Whether you're plugging in a guitar or a setting up a PA system, the jack cable is the unsung hero of the audio world. Whether it's an AUX-compatible 3.5mm mini-jack or 6.35mm big-jack cable, these problem-solvers are essential no matter the setup. But what does AUX mean exactly? What's the difference between TS, TRS, and TRRS jacks? Do you need a mono jack cable or a stereo jack cable? Do you want right-angled or straight jack plugs? An unbalanced or balanced cable? A coiled cable or a flat cable?
What's an AUX Cable?
AUX is short for auxiliary input, which is basically the 'extra' input of some audio equipment. AUX inputs are universal analogue ports and can be found around the back (or front) or amplifiers, mixers, and even car stereos. They're usually lined up next to other sockets like PHONO, MIC, and CD. Using the AUX input, you can hook up any external audio gear, including your phone, and since AUX sockets are usually compatible with a 3.5mm mini-jack cable (like the headphone output of most phones) that's the kind of jack cable you'll need to use.
Jack Cables: Micro, Mini, and Big
Virtually anyone who uses any audio equipment ever will also be using a jack cable, whether they know it or not. If your smartphone has a headphone socket, then you're likely to plug your headphones in with a 3.5mm mini-jack cable. Electric guitarists plug their instrument into their amplifier using a big 6.35mm jack cable, and while you can get male jack plugs, which are single round pins that you stick into the socket, you can also get cables fitted with female jack plugs, which are basically a jack socket on the end of a cable so you plug in a normal jack cable to extend it. Jack plugs come in various sizes, so as well as the 3.5mm mini-jack, and 6.35mm big jack, you can get micro jacks, which have a 2.5mm diameter. These are less common since they're more specialised for gear like cameras. The 3.5mm mini-jack is the most common, since most music playback devices, gaming controllers, and stereo systems will have one. The bigger 6.35mm jack is more common when it comes to musical instruments and pro-audio gear, since electric guitars, basses, synthesizers and keyboards almost always have 6.35mm jack ports.
Which Jack Cable Do You Need? TS, TRS, or TRRS? Mono or Stereo?
Confusingly, you can get a few different versions of mini-jacks, big-jacks and micro-jacks. You might have noticed that one cable might be marked TS, another marked TRS, and then another marked TRRS. This basically refers to what a specific plug can do, since it indicates the construction. The 'T' stands for the Tip or the end of the plug, the S stands for the Sleeve, or the body of the plug which has one, two, or even three black stripes which splits the body into sections which are linked by internal wires. A TS plug has a single black strip, meaning that it's a mono plug, making them perfect for the mono signal of gear like an electric guitar. A TRS plug has two black stripes, where the R stands for the internal Ring between the two stripes to connect the wires, and as such, TRS plugs are stereo, making them perfect for the stereo signal of a set of headphones. The TRRS plug has three black stripes and an extra ring, so it can handle a stereo signal and control the in-line remote controls and microphone of the headphones you plug into your phone.
Balanced or Unbalanced?
Without getting too technical, when a cable is balanced, it's more efficient at countering interference, so the sound isn't interrupted by any buzzing or humming noise. Balanced cables are usually used when a signal needs to travel a long way, especially when connecting up gear with a weaker signal like microphones. To use a balanced cable, the equipment you're linking up needs to be fitted with a balanced input or output. TS plugs are unbalanced while TRS plugs are balanced - so the same plug on the end of a pair of headphones. However, while you can hook up a stereo signal and balanced signal using the same cable (a plug with three contact points - two on the body and one on the tip), 'stereo' and 'balanced' don't mean the same thing. When we refer to a balanced signal, we're talking about the positive, negative and grounding, and when we refer to a stereo signal, we're talking about the left and right channels and the grounding. If you want to know more, see our full blog Balanced & Unbalanced Connections (Finally) Explained.
Splitter, Adapters, Extension Cables & More
While on your quest to find the right jack cable for the job, you might come across a few other confusing terms, like splitter-cable or Y-cable. Using a splitter cable you can plug two things into one port, like two pairs of headphones into one phone. Jack extension cables come in handy when you need more length to reach the equipment you want to link up, and since they come in various lengths, you'll definitely be able to find what you need. Jack adapters are indispensable if you have a 6.35mm big jack that you want to plug into a 3.5mm mini-jack socket or the other way around. These adapters simply slot over the jack plug, converting it so that it'll fit the socket. You can also get adapter cables fitted with a 3.5mm mini-jack at one end and a 6.3mm big jack at the other end to make life even easier. And if you want to plug something with a jack output into something with an XLR or RCA socket, you can just use a jack to XLR or RCA cable.
Coiled, Flat, Right-Angled & Straight
Finally, there's the form of the jack plugs and the cable itself. You can get coiled cables which can be pulled out for extra length, but coil back up again to save space. You can get standard straight jack plugs and plugs with a right-angled housing, so when they're plugged into a tight spot like up against a wall or between guitar effect pedals, they take up as little space as possible. You can even get ultra-flat right-angled jack plugs that save even more space. So, depending on your setup, even the form of your jack cable can make a big difference.
