eli5: Why do most airlines still use 2-pin audio jacks for the in-flight entertainment systems on their planes?
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Lots of folks have the right answers for old planes and plenty of folks have noted that newer planes are mostly switching to standard 3.5mm plugs. One thing nobody has mentioned is that new planes will sometimes have 2 prong plugs in first and business class for long distance international flights. The reason for this is that in first and business class, the seats often come with noise cancelling headphones and the second prong is used to power te noise cancelling circuitry. Typically on these newer 2 prong plugs, the audio prong is still a standard 3.5mm so you can use any headphones if you choose not to use the provided ones.
well you see, back in roman times the width of two horses on a chariot created ruts in the road. then trains were invented to run in those roads. then they built the space shuttle to fit on a train. So the audio jacks need 2 pins on planes because of two horeses asses.
I’m poor as hell. Is that the red and white wires? Lol
People don’t realize just how old these airline jets actually are. I’m sure 2-pin audio jacks was cutting edge technology when they were first put in. I had it explained to me once that the interior of the starship USS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Next Generateion was heavily inspired by the Boeing 747 (which had a lifespan between 1968 and 2022). That’s saying alot considering that Next Generation came out in 1987.
Because there is no real need to update them. I think you might be surprised at how old some/most commercial airplanes are.
because every operating part on a plane my be new / rebuilt within the last 2 years…but the passenger ops section could be 20 years old with little more then some chair back and pad and arm rest replacements .
You get on those plans without the screens in each row , you know you got on an oldie
I see dual jacks only rarely – but I carry a 2-to-1 adapter, just in case. These days if the seat has dual jacks there are almost always fairly good free headsets; my carryon has a collection of them. Still, I prefer my over-the-ear Senn PX550 noise cancelling headphones – I wear them even when all I want is quiet. They are BT to my phone and laptop, but wired to the IFE. Looking forward to using them completely wireless. Every 20th flight I leave the *]{}}#%^* cable plugged in. Cables are cheap and Amazon can sometime deliver to my destination hotel before I get there.
It was to have a proprietary jack for the headphones so people would not steal them as they would not work on any other device. Same reason why they still sell those adapters so you can plug your own headphones instead of the ones provided by the flight company.
Two main reasons. Firstly because it discourages the theft of headphones, and secondly because the second jack often carries a noise cancellation signal.
Another answer is that airlines will rent you the earphones to use with the two-pin jacks. They make money by NOT letting you use your headphones.
(I don’t see the two-pin jacks much any more — last time I travelled with an entertainment system, there was a traditional 3.5mm jack. )
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