Different types of 3.5 mm microphone jacks?

[lesliebibb]

I'm trying to connect my microphone (not a headset, an actual mic) to my 3.5 mm jack on my laptop but the jack is too long.

 

The mic jack is 3.5 mm but it's a bit longer than normal 3.5 mm jacks (pic). You can't see it well in the pic, but the very tip of the mic jack (bottom) is 1-2 mm longer than that of my headphones (top).

 

Both jacks fit fine when I plug them into my desktop, only in my laptops (Samsung Series 5 (slimline), also HP laptop) the mic doesn't go in all the way and windows doesn't detect anything. When I use too much pressure to put it in, it still doesn't work. Both laptops' ports are combo headset/mic ports and work fine with headsets.

 

Any solutions? Do adapters exist? Are laptop mic ports just less 'deep'?

[JustinP526]

As far as I know all 3.5mm plugs should be the same size in length. Seems that the shorter length one you have is actually a 2.5mm plug.

Yes there are adapters available. Judging by the link for your HP laptop I'm guessing you are in Netherlands?

Your local computer or electronics store should have it in stock and it should less than 5€

 

The only other real difference with those plugs is the black bands which are just channel separators. If there is only 1 black band it is a mono device (such as a microphone) and 2 black bands is 2 channel stereo (such as the left and right for headphones or loudspeakers).

[nigsy]

 

 

The only other real difference with those plugs is the black bands which are just channel separators. If there is only 1 black band it is a mono device (such as a microphone) and 2 black bands is 2 channel stereo (such as the left and right for headphones or loudspeakers).

 

Yep learned this the other day....and now Sony Xperias (Z2) only work if they have 3 black bands - 3rd for the Mic apparently.

[lesliebibb]

I bought a 5 meter extension cable and connected that way, but windows doesn't detect it... maybe because it can't detect the mic through the cable?