- my smartphone sports a 4-conductor jack
- my notebook uses a  3-conductor jack
- can't use 3-conductor jack on the smartphone (crappy sound)
- can't use 4-conductor jack on the notebook (almost locked notebook's speakers!!!)
 
Conclusion: do I need specific-conductor earphone per each device?

In all of the following explanations- imagine that the tip of the plug is facing left.
The standard 3.5mm headphones (no in-line controls on the cable) use the configuration of (from left to right) 
TRS- Tip, Ring, Sleeve. The pinout for these connections is: Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground.
Connection types for headphones with a mic (and newer ones with volume control) are configured in 
TRRS- Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve.
On TRRS there are 2 types- 
1. The original TRRS configuration was created by Nokia and has a pinout of Left Audio, Right Audio, Mic, Ground.
Apple came along and changed their pinout to Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground, Mic.
 
This is why many apple headsets will not work with android, because the last 2 connections, for Mic and Ground are switched. The issue is with the hardware. 
The way that songs are skipped (forwards, backwards, and pause) occurs by sending signals down the ground channel (when you tap the button it shoots an electrical signal that the phone will pick up and interpret). 
The way that volume is increased/decreased occurs by sending signals down the Mic channel. 

This is why- if you try a set of newer iPhone earbuds on the GSIII- as I have- the center button does nothing, but yet the volume up and volume down both pause tracks, and allow you to skip them!!
Additionally, Apple has patents on their TRRS connection- in fact on the resistances (the actual ohm resistance in-line on the controls- not to get scientific or anything ) so that the headphones are designed to work only with Apple products. In other words- you could have a device with the same TRRS Pinout as apple products- but the headset wont work because the resistances (ohms) of the headphones send signals that your phone is not allowed to interpret into the correct actions (since apple patented these)
 
Hope this clarifies things up a bit 

squallkiercosa said:

  First- to the admins- not sure if you can combine all threads under this. I want to post a final solution since so many people have questions about this!!
 
Okay to finally clarify this issue for all. 

In all of the following explanations- imagine that the tip of the plug is facing right.
The standard 3.5mm headphones (no in-line controls on the cable) use the configuration of (from left to right) 
TRS- Tip, Ring, Sleeve. The pinout for these connections is: Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground.
Connection types for headphones with a mic (and newer ones with volume control) are configured in 
TRRS- Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve.
On TRRS there are 2 types- 
1. The original TRRS configuration was created by Nokia and has a pinout of Left Audio, Right Audio, Mic, Ground.
Apple came along and (arguable in typical elitist fashion) changed their pinout to Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground, Mic.
This is why many apple headsets will not work with android, because the last 2 connections, for Mic and Ground are switched. The issue is with the hardware. 
The way that songs are skipped (forwards, backwards, and pause) occurs by sending signals down the ground channel (when you tap the button it shoots an electrical signal that the phone will pick up and interpret). 
The way that volume is increased/decreased occurs by sending signals down the Mic channel. 

This is why- if you try a set of newer iPhone earbuds on the GSIII- as I have- the center button does nothing, but yet the volume up and volume down both pause tracks, and allow you to skip them!!
Additionally, Apple has patents on their TRRS connection- in fact on the resistances (the actual ohm resistance in-line on the controls- not to get scientific or anything ) so that the headphones are designed to work only with Apple products. In other words- you could have a device with the same TRRS Pinout as apple products- but the headset wont work because the resistances (ohms) of the headphones send signals that your phone is not allowed to interpret into the correct actions (since apple patented these)
 
Hope this clarifies things up a bit 

Click to expand...

Think you have that backward.  If the tip of the connector is pointing to the right as you said, then from left to right you would have Sleeve, Ring, Tip (Ground, Right, Left)
 
The connections you said are correct if you have the headphone wire (or wire end) facing to the right.

Thanks, but you got the point, right?

Naturally.  I just wanted to correct that one thing to prevent any future confusion.  I didn't know about Apple changing the wiring on their TRRS plugs, but I'm not surprised.
 
Now if I can figure out how to change the wiring on my mini-xlr to the wiring standard rather than the AKG standard I used... But that's way OT and not for this thread.

I think it was really clever to some extend the apple configuration: precisely keeping the ground pin at the same spot for non-smartphone devices. I wasn't the one who wrote the text I have to admit. 

Guys, as a conclusion you need an earphone type per each device?
3 conductors for 3 conductors devices, and 4 for 4? This means at least two earphones!

You can use 3 conductor jacks on your smartphone and they will work just fine.  The only thing that separate conductor is for is the mic.
 
Keep in mind that the crappy sound you describe could just be the phone, not the headphones.  I know my last Android phone, for example, had horrible headphone audio for any decent headphones.

