRM on the audio
output of phones, tablets, and possibly desktops/laptops. But the assumption
following that is that DRM is being implemented in an attempt to prevent
piracy. That is, in my opinion, not the case. DRM's primary purpose with
respect to the video/audio industry is market control. Let's start at the top
of the market, the content producers (Warner, Fox, etc). They make a movie/TV
show/etc, and publish it to disc. But that disc has encryption on it. So a
company like Sony wants to make a device that plays the disc. To do so legally
they have to sign a bunch of agreements with the owners of the encryption
license. Part of those agreements requires the use of HDCP. Okay, so now the
disc is playing, and outputting an encrypted video signal. So a company like
LG makes a TV, but the video signal is encrypted. So, they have to sign an
agreement with the holders of the HDCP license. But the holders of that
license, and the license of disc encryption, are all held, ultimately, by the
same media industry oligarchy that holds the rights to the content that
started this chain of DRM in the first place.

The end result is that the content owners get to use DRM as a means to force
all the companies along the food chain to sign agreements with them, and thus
they can exercise power over the entire market. Not a single legit Blu-ray
player gets manufactured without signing agreements with these companies. Not
a single TV, cable box, repeater, receiver, projector, etc. DRM is not a
padlock, it's a parasite. The icing on the cake is that it also nets them a
tidy profit. HDCP requires both a yearly licensing fee, and a per-device
royalty. It ain't cheap. And there are more aggressive requirements if you
plan to implement HDCP yourself, rather than using a pre-made device. So you
can either use a pre-made device, which is conveniently manufactured by the
same oligarchy and is rather pricey, or make your own and suffer further
agreements and expenses.

Intel is the guy that the media industry hired to create HDCP, and who
currently manages it. It wasn't long ago that Intel was gung-ho about pushing
video DRM on PC's along with Microsoft. Luckily that mostly died, but here we
are again, same story, different day.

~~~
signal57
Wouldn't it still be possible to record the non-DRM analog signal with a USB-C
to 3.5 mm adapter? The change would put the amp and DAC inside the headphones.
Take it apart and connect directly to the "last leg" going to the analog
speakers. If anything, it should be a better quality signal because of the
shorter analog transmission distance.

~~~
pdkl95
An adapter like that will have the exact same problems as DVI->VGA adapters:
HDCP. The software will refuse to send the data to the port without an HDCP
negotiation. And just like the VGA adapters, I'm sure it will be possible to
make a "striper" that fakes the HDCP handshake, with all the associated legal
problems.

------
ramses0
Is USB-C basically the trojan horse for DRM audio? Likely yes, right? HDCP on
HDMI out, equivalent on USB-C out?

~~~
JonnieCache
_" Usage of digital audio means that headsets should gain their own
amplifiers, DACs and various other logic, which is currently located inside
smartphones. Intel proposes to install special multi-function processing units
(MPUs) ... The MPUs will also support HDCP technology, hence, it will not be
possible to make digital copies of records using USB-C digital headset
outputs."_

~~~
nalllar
Yet another form of irritating DRM which won't actually prevent piracy.

Take apart any device which supports the copy protection, connect to output of
DAC, bypassed.

/facepalm

~~~
MichaelGG
And just like Apple TV[1], enjoy getting HDCP errors requiring restarting
playback several times.

1: Might have been the Toshiba screen it was connected to.

~~~
duaneb
Dunno why you're being downvoted, that's exactly the type of frustrating
experience that exemplifies HDCP.

------
Sephr
Judging by all of the comments complaining about DRM and having to buy new
audio equipment, it seems like few people are actually reading the whole
article. USB-C can support analog audio output via audio adapter accessory
mode[1].

In the near future you'll be able to buy passive USB-C→3.5mm cables for
cheaper than normal USB-C→USB-C cables. You will be able to use them like any
other aux cable.

Personally, I still prefer the 3.5mm jack so that I don't need a passive
adapter for using my earbuds. Requiring a passive adapter that gives you a
perpendicular 3.5mm jack, no matter how small, would be ugly and obtrusive.

Fortunately, at least for over-the-ear headphones with a 3.5mm jack, this will
at least be much less of a hassle. Passive USB-C→3.5mm cables can just be your
new aux cable.

[1] [https://i.imgur.com/y6xCS9u.png](https://i.imgur.com/y6xCS9u.png)

~~~
dingo_bat
IMO the 3.5 mm jack is better because it can rotate 360 degrees. The USB
connector is rigidly fixed, which puts stresses on the cord and connector.
I've rarely seen a 3.5 mm fail to make proper connections or wear out the port
with use, whereas both are really common with USB.

~~~
NegativeLatency
Generally I agree with you, but my macbook's headphone connector won't hold
the cable in anymore.

------
cm3
They cannot be serious. Replacing what works great with all kinds of cheap or
expensive and easy to repair equipment with what? Another device on the
Universal Serial Bus. I see the point of attaching storage devices, sound
cards and anything else that is not simple and needs a controller and logic to
USB, but audio output? I do sometimes use a USB headset because it has its own
soundcard built-in, but I actually prefer a simple headset with a 3.5mm mic-
in/head-out connection. Why? Well, it works always, it doesn't load another
driver, and it doesn't rely on the USB bus. USB is nice but occasionally
hiccups and resets itself, which is not something you'll see happen with your
mic and headphones because they are not overcomplicated. To be totally honest,
I'm also one of those who prefers keyboards attached via PS/2 because I've had
USB keyboards reset when I attached another USB device to the shared bus. That
PS/2 has real interrupts is an added bonus for something as crucial as
keyboard input. With all that being said, as long as this happens in the phone
and tablet space, I guess I can live with it, but having to carry around an
adapter from USB to 3.5mm audio will be a PITA.

This is just another, let's change it to make money with adapters and sell new
implementations due to bugs in the old controllers and drivers, scheme.

Next year, USB power cords, and you'll have to rewire your house.

~~~
dpark
> _but I actually prefer a simple headset with a 3.5mm mic-in /head-out
> connection. Why? Well, it works always_

I can say with certainty that it does not always work. If I plug a pair of
Apple earbuds into my Android device, the audio up/down do not work. This
functionality isn't consistent even within the Android device world. Having a
consistent headphone jack that provides consistency here would be a pretty big
win. (Even bigger if Apple gets on board, which it won't.)

> _I guess I can live with it, but having to carry around an adapter from USB
> to 3.5mm audio will be a PITA_

Pretty sure the endgame here is that your headphones have a USB C connection
on them instead of a 3.5mm audio jack.

> _Next year, USB power cords, and you 'll have to rewire your house._

You can already buy outlets with USB ports. They're increasingly common, but
thankfully the transformer is in the outlet so you're not running low-voltage
wire all over.

~~~
teamfrizz
I think this is a false comparison for two reasons

1) adding the microphone and volume function to the headjack is a different
cable than a normal TRS 3.5mm aux cable, which is the cable we all love. I
would rather get rid of the 4 wired microphone enabled 3.5mm than lose the
3.52mm altogether.

2) all of the problems you mentioned that revolve around software - Apple
cables not working on android, etc - are only going to get word by introducing
USB into this. The idea is to remove proprietary things from analog audio,
that's the whole reason the standard survived.

It also goes without saying that there is an inherit loss of utility caused by
this switch, since so many of the products I already own use 3.5mm.

~~~
dpark
I'm not attached sentimentally to any cables. I'd love for audio, volume,
skip, and microphone functionality to work with all my devices and all my
headphones. Would it be annoying to lose compatibility (or require a
converter) for all my existing speakers and headphones? Of course. I'd still
take that penalty if it meant the overall experience was better and eventually
more consistent.

Frankly I'm not sure 3.5mm is going to survive in the mainstream anyway.
Bluetooth might eventually replace it for mainstream use cases.

