will headphone jack connection wear out?

Will the hole in the Fuze for connecting headphones or speakers wear out because of repeated unplugging and plugging of headphones? Is using a dock with external speakers a safer bet because it connects using the bottom connection or are the Fuze headphone jacks likely to last? thank you.

Yes but you might be a lot older then.  Good for many insertions.  JMHO

It should be fine so long as you don’t bend the connectors while they’re inserted into the device.

We haven’t heard of any headphone jack issues with the Fuze yet, but this was the ‘Achilles Heel’ of the e200 series. Improperly soldered connections and no internal support for the jack anchoring it to the board or case. As a result there were (and still are) many failures and many un-happy Sansa owners. :cry:

I, for one use a ‘headphone extension cord’ or jack that I leave plugged into the player 24/7/365. I plug & un-plug the earbud cord into that to prevent undue stress on the ‘known’ weakened player jack. If the extension cord wears out, I can always get another one, but if the jack in the player gives out? Not easy to fix. Some have, some haven’t.

Only time will tell if SanDisk made sufficent improvements in design and manufacturing to prevent this from happening with the Fuze. I would advise caution and common sense. :wink:

@tapeworm wrote:

We haven’t heard of any headphone jack issues with the Fuze yet, but this was the ‘Achilles Heel’ of the e200 series. Improperly soldered connections and no internal support for the jack anchoring it to the board or case. As a result there were (and still are) many failures and many un-happy Sansa owners. :cry:

 

I, for one use a ‘headphone extension cord’ or jack that I leave plugged into the player 24/7/365. I plug & un-plug the earbud cord into that to prevent undue stress on the ‘known’ weakened player jack. If the extension cord wears out, I can always get another one, but if the jack in the player gives out? Not easy to fix. Some have, some haven’t.

 

Only time will tell if SanDisk made sufficent improvements in design and manufacturing to prevent this from happening with the Fuze. I would advise caution and common sense. :wink:

Does this “extension cord” allow you to plug in either your wall charger, or USB cable, and remove it after? I have to remove either my headphone plug or my “line-out” cord if I want to unplug the USB…it would be very cool if you’ve worked around this. To the original poster, I would just say, be gentle:smiley:

I do actually have an issue with my headphone jack, but it only started after I dropped it, so I can’t complain too much really. Wiggling or pressing in on the headphone jack causes the music to go silent, replaced by a click-click-click-click sound.

The USB cord would be the reason I wouldn’t have a permanent plug in mine.  Plus my docking station (which I use to charge it at home because my old, old, old laptop won’t charge it) wouldn’t support it, there’s no room for it.

I unplug it to add music,moves, etc., to it at work using the usb cord, unplug it to use the cassette adaptor in the car and unplug it to use my docking station at home.  I’ve even used 4 different headphones in it (original which I don’t have anymore, some I had at work, some $20 ones that aren’t long enough to go around the back of my neck and $5 ones which I use all the time now [long enough cord] ).

So far no problems. 

@marvin_martian wrote:


@tapeworm wrote:

I, for one use a ‘headphone extension cord’ or jack that I leave plugged into the player 24/7/365.

 

Only time will tell if SanDisk made sufficient improvements in design and manufacturing to prevent this from happening with the Fuze. I would advise caution and common sense. :wink:


Does this “extension cord” allow you to plug in either your wall charger, or USB cable, and remove it after?

Oooops . . . Busted! You caught me dozing again. :wink:

I was of course, referring to my e200 series players with the extension cord (you can also use a right-angle plug from Radio Shack).

The Fuze as you correctly point out, has it’s jack located on the bottom alongside an offset 30-pin connector port. This prevents the use of such an intermediary adaptor and requires constant plugging/unplugging of the earphone cord.

A bad design in the Fuze as far as I am concerned. Why would you want the jack on the bottom anyway? I certainly hope SanDisk has fixed the un-supported and un-soldered jack problem prelevant on the ‘E’ series, and that this is no longer the weak link in the system.

