Apple has removed the analog earphone jack since the iPhone 7/7 Plus. After that, "HTC U11" and "Moto Z" appeared to follow from the Android camp, and Sony announced "Xperia XZ2 / XZ2 Compact" as a global model this spring.
"The first Xperia without analog earphone jack" "Xperia XZ2" announced by Sony Mobile at MWC After that, information on Huawei's "Huawei P20 Pro / P20" and Sony's flagship "Xperia XZ2 Premium" is finally revealed. The wave of digitalization is also rushing to the earphone listening of smartphones. The high-end model "Xperia XZ2 Premium" announced earlier this month is also a specification that digitally connects earphones with USB Type-C to listen to music. What kind of merit is there on the smartphone side if there is no analog earphone jack in the first place? Is it? I think that the way of thinking is different depending on each manufacturer, but when I interviewed the Sony Mobile development staff at the MWC venue, when I asked on the premise that "in the case of Xperia XZ", "designed mainly for slimming down" The view was that "the degree of freedom will increase" and "the airtightness will increase, so the waterproof and dustproof performance will be improved." In addition, "wireless connection by Bluetooth is becoming common", "high resolution sound quality can be guaranteed even if it becomes a USB digital connection", and the power to operate the DAC / amplifier installed on the earphone side consumes the battery of the smartphone. The effect on speed is minor, and it seems that it is okay because normal headphones and earphones can be used as before if a conversion adapter is inserted between them. But in reality, wired connections are often more convenient. You don't need to charge the battery every time or pair the Bluetooth connection, and you can use it easily. It's a hassle to carry around the conversion adapter, and I've already lost the Lightning-earphone jack conversion adapter for the iPhone about twice more. "If so, what about digitally connected earphones?" Is the theme to be verified this time. I'm particularly interested in digital earphones that can be used by connecting to the USB Type-C terminal of Android smartphones, which will increase in the future. So, this time, let's try the effect of the USB Type-C compatible digital connection re-cable "RMCE-USB" announced by SHURE. The combined smartphone is Sony "Xperia XZ1". Re-cable "RMCE-USB" compatible with Shure's USB Type-C digital connection ■ What kind of product is SHURE's "RMCE-USB"? RMCE-USB is a new product announced by SHURE at CES in January this year. By the time it landed in Japan, Android smartphones without earphone jacks