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Piplodocus

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 2, 2008
540
548
Simple really: I want a small 3.5mm audio out from my iPad Pro (USB-C) where I can charge the iPad at the same time as audio out, or I can just use it on the go, as just a 3.5mm out without the charger.

I've got one from Amazon that does audio out and USB-C charging, but it seems the power to the audio DAC/3.5mm out is *only* provided by the charger-in port, so as soon as I disconnect the charger it's no longer working as an audio out. It's hard to tell which ones on sale may or may not do both and I don't want to buy hundreds of the things until I get lucky.

Obviously I can carry my "USB-C to 3.5mm + USB-C power" dongle and a 2nd "USB-C to 3.5mm only" dongle everywhere with me, but that seems madness to have to carry 2 dongles to have a 3.5mm out depending whether I want to charge at the same time or not! It's annoying enough I have to carry any dongles for a simple audio out/headphone out, without taking 2 everywhere!

Any recommendations?
 
I found one on Amazon where someone specifically asked that question and received three answers that said power is not required for the 3.5mm audio port to work:


1634143205398.png
 
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Interesting. I don't get those US questions and answers on the listing for it on the UK Amazon store.

I was just looking at the ESR one I own again (https://www.amazon.co.uk/ESR-Headph.../B081455PCT/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8) and there's various pictures of people using it with phones or generic tablets with headphones and no charger. But not a pic specifically with an iPad pro.

This is half the problem with different devices being semi-compatible. Do you personally have one of these you pasted above and it works with and without the charger on a 2020 iPad Pro?

Re-reading the ESR one I bought that doesn't work without power plugged in, the reviews say everything from it doesn't work at all on the 2021 M1 iPad Pro, to the 2018 iPad had almost the opposite problem to me where plugging in a non-PD charger stops audio and starts charging, but with the review then later updated to all being fixed by using the correct PD charger. Thus implying it works at audio with a 2018 iPad Pro without any charger in the charge port. So it would appear the one I already have *should* work (at least with a 2018 iPad Pro) with no power, and continue to work when I plug my proper Apple PD charger in (but switch to charge only if I put a non-PD in). But it's past the return window now anyway, so I can't swap it to see if I got a duff one. 🤦‍♂️

EDIT:
...but reading more, someone else says the headphones only work with the charger plugged in. So it seems to be a lottery.
 
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I don’t know if this brand is available to you, but I just tested it and it works with or without power plugged in. If you have power plugged in while you are listening and you unplug the power, first whatever you are watching stops (on YouTube, anyway). When you restart it, the audio comes through the iPad speakers but within a couple of seconds switches back to the headset/earbuds.

Test on iPad Pro 11 2021.

 
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Do you personally have one of these you pasted above and it works with and without the charger on a 2020 iPad Pro?

Sorry - just now seeing this. I don't auto-follow threads that I comment in, so if you don't hit "reply" to my posts, I don't get notified. To answer your question, no, I don't own that adapter nor any other like it. I haven't used wired headphones in a looong time.
 
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