I like the idea that you suggest here. WHERE can I buy this and what specifically do I ask for? We have a Radio Shack and a Walmart where I live, so if it’s anything more complicated than these stores will carry, I’ll buy it online. Thank you for a great suggestion!

Sara- 

This is the one I use:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102975

but this is what I was really looking for & couldn’t find it at the time:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103788

Either one will save wear & tear on the player’s jack. Just leave it plugged in all the time and plug/un-plug your earphone cord into it. :smiley:

@tapeworm wrote:

Sara- 

 

This is the one I use:

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102975

 

but this is what I was really looking for & couldn’t find it at the time:

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103788

 

Either one will save wear & tear on the player’s jack. Just leave it plugged in all the time and plug/un-plug your earphone cord into it. :smiley:

If products such as these are necessary or desirous, Sandisk may want to consider an engineering change.  I’ve been dealing with the mini stereo connector since day one, and never had one to fail.  I’m taking a ‘wait and see’ approach.  If I experience a failure, it will certainly influence by buying decision the next time I purchase a personal audio player.  My attitude is if such devices are necessary for the proper operation of the product, they should be included with the product.

I still say that such devices are unneccessary, if proper care is given with the product.  I take good care of my audio equipment and have many components and products that are in fine working condition that are several decades old.  And let’s face it… even if I get a year or so use out of my Sansa Fuze, it was money well spent.  Pretty cheap entertainment.  If I need to replace it in that time-frame, so be it.

I’ve had My Fuze since it was first released (I think March?) and I’ve used it in my car almost everyday since then.  Which means plugging it in when I get in my car and unplugging it when I get home, pretty much every day.  And sometimes more often if I stop somewhere and don’t want to leave the player out visible in the car.  I’ve had no problems at all and don’t really expect to.

I think most wear and tear problems with headphone jacks are related more to lateral stress on the jack than to plugging/unplugging.

As to the reason the jack is on the bottom, it’s actually the most natural place for a pocketable player.  If you put the player in your pocket upside down with the screen facing in, when you pull it out of your pocket it will be in the correct orientation in your hand.  If the jack is on the top, then the player will be upside down in your hand when you pull it out.  Also, if you have the player sitting on your desk, there will be a little less cord lying on the desk.   If the jack was on top the cord would have to wrap around the player and will tend to spin the player around.

Either orientation (top or bottom) has its advantages.  It’s in swapping regularly between the two devices, plus the side-mounted jack of the Clip, that the differences become more significant.

I’ve become familiar with the inverted Fuze, and being able to pop it from the pocket and read the display is fine.  Pausing the unit is where the oddities begin, as to briefly pause, I must remember whether the e200 or Fuze is in the pocket, so I press the correct side of the scroll wheel.  Essentially, i guess that’s one more icon in my brain’s task tray.

The design of the new headphone jack seems to be fine thus far, despite the increased insertion force required over the e200 series.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

@skinjob wrote:

As to the reason the jack is on the bottom, it’s actually the most natural place for a pocketable player.  If you put the player in your pocket upside down with the screen facing in, when you pull it out of your pocket it will be in the correct orientation in your hand.  If the jack is on the top, then the player will be upside down in your hand when you pull it out.  Also, if you have the player sitting on your desk, there will be a little less cord lying on the desk.   If the jack was on top the cord would have to wrap around the player and will tend to spin the player around.

How ergonomic and Feng Shui of you to offer us this point of view.

(Rhyme un-intentional) :smileyvery-happy:

@tapeworm wrote:


@skinjob wrote:

As to the reason the jack is on the bottom, it’s actually the most natural place for a pocketable player.  If you put the player in your pocket upside down with the screen facing in, when you pull it out of your pocket it will be in the correct orientation in your hand.  If the jack is on the top, then the player will be upside down in your hand when you pull it out.  Also, if you have the player sitting on your desk, there will be a little less cord lying on the desk.   If the jack was on top the cord would have to wrap around the player and will tend to spin the player around.


How ergonomic and Feng Shui of you to offer us this point of view.

 

(Rhyme un-intentional) :smileyvery-happy:

The worm got mad flow! :smileyvery-happy: