Day of the Port-ripper

August 18, 2021 1:20 PM

A teenager forgets they are wearing wired headphones (they forget to charge the bluetooth ones). They then rush off and boom! 3 sets of headphones destroyed by yanking & bending the 1/8" male stereo tips. I worry for my ports: 1x PC sound card port, 1x Galaxy Tab audio port, 1x USB-C Galaxy Tab charging port. How can I protect these ports? (To protect the headphones I amusing removable-cord headphones now, and hoping those ports don't break). Is there mag-safe for any of this??
posted by circular to Technology (6 answers total)

Best answer: I don't know of any magsafe connector, but I think the problem is that they're being pulled off-axis, and if you had a short flexible dongly extender, it'd bend where it's supposed to bend, and the headphone plug would pull right out of it instead of exerting much force on the device. Something like this or if you want TRRS for headphones with a microphone, this
posted by aubilenon at 1:50 PM on August 18, 2021 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Breakaway is the magic search term

Replug Breakway Audio Connector - $18

Breakaway USB C dongle - $22
posted by snuffleupagus at 3:10 PM on August 18, 2021 [12 favorites]

Best answer: Breakaway connectors are indeed the secret tech.

The low-rent version (for audio) is a short-ish 3.5mm TRS socket to 3.5mm TRS plug extension, with the socket end secured to some immovable object with zip ties or similar. You may have to replace the extension after an accident (which you won't, with the breakaways) but it's cheaper than fixing or replacing a sound card riser or tablet.
posted by sourcequench at 4:39 PM on August 18, 2021

Best answer: You need extensions:

https://www.amazon.com/ Headset-Extender- Headphone-Extension-Smartphones /dp/B06Y5HFTMY/

ThinkWrite sells these in pack fo 10:

https://thinkwrite.com/break-away-adapter

Though the Replug above seems to be a more tested solution.
posted by kschang at 4:40 PM on August 18, 2021

Response by poster: Thanks everyone for those helpful replies. Extensions and breakaways it is!
posted by circular at 4:48 PM on August 18, 2021

I used a replug or similar product for years and liked it very much. The version I had eventually broke at its flexible part, but that was after years of use. I couldn't find the product when I went looking for a replacement, so I'm glad something like it is on the market again. Might pick one up again.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 6:24 PM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]