40

I'd like something like JBL Charge, but with USB port that I can connect to PC and speaker would act like external audio device. I've only found ones with USB-A to insert pen-drive, which is not the same.

I use headphones exclusively at my PC, but there are times when I'd like to show something to my wife and since I have only one pair of headphones it's no sound for either me or her. Audio quality is not crucial, so I thought I'd buy bluetooth speaker (which I can use everywhere with my phone) and connect it with one USB cable and it's done. It would charge when I'm out and I could use it whenever I needed. Well, it seems this idea was wrong since every single one I've checked has USB port only for charging. Are there any of these that act as USB audio device?

Does thing like this even exist? If so I'm probably too stupid to pick right keywords to search engine. Thank you everyone!

top 24 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] aleph@lemm.ee 11 points 8 months ago

Why does it have to act like an external USB audio device? Can't you just use a standard AUX cable > headphone jack instead?

[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

Main reason is I have small desk and my OCD is really picky about cable mess. So the lowest possible amount of cables is a must. Two cables for such a single-purpose device is too luxurious.

The other one is I have audio interface/headphone amp which has only balanced outputs, thus requiring bulky Y cable from this one to speaker. Or bypassing the interface with AUX cable from lowend motherboard audio.


Well, thinking about it if nothing comes up, I might buy bluetooth dongle and use the speaker wireless. And charge it with regular phone charger every once in a while... (Then I'd have to find one reliable linux friendly dongle.)

[-] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

Zip tie an aux and USB cable together.

[-] aleph@lemm.ee 3 points 8 months ago

Ah fair enough.

I don't actually know of any portable wireless speakers that also act as an external USB DAC/Speaker. Going wireless is probably going to be the easiest solution.

[-] bionicjoey@lemmy.ca 10 points 8 months ago

Why not just connect the speaker via Bluetooth while it's plugged in?

[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee -1 points 8 months ago

As stated couple times in my replies. My PC doesn't have Bluetooth capability. Need to buy dongle first.

[-] confusedwiseman@lemmy.world 9 points 8 months ago

Are you looking for something like the jabra speak 510?

https://a.co/d/4fhFWxm

It has a cord that wraps around the base for charging and it works as a speaker off the computer.

[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

This is interesting! Thanks for the find.

[-] QuarterSwede@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Great find. Didn’t know these existed.

[-] Thorry84@feddit.nl 8 points 8 months ago

This doesn't exist because there are only a few Bluetooth speaker chips in mass production. Every Bluetooth speaker is made with one of these chips, so the functionality offered is mostly the same across all devices. Sometimes a speaker doesn't offer some of the functions the chip is capable of (like not exposing an SD card slot for better water proofing), but adding additional functions is hard.

Because none of the common chips offer the function you describe, it simply isn't available. You would need to check out high end speakers from big brands, they might have the volume to roll their own chips. But even if they special order the chips, they will probably go with an existing design. So it would need to be something special.

A workaround would be to equip your computer with a 10$ Bluetooth stick, you can plug the speaker in an USB port for charging and use the Bluetooth to play music.

[-] Luccajan@sh.itjust.works 7 points 8 months ago

It's odd that there are no speakers with this functionality since lots Bluetooth headphones do. You would think that there is some overlap in chip use in headphones and speakers.

[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 2 points 8 months ago

Interesting, this is also a good point.

[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

Thanks for the insightful reply. Since I couldn't find one such device myself, I concluded using bluetooth dongle was next-best step.

[-] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 7 points 8 months ago

You know Bluetooth also works with PC too? Don't necessarily need USB.

[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

I know, but my PC doesn't have Bluetooth. Yet. USB dongles are pretty cheap as I see...

[-] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Yeah that's what I did. A Bluetooth dongle is twenty quid for a decent one, works perfectly with my JBL

[-] ABCDE@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

There are plenty with 3.5mm also, like the JBL Go, or keep it plugged in for charging and use Bluetooth.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

Not a USB input, but I have one of these with a 1/8" mini-jack input:

Marshall Stockwell Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Black (4091390) https://a.co/d/8GiMgOE

So if you convert from USB to 1/8" mini... maybe?

ANDTOBO USB to Aux Audio Adapter, 3.5mm Male to USB Female for Playing Music with USB Drive in Your Car https://a.co/d/d7KGLpv

No idea if that would work.

[-] froh42@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

My over 10 year old chinese bluetooth speaker connects as an audio device when plugged in with the USB cable to a PC.

This seems to be a feature that's hard to search for, as it wasn't even announced in the marketing material.

[-] indomara@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago
[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

I'm sorry to bother again, but would you know whether it can be powered and fed audio from regular USB-A port (with A to C cable)? Does it get enough juice that way? Because regular USB specs is 5V/500mA, which is lower than USB-Cs standards (5V and basically anything from 900mA to 3A). I don't need it to shake walls, just want to listen sitting by the table it is placed on.

[-] indomara@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Hey there, I'm not sure since my laptop only has usb c free, but one of the reviewers on Amazon said that it works fine over usb a.

[-] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

Nice, this looks like a winner! How does it play?

[-] indomara@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

I won't claim to be an audiophile by any means, but it sounds ok to me!

this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2024
40 points (95.5% liked)

No Stupid Questions

35706 readers
3648 users here now

No such thing. Ask away!

!nostupidquestions is a community dedicated to being helpful and answering each others' questions on various topics.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must be legitimate questions. All post titles must include a question.

All posts must be legitimate questions, and all post titles must include a question. Questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, song lyrics as title, etc. are not allowed here. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.



Rule 2- Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.

Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Questions which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding META posts and joke questions.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-question posts using the [META] tag on your post title.

On fridays, you are allowed to post meme and troll questions, on the condition that it's in text format only, and conforms with our other rules. These posts MUST include the [NSQ Friday] tag in their title.

If you post a serious question on friday and are looking only for legitimate answers, then please include the [Serious] tag on your post. Irrelevant replies will then be removed by moderators.



Rule 7- You can't intentionally annoy, mock, or harass other members.

If you intentionally annoy, mock, harass, or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here.



Credits

Our breathtaking icon was bestowed upon us by @Cevilia!

The greatest banner of all time: by @TheOneWithTheHair!

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS