I don't see the reason why pretty much ALL commercial headphones come with shielded wires (even the economy HPs). I mean, how much EMI or RFI noise would actually be audible? If you took an unshielded headphone cable and put it right next to a transformer, it still probably would move the diaphram enough to be audible...
Speaker cables aren't normall shielded, and headphones are little speakers...
So why are headphone cables shielded? Is it to reduce noise injected back into the circuit (and why would that be a problem? what would that do?)
Thanks for your knowlege
Speaker cables aren't normall shielded, and headphones are little speakers...
So why are headphone cables shielded? Is it to reduce noise injected back into the circuit (and why would that be a problem? what would that do?)
Thanks for your knowlege
My guess is because shielded 2 conductor cable terminated on a stereo 3.5mm plug is mass produced in China for pennies. The shield does nothing as you say because of the low impedance of the amplifier and transducers.
It may also offer some strength to prevent the thin wires from breaking, but my money is on the cost factor.
It may also offer some strength to prevent the thin wires from breaking, but my money is on the cost factor.
headphone cables are inherently low power/high sensitivity devices, which are much more susceptible to noise than wires carrying high current. a few microvolts of noise coupled into a headphone cable has a MUCH larger effect on the drivers as a result. that being said I only ever use shielding on home headphone cables (single ended) as they are generally much longer and tend to pass by more sources of interference than the occasional mobile phone tower like with portable. the home is literally full of noise these days with wireless LANs etc.
hope that answers your question
hope that answers your question
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