~~~
click170
>Bluetooth might eventually replace it for mainstream use cases.

As somewho who uses Bluetooth audio I strongly disagree. I think Bluetooth
audio is going to remain niche until batteries get better. Who wants to have
to charge their headphones or Bluetooth (often battery powered) speakers every
few days?

~~~
cm3
I may be spoiled but whether I use bluetooth or old-school RF headsets, it's
always less reliable and lower quality than wired.

------
tremon
_Industry signaling a strong desire to move from analog to digital_

Which industry would that be, I wonder? The audio hardware industry, or the
content creation industry?

~~~
cstavish
This is ironic. It used to be the analog medium that had a sort natural copy
protection built in.

------
leaveyou
>Industry signaling a strong desire..

Is this the same industry that gave us the HDMI "blessing" ?

"The headphones, audio cables and the jack adapters are too cheap.. We can
solve that !"

~~~
sliverstorm
HDMI does have nice features, like ARC and CEC.

(I'd rather use DisplayPort though)

~~~
pritambaral
Neither of which require DRM, I'm sure.

HDMI causes a lot of problems (and price increases) because of HDCP.

~~~
stordoff
> HDMI causes a lot of problems (and price increases) because of HDCP.

And the way around it (in the specific case of HDCP) is often to buy cheap,
probably non-standards compliant equipment, which isn't a good situation for
anyone. I recall reading that the VitaTV had HDCP, yet I hadn't encountered
that issue. Turns out the HDMI switcher I was using (the cheapest one I could
find on Amazon with two outputs) was just stripping it off.

~~~
pritambaral
Then you got lucky. If that practice was pervasive, 1) honest people wouldn't
face as many issues with HDMI; and 2) the Hollywood DRM-lobby would go crazy
on manufacturers

------
strgrd
I imagine as a mobile device manufacturer you would be pretty excited to get
to cut the total number of ports on your device in half _and_ sell high margin
cables/adapters/hubs as accessories.

Let the dongle wars begin...

------
sp332
So now instead of buying a single DAC in my phone, I have to buy a DAC for
every set of speakers and headphones I ever want to plug in to it?

~~~
derefr
Coming from the reverse perspective: now my expensive wireless bluetooth
headphones will make use of their own good DAC all the time, instead of
relying on my phone's crappy DAC whenever I plug them in directly.

~~~
plaguuuuuu
You can already use your own DAC with smartphones.

~~~
sp332
How does that work?

~~~
makomk
On Android phones that support USB-OTG (most of the better/more modern ones)
you can literally just plug a standard USB DAC into the onboard USB port.
Honestly, it shouldn't be that hard to just include a decent onboard DAC and
headphone amp these days though - Sandisk's MP3 players and Allwinner's range
of ARM SoCs have even managed to integrate both on the same die as the main
CPU no problem.

~~~
throwanem
Apple devices have generally excellent DACs as well - to the point where it's
basically a waste of money to buy an external DAC. I wouldn't be surprised to
learn that there are Android devices with good onboard DACs, but I also
wouldn't be surprised to learn that such devices are at the high end of their
manufacturers' ranges and come at a premium price.

------
gdamjan1
> A good thing about USB Type-C headsets with MPUs is that they are going to
> be software upgradeable and could gain functionality over their lifespan.

yeah, unless it never happens, like it typically doesn't :(

~~~
pdkl95
> > software upgradeable and could gain functionality over their lifespan.

That usually means "now we get to ship it broken".

~~~
plaguuuuuu
I just can't wait to have bugs in my HEADPHONES of all things.

Or for them to be connected to the IoT.

------
zanny
Why the hell does a digital serial bus interface have an analog audio "mode"?

I mean, USB-C is already supposed to do daisy chaining, some 100w power
bidirectional power transfer, and support video channels over it according to
displayport spec. Oh, and its also thunderbolt.

Seriously, is this port supposed to cost more than its weight in gold to
manufacture, and be such an extreme nightmare to program for we should expect
exploits every other Tuesday? I am totally on board with a high bandwidth even
parallel standard port for digital data exchange with good power delivery
metrics, but all this specificity over how it performs with what data while
supporting analog modes is... feature creep, by definition, in my book.

