From my experience with my FP2, I would say that the socket itself (inside the phone) is of poor quality, and the new slim case for the FP2 has a very badly designed headphone socket. These both contribute to form an extremely unreliable headphone connection.
I have managed to obtain considerable improvement by modifying my phone (documented here), but if you’re still in guarantee I would definitely recommend contacting support and asking for a new top module: several people say that’s helped them, at least for a while.
I’m currently on the fence on whether to buy a Fairphone. The thing that is holding me back is this issue with headphone use. I will probably use the phone 70 percent as a music player, so it’s very important that it holds up here. Does anyone know if Fairphone is considering a redesign or change of their parts? This issue seem to pop up in threads. I planning on using the phone for music while jogging, so the plug need to have a stable connection.
I would advise you to check for one of the #fairphoneangels in your area or someone else with a FP2 and check, if your headphones fit the jack of the FP2.
On my behalf, I never had any issue with the jack and my headphones (being Musical Fidelity MF-100, MF-200 and EB-50; still available, but discontinued).
I really don’t know, if it’s due to the jack or due to some headphones’s plugs.
There doesn’t seem to be any Fairphone angels in my country, Norway. I’ve tried posting about it on facebook, but I don’t know many people in the town I live in. I will try checking the second hand markets. Thanks for the suggestion!
If the issue is about the case (slimcase etc.), it shouldn’t be that complicated to change the design. That is, of course, if they print their own cases.
But I guess users would have to send in plugs that don’t work for Fairphone to be able to really get an idea of what the problem is … most plugs seem to work just fine (the ones I have work just fine, too, Sennheiser MX470/MX580).
Agreed.
I just remembered. I’ve got older cheap (20,- €) Sennheiser in-ear headphone, that works just fine as well.
I therefore doubt, that the case is really flawed.
Due to the curved design of the back cover of course it always seems, the jack does not fit in properly.[quote=“ThorKH, post:14, topic:34832”]
There doesn’t seem to be any Fairphone angels in my country, Norway.
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Maybe you could try to open a new topic like “Fairphoners searched in Norway” or you search on the forum for “Norway” (the list of results is quite long) and contact the respective fairphoners by PM.
Hi @ThorKH, as others say, I’d suggest you try before you buy. As a final attempt to get mine to work (it pops out easily, a Slim Case design flaw that wasn’t in the old case, and connection is unreliable, due I think/hope to wear on the connector), I’m about to swap my headphones to a Neutrik plug, to see if that helps.
Since you list music as important, I would also warn that none of the Android music players I’ve tried work with my 64GB music collection on the Fairphone (tracks - all 128Mbps MP3 - are listed up to three times, and the player crashes immediately I try to play them), so again, when testing bring a MicroSD with your music if it’s a collection rather than a streaming service.
Hi Leon,
I had the same problem and gave up.
Go for bluetooth headphone, it’s great.
Very happy with my JBL, got all commands back also (volume, next etc.)
Pat
Took a chance and bought the phone. Been using it for a month and a half now. No problems with the headphones. The plug fits firmly. Satisfied with this!
Also added the Sony MDR-ZX600 to the list over compatible headphones.
Would be a point for me as well.
On the slim cover my headphone connector comes loose very easy - it electrically disconnects, it doesn’t drop of;-)
(actually it is sort if worse: It is the loudspeaker connector for me; the phone just gets barely moved…)
The marked area would have to be designed more even. It looks and is made to support (slim) plugs, but it has shown that it now even seem to be slightly more raised compared to the old case. This 1mm can make the difference if any plug connects reliable or not.
With my old cover any type of 3,5mm stereo plug fitted properly.
As I had my new slim case on I was wondering why all of a sudden I would only hear sound in mono not as it used to be in stereo. I investigated and found this cause. Without any case sound all is fine again.
I would not state that the plug sits too loose, I rather tend to say it sits quite fast.
So the 3d case design data is available, but up to now it does not look like anyone has changed them but rather tried to print a fitting new case.
Even I wonder if FP has taken this point into account as it just freshly got new transparent covers made. Is there anyone here who owns such a cover and can contribute his experience on this point?
Although it is the oldest and should be the easiest way of connecting any audio equipment, here it does not always work as expected.
It is not such a big problem for me as I use BT earbuds. But yes, this is not so power conserving.
Anyway, for home use I would still prefer to use a BT audio converter. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to hold his plugged handset while moving around his home. For this I found audio adaptors being compared here. I would prefer to go for the Logitech as a very good compromise, although it does not support the aptx standard. I believe audio being compressed in any way of .mp3/.ogg could not fulfill the high level anyway. Audio in form of Flac probably could do.
My words. (give’em back
I always favored the turquoise company color. Only once I saw a transparent cover irl from @Friek. Although my cover is still in perfect shape such a transparent cover would be another eye-catcher.
As long as my items usually last I might never be in need for a new cover, though.
The only thing I had changed after realizing this problem was the case. Switching back to the old solved the problem again testing all connectors at hand. Even some users have written their replacement top module did not change this, but results were better without the slim cover.
Depending on if having a 3 pin plug for audio only or a 4 pin plug for a hands-free headset this then makes a difference how the phone will react should the plug not connect properly or slip out a midge while being in use.
There seem to be slight plug tolerances of approx. 0-0,3 mm in lenght depending on the (plug) manufacturer as I could read out of datasheets.
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