Particularly the S2 suffers when using other earphones, particularly 3 contacts ones

As I wrote, the phone's earphone 4 pin jack almost spoiled my notebook's sensor (earphone-in) witihin the notebooks female plug: once unplugged the notebook external speakers wouldn't work because the damaged sensor kept thinking the jack was still in, while not! Only using a proper 3 pin jack I could unlock it!
Are there any 4-pin-female to 3-pin-male? Just to avoid having to carry 2 earphones!
 
BTW:
 

Here is an adapter that resolves this issue and the websites description of its item. This stopped the issue with a set of BOSE Quite Comforts
http://www.scansound.com/index.php/3-5mm-4-pin-female-trrs-to-3-pin-male-3-5mm-trs-adapter.html

Audio Adapter accepts 3.5mm 4-Pin Plug and Converts to 3-Pin Male Plug

iPhone Headset Adapter Enables 4-pin Male TRRS 3.5mm plug to be used with 3-pin TRS Jack Audio Equipment
iPhone headset to headphone Adapter, 3.5mm TRS Male to 3.5mm TRRS 4 conductor Female.
This 3.5mm Adapter accepts headsets with a 4-pin male plug and the 3-pin plug of the adapter will go into standard stereo equipment so that the headset can hear the audio from an iPod, MP3 player, laptop, tablet, radio, mixer, iPad, and many other kinds of stereo audio devices that typically accept a 3.5mm 3-conductor plug. Many Android devices will not accept an iPhone headset because they are not configured to accept the TRRS configuration, so this adapter will often resolve that issue.
Symptom that occurs when using your headset earphone with stereo audio devices:
You are trying to use your headset with a stereo audio device (such as an MP3 player). You find that inserting the plug all the way into the jack prevents the sound from coming through loud and clear. You pull the plug out of the jack slightly and then the audio comes through loud and clear. Once you push the plug in all the way, the sound cuts out again, but pulling the plug out slightly seems to make the audio come through perfectly.
There is nothing wrong with your headset earphone and the problem is actually a mis-match between your 4-conductor headset earphone and the jack in your MP3 player. Most stereo audio devices are designed to accept a 3-pin male plug with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) size plug. So when try to plug in a 4-conductor headset earphone into your 3-conductor jack, it fails to mate properly with the internal audio connections for the left and right audio channels. Our adapter will conver the 4-conductor plug to plug into the 3-conductor jacks.
Audio Adapter accepts 4-conductor (3-ring) 3.5mm plug, and has a 3-conductor (2-ring) plug to go into your standard stereo audio devices. This will enable you to use iPhone compatible headsets with iPod and other types of MP3 players and audio devices.
Converts 3.5mm 4-conductor TRRS to 3-conductor TRS connector so you can use your earphone headset with stereo audio devices.
Here is the configuration of the connection:
4-Conductor Jack - to 3-Conductor Plug
Tip > connects to < Tip
Ring > connects to < Riing
Ring > connects to < Sleeve
Sleeve not connected
NOTE: This adapter is NOT designed for use with home telephone systems or home cordless telephones.
NOTE: Be sure to push your earphone plug in fully so there is no gap between the plug and the adapter. The earphone plug will snap, and the plug will rest flush against the gold surface of the adapter when it is fully engaged.

rixnox said:

 
- can't use 3-conductor jack on the smartphone (crappy sound)

Click to expand...

 
I don't think that has anything to do with the jack and plug, the 3-conductor plug should have no trouble on 4-conductor jacks. Your smartphone may be hitting its audible distortion level driving that IEM or just making its response worse (ie my ASG-1.3 desperately needs EQ-ing when driven my S3, even with its 125dB sensitivity, since the bass distorts easily; no EQ is needed to trim the bass on the DX50, X3, and X1).
 
That or your hone's jack is loose somewhere (if the sound seems totally weird).

I have the same problem, same here too:
 
http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-samsung-galaxy-s4/334369-why-there-no-bass-audio-ibolt-dock-my-samsung-galaxy-s4.html
http://www.tomsguide.com/forum/id-2166958/bass-output-subwoofer-galaxy-star-pro.html
 
I have Samsung J2. It works great with any 3-pin/4-pin headphone but doesn't work with PC speakers, almost no bass, something like low pass filter.
Other phones like S3 mini, S2 Plus don't have this problem.
 
Any idea? 

Great description!
I tried to use a simple male to  make stereo extension cable to connect my iPad to an external speaker and it would not work...
shutting off the iPad speaker AND no sound from the external speaker
Seems the old stereo two ring cables are not useful at least not for Apple!
( the iPad's speakers work normally AND it also works well with various headphones-- apple and after market  ) 
So what do I need to look for in a product description when I want to purchase a male to male patch cable  OR  a  headphone extension cable - in order for them to work with Apple products?

Can someone point me to a UK sourced connector that I could use for my iPhone? I have earphones with TTRS plug on the end I want to use with my iPhone.
3.5mm TTRS female to 3.5mm TRS male then into iPhone.