Audio/Connector/Phone/TRS/3.5mm

• 3.5mm / 1/8" Mini Phono TRS Connector

  • Visual Reference

    • TRS connector schematic showing tip, ring, and sleeve
    • Image: public domain (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons

  • Overview

    • TRS stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve: 3 conductors, 2 insulating rings
    • At 3.5 mm, TRS almost always carries unbalanced stereo audio — this is the standard headphone/aux plug
    • At 1/4 in, the same tip/ring/sleeve layout is more often used for balanced mono audio in professional gear; the connotation differs by size and context

  • Physical Specifications

    • Diameter: 3.5 mm (1/8 in)
    • Conductors: 3 (tip, ring, sleeve)
    • Insulating rings: 2
    • Orientation: rotationally symmetric, no keying

  • Pin Configuration

    • Tip: left channel
    • Ring: right channel
    • Sleeve: ground

  • Common Use Cases

    • Stereo headphones and earbuds without a microphone
    • Aux/line-in cables between phones, media players, and speakers or car stereos
    • Line-level audio breakout on cameras and recorders

  • Compatibility

    • Physically fits into Audio/Connector/Phone/TRRS/3.5mm jacks; the extra ring on the TRRS jack (mic/ground) is simply left unused
    • A Audio/Connector/Phone/TS/3.5mm plug fits into a TRS jack but only drives one channel
    • Adapters exist to/from RCA/Connector/Ref/RCA Male pairs for stereo line audio