So I bought several Plugable USB-C Docking Stations to be able to work between multiple work stations with my notebook. The docking stations have separate 3-contact 3.5 mm jacks for microphone / speaker whereas most laptops now have a single 3.5 mm jack with 4-contacts that supports both microphone and headphone. I bought several 3-contact to 4-contact adapters chez Bezos (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B… ) but the contacts don’t fit well and I can only get the volume to work – no microphone capability. Very frustrating as my work requires me to use sound-cancelling earbuds that I have at each work station and I currently have to attach them to the laptop instead of the work station as planned which doesn’t work given the workstation configuration (laptop in locked drawer, dock station on table).
Anyone know why my adaptor won’t work and if there’s another solution?
Thanks for posting!
The quality, performance and standards support (CTIA vs. OMTP) of the type of audio adapter you mention can vary widely across all the products available in the marketplace. We don’t have that specific model adapter in our lab to test with (nor do we have your specific pair of headphones), so we cannot speak definitively to the cause of the behavior you are experiencing.
While we don’t endorse any particular brand or product, we have tested this adapter -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01… with our UD-3900 and UD-CA1A docking stations and found it to work properly when using a standard smartphone earbud/microphone combination -> https://amazon.com/dp/B00E4LGVUO
Thank you,
Bob
Plugable Technologies
www.plugable.com/support