What are digital and analog connections?
I will explain the difference between them
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When you buy a speaker, you will notice that there is a digital connection and an analog connection to connect speakers. What is the difference between the two connections?
In addition, there are several types of terminals that connect to audio, such as speakers. In this article I will explain the role of these terminals and the points to take into account when connecting them.
Table of Contents
Types of connection terminals
1. Audio output terminal
2. Data transfer terminal
3. Network connection terminal
Types of connection terminals
Diagram of three types of connections.
There are three types of terminals that are used for the speakers.
1. Audio output terminal
2. Data transfer terminal
3. Network connection terminal
If you used to use audio, you only need to connect it to analog, so if you only understand the audio output terminal, there was no problem.
However, recent audio is connected to televisions, PCs, networks, etc., so the types of terminals are increasing and the audio connections become more complicated. I will explain each function to deepen your understanding of those terminals.
1. Audio output terminal
There are two types of audio output terminals: analog connection terminals and digital connection terminals. I will explain the characteristics and types of each terminal.
We will also introduce the advantages and disadvantages of analog connection terminals and digital connection terminals, so try the connection method that suits you best.
1-1. Characteristics and types of analog connection terminals
handset
The analog terminal is a terminal that is also used for commonly viewed headphones.
Since it is widely distributed, it has the advantage of being inexpensive and easy to obtain. Recently, audio products using many types of analog terminals are being sold in 100 yen stores and massive home electronics retailers.
On the other hand, the disadvantage of the analog terminal connection is that it is vulnerable to noise. The cause of the noise is the heat and vibration of the connected device, but when connecting to a personal computer that is prone to such noise, if you connect the analog terminal, you will be concerned about “sir” noise. end up.
Therefore, when connecting an analog terminal to a personal computer, it is desirable to take countermeasures against noise, such as using a device that once converts the analog connection to a digital connection.
When connecting audio to analog, there are two types of terminals: RCA terminal and telephone terminal. I will explain about the two terminals.
RCA terminal
Red and white wire
RCA terminals are also called pin terminals or pin connectors. Generally, it has two colored terminals, red and white. This color makes sense and each channel is assigned.
The speakers have L and R, but R is set to have the same acronym as Red. Therefore, the white becomes L. Be careful not to connect backwards.
Phone jack
The telephone jack is a terminal often used for headphones and earphones. Unlike the RCA terminal, this terminal is generally a stereo phone. So you don’t have to worry about LR connections, but keep in mind that phone jacks come in different sizes.
There are standard 6.3mm phone terminals, 3.5mm mini plug terminals, and 2.5mm micro mini terminals. It is not possible to connect to terminals of different sizes, so be careful of the size of the terminals when making connections.
1-2. Characteristics and types of digital connection terminals
The digital terminal is used to receive the digital output from the player or the digital signal from the TV. The merit of the digital connection terminal is that the optical signal is transmitted and received by an optical cable, so there is less noise and deterioration when transmitting the signal, and the sound quality is superior to that of the analog connection.
On the other hand, the number of speakers that support digital connection is small, and there is the disadvantage that it tends to be more expensive than speakers that only have analog connection.
It is a drawback that even in massive home electronics retailers, there are only a few products on the shelves, or it can be difficult to compare products because you cannot see the real products unless you go to a
