Lexikon Klinke specifications

Category : Lexicon

Jack is the short form for the jack plug, a plug format that is widely used in various sizes in audio technology. A distinction is made between jack plugs with three different diameters:

In the simplest case, each of these variants comes in a 2-pin mono version, with a sleeve and a tip insulated from it. The sheath is always used for the ground connection. Of all diameters, there is also a 3-pin stereo variant with an additional ring between the tip and the sleeve, with the ring carrying the right channel. The stereo variant is also partly used for balanced signals, where the ring is used for the return line, so only one channel is transmitted.

There are also special versions of the smaller jacks for more poles (e.g. 4-pole), which is used for some PC sound cards, mobile phones and other portable devices where space saving is important.

The most well-known application of jack plugs in the Hi-Fi sector is as a headphone connection. Here you will find above all the standard jack and the mini jack, both in the stereo version. In music electronics, the standard jack is widely used both in mono and in stereo, e.g. for connecting instruments and in patchbays.

The standard jack is a rather robust connector, in contrast to its smaller siblings, which - often also because of inferior manufacturing quality - tend to contact problems. The standard pawl is often used in cases where it is often necessary to switch. One problem may be that a short circuit can occur between the contacts for a short time during plugging, which must be taken into account in the design of the devices.