my earbud jack doesn't fit the jack on the headset

[d_boss_mx]

So I got a few different earbuds and it's the same with them all.  The jack doesn't fit right.  I am assuming I need a different pair of earbuds but I dont know what I need and dont want to spend more than $20.  Any advice would be great.  Cannot enjoy these games without audio please help.

[MartinMarty]

What's the symptom? Does it not fit at all? Maybe you can buy an adapter.

 

Mine, on the other hand, fits but not exactly right, so I have to fiddle with it to get the left channel to produce sound. It is a Plantronics headset. I wonder if the plug might be set up a little different that what the jack is expecting due to the microphone.

[MartinMarty]

p.s. One more thing: now that we're talking about it, I recall that my Vive came with a pair of ear buds. Didn't yours? At least that pair should fit/work. I used mine a few times before switching to headphones.

[d_boss_mx]

I can also get mine to work if I fiddle with it.  Problem is it wont stay.  I have to carefully put the jack in where it has sound and hope it doesn't fall out during gameplay which it always does.  Also my vive did not come with a pair of earbuds.  Im guessing it has something to do with the built in mic in the earbuds that make the jack a different fit.  But I dont know how to find earbuds without a built in mic.  Do they even exist?  All the ones at walmart had a mic.

[Synthesis]

 

What type of earbud connectors do you have?

Vive uses 3.5mm audio jacks. Sometimes known as "Phone connector Audio jacks" (Basically the same connector you'd use to listen to music on your phone.

Thanks,

-John C

[CaTaPulT]

LOL John.... unless it's a new Apple phone! (Cheap Shot Acknowledged!)

Regards: Jack

[HackPerception]

 It does indeed sound like you have a 2.5mm audio plug on your headset. You may need an adapter like this to get it to work with the Vive's 3.5mm jack. Btw, the Vive does have an internal microphone calibrated to work well with the headset so you're free to use any standard headphones which will likely have higher audio fidelity than a headset tuned for voice conversations. 

[HackPerception]

 It sounds like you may have received a wonky audio connector. This is a part that's extremely easy to replace. Something like this would be a suitable replacement. You can also try plugging your headphones directly into the port on the top of the Vive but this is not recommended as it can lead to additional wear and tear on the headset. The adapter that came with the Vive should suit any standard 3.5mm plug so baring that you have wonky headphones everything should work normally. 

[d_boss_mx]

Thanks all for the replies.  Was about to purchase some earbuds when I decided to take one last look through my vive box and hidden under some foam was the earbuds that came with the vive.  Boy do I feel dumb. lol But I can see the difference in the jacks.  My audio is working wonderfully now.

 

THX!

[MartinMarty]

---

wrote:

 It does indeed sound like you have a 2.5mm audio plug on your headset. You may need an

adapter like this

to get it to work with the Vive's 3.5mm jack. Btw, the Vive does have an internal microphone calibrated to work well with the headset so you're free to use any standard headphones which will likely have higher audio fidelity than a headset tuned for voice conversations. 

---

Here are my headphones. They have a 3.5mm plug. The plug has 4 segments to accommodate stereo headphones and a mono microphone. If you compare it to a set of earbuds, such as that which came with the Vive, they have a 3-segment plug, the segment closest to the cord being larger. I don't know if this is why the fiddling is necessary but it helps.                                                            

Although the segments farthest from the cord look the same to the naked eye, it is as if there is a tiny difference in length that is enough to make the left channel cut out or attenuate if the plug is inserted all the way into the jack. Therefore the fiddling usually consists of trying to make sure the plug is only inserted 99% of the way.