~~~
Sephr
You just hook up your existing DAC to the USB-C port instead of a 3.5mm jack,
and the rest is just software. It's not like they need to use special
circuitry that isn't already in your phone. All phones in existence already
have a DAC (or you couldn't make phone calls using the built-in speaker).

------
stegosaurus
This reminds me of the Game Boy Advance SP and how it removed the 3.5mm jack
for seemingly no reason other than to have me buy an adapter.

I won't buy a phone without a 3.5mm jack. It just works. I don't need digital
audio. My (medium-price-range) headphones sound utterly glorious, there is no
utility here.

To be honest, I'm not sure whether I'll ever upgrade my 2013 Moto G. It'll
probably break eventually.

When did I become a luddite? It's like, at some point, things stopped getting
substantially better, and just became sidegrades with annoying tweaks for the
sake of it.

I want my toaster to take... bread. Not tomatoes. Bread is what I eat for
breakfast, not toasted tomatoes. :P

------
_wmd
Initial steps toward DRM on the audio path?

~~~
danarmak
From the article:

> The MPUs will also support HDCP technology, hence, it will not be possible
> to make digital copies of records using USB-C digital headset outputs.

------
revelation
It's bizarre. Why would we push the <5mm^2 that an audio amplifier requires in
a smartphone into the headphones, where it then inevitably requires local
decoupling, a circuit board, power management, something to decode the USB (or
can USB-C do analog?) and all the other hassle?

Makes absolutely zero sense.

~~~
jws
The amplifier in the headphones can be designed specifically for those
headphones. It may well be that a transducer with a bizarre frequency response
and an amp/EQ that compensates is a better solution in the end. Where we are
now, headphones need to have reasonably flat response (or be called Beats :-)
in order to be acceptable. Or perhaps a wildly different impedance makes a
better cost performance argument, can't go there now, but with active
headphones you can.

It may be a bit like the powered speaker market for PA gear. You can get light
weight powered speakers for not a lot of money that perform quite well. The
amplifiers do exactly what they need to for the exact speaker, they don't have
to be able to handle whatever mystery load you plug into them. They can build
in the crossovers and EQ compensation when the signal is small rather than in
the speaker cabinets.

Also, noise canceling ear buds become possible when you have power coming to
them.

Of course, the heap of Apple Earbuds I have whose clickers no longer work
doesn't really inspire me about my new active headphone future.

------
Eric_WVGG
I’m betting on next year’s Retina Macbook to nix the audio jack for a second
USB-C. Likely held off because they don’t want to detract from a big wireless
earbud launch with the iPhone 7 this fall…

~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
Maybe 2016 will be Apple's year of USB-C. A single USB-C on the iPhone 7, two
on the MacBook, and USB-C earphones?

It could happen.

~~~
akhilcacharya
They just released the refreshed MacBook, they'll probably wait for 2017 OR
they'll do that on the new Pros that will be announced at WWDC.

~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
Oh yeah, I know about the 2016 MacBook, but I'm guessing they could lay the
groundwork for the 2017 MacBook with their other products this year.

------
cornchips
"Industry Signaling a strong desire to move from analog to digital"... which
"industry"?

"New digital audio needs to offer significant value at higher end" ... Intel
market segmentation at its finest.

Long rein analog.

Looks like they missed a few groups in the job cuts.

~~~
Zekio
Apparently Apple and a Chinese company is the whole industry.

------
c0nfused
Welp.

Here is to hoping for AMD's zen.

USB audio is nice but it's also nice to not have to buy a new headset or new
DAC for my new box.

Edit: spec says analog audio over usb so, there's that.

~~~
Sephr
USB-C has an analog audio output mode (audio adapter accessory mode which uses
the device's internal DAC), so you won't have to do that.

There will eventually be passive USB-C→3.5mm cables for use with analog-only
headphones.

~~~
sp332
Do you have a link for this? I've never heard of it but it sounds cool.

~~~
Sephr
Here's a screenshot of part of the relevant section from the USB-C spec:
[https://i.imgur.com/y6xCS9u.png](https://i.imgur.com/y6xCS9u.png)

~~~
cnvogel
> The headset shall not use a USB Type-C plug to replace the 3,5mm plug.

So, the only sane way to connect an analog headset to a mobile phone is
forbidden by the spec... Assuming I _had_ a phone with a Analog-Audio-USB-
Type-C capable, I'd like to have a headset that directly plugs in, and for
which I don't have to purchase, carry, and loose a separate adapter.

~~~
Dylan16807
So attach the adapter and then pretend it's part of the wire for the lifetime
of the device.

------
anexprogrammer
"Industry signalling a strong desire to move from analogue to digital"

Industry can sod off. This is about DRM not any consumer benefit. The decent
quality is all in the hifi market that's quite happy with jack plugs.

------
thescriptkiddie
Why would I want a digital headphone jack? Headphones are analog devices, so
you're just going to have to cram a DAC into the headphones anyway, making
them heavier, more expensive, and DRM-encumbered.

------
narrator
I think this is a sign that technology is stalling. They are grasping at
straws trying to get us excited about technology that adds little value for
the consumer but drives another upgrade cycle and even removes features that
they can sell back to us. First we get the locked down no dd-wrt routers and
now this.

------
KamiCrit
Seeing how gaming keyboards and mice have gone these days. I wonder if we'll
need manufacturer specific software and an account and to access our future
audio settings and features.

------
okasaki
USB seems a lot more flimsy than 3.5mm.

~~~
PhasmaFelis
IIRC, USB-C is supposed to be the most resilient USB to date (in terms of
average plug/unplug cycles before failure). Too early to say if that's
actually true, or how that compares to 3.5mm in any case, but it's not
impossible that it's comparable--especially since USB-C finally eliminates the
"try to jam it in the wrong way 'round" problem.

~~~
pritambaral
> the most resilient USB

At the cost of the devices it's supposed to connect together[0]. When you have
to think about having to add cryptographic signatures and verification to
cables[1], I cannot see the connectivity standard you built as safe.

0:
[https://www.amazon.com/review/R2XDBFUD9CTN2R/ref=cm_cr_rdp_p...](https://www.amazon.com/review/R2XDBFUD9CTN2R/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm)

1: [http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2016/04/13/usb-
type-c-...](http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2016/04/13/usb-type-c-
auth/1)

------
israrkhan
yet another form of DRM, for which consumers will pay and corporate will make
money, and yet it fails to solve the piracy problem. high fidelity analogue
Audio recorders are easily available.

------
astannard
It's a shame that apple to be going with a similar but incompatible strategy:
[http://www.cultofmac.com/401014/apple-now-sells-lightning-
he...](http://www.cultofmac.com/401014/apple-now-sells-lightning-headphones-
that-are-super-expensive/)

------
batbomb
Remember when 2.5mm was a thing for phones that could play MP3s?

That sucked.

~~~
cm3
I never knew what that port was for, thanks for clarifying, really, I'm not
kidding.

~~~
batbomb
Some were just for one earphone (mono) and a mic. Some were effectively the
same as the iPhone (stereo+mic). Some had weird adapters for other ports if
they just had the earphone+mic version. I think I had one of each at different
times, all pre-2007.

------
rasz_pl
We already have strong and widely adopted digital audio standard, its called
I2S. HDMI audio is four I2S channels in parallel. Provision pins for raw I2S,
or simple usb endpoint decoding into four I2S, but not another effing DRM
shit.

------
jhallenworld
I thought Bluetooth was supposed to eliminate the need for the 3.5mm jack...

------
Zekio
if phones don't get two type-C connectors there is no point to this..

~~~
bsharitt
The future will be one port on everything breakout dongles everywhere.

~~~
Zekio
Well it is gonna suck not being able to charge your phone while listening to
music

~~~
wmf
Instead of metal weights[1], headphones will contain batteries so first you'll
charge your headphones and then your phone will charge off the headphones.

[1] [https://blog.bolt.io/how-it-s-made-series-beats-by-
dre-154aa...](https://blog.bolt.io/how-it-s-made-series-beats-by-
dre-154aae384b36)

~~~
pritambaral
/s ?

~~~
wmf
Personally I think this is a terrible idea (I already have too many things
that need charging and charging a battery from another battery is inefficient)
but I predict that it will happen.

(BTW, does anyone know what happens when you plug two battery-powered USB-PD
devices together? How do they decide which direction power should flow?)

------
visarga
What is the purpose of making the audio cables digital? We don't need more
audio resolution, we are already beyond the limits of human hearing. It's like
making phones with 2000 ppi resolution for no practical benefit other than
bragging rights.

It'd rather prefer we had better wireless audio. Bluetooth is too weak for
streaming around the house and has slow connection time, is unstable and
generally discourages wireless audio.

------
SwellJoe
I'm torn on this one. I know it's a move to push DRM further out the stack,
and that annoys. But, I also want higher quality recording and playback from
my small devices. The audio circuitry of one of my tablets and my phone is
abysmal; my Nexus 7 (second generation) is nice but I don't have a good
recording option. Presumably this audio will be two ways, so if I want to
stick an ADC in that port I'll be able to record at very high quality, and if
I want to stick a DAC in that port, I'll be able to play back at very high
quality.

DRM is stupid, of course, and it's just pushing the copying out one more step
in the chain (they can't stop you from converting it to analog at _some point_
, because it's gotta be analog to get into your ear holes). And, of course,
DRM is made to be broken.

Anyway, the 3.5mm jacks on my devices are about 50/50 unusably bad (either
they aren't grounded/filtered properly and end up with a variety of noise, or
they aren't loud enough, or they distort at modest volume, etc.), so on the
whole, I won't mourn the passing of the 3.5mm jack.

~~~
TD-Linux
You can already do digital audio on Android, either over OTG USB and normal
USB Audio, or via the Android Accessory protocol. Presumably this would work
just as well over a USB C connector. Adding DRM is a pure downgrade from this.

------
headgasket
I posted this on a thread about this that should be linked somehow:

A true advance, a Jobs and Ives worthy advance, would be to superseed it. Use
the 3 prongs of a jack with mic for ground tx,rx,and keep it backward
compatible with analog only devices. reply

------
justaaron
not a shred of reality displayed here. the analog audio jack they seek to
replace is the final analog output of a digital to analog converter or DAC.
one cannot speak of a digital speaker, and a digital amplifier does not
usually refer to using the loading of the speaker driver to smooth-out the
pulse-chain like some motors on a PWM line... not in any high fidelity audio
anyway... where is the DAC or audio codec to be located? are we not just
pushing it out to the device and pretending it went away? why the assumption
for headphones or consumer audio? what about USBs derived clock and jitter?
why on

------
cm2187
What do they mean by going "digital"? At the end the signal that reaches the
speaker driver will have to be analog. What are they suggesting to happen
instead?

------
rbanffy
How about the mechanical loads headphone plugs are subjected while the phone
is in a pocket and we are walking?

I am very sure a USB-C is nowhere near as robust as a mini P2.

------
ohazi
No.

------
linux_girl
You can put _analog_ audio over USB-C, too. From the article:

> In fact, USB-C can be used to transfer analog audio in accordance with the
> specification of the connector. It all comes down as to how that audio is
> transmitted.

------
mlvljr
Somehow, I prefer "plain" USB for headsets: it's one connector instead of two,
and feels (looks) more modern (plus, requires less force to (un)plug).

No sympathy for clunky DRM-"enhanced" hw, of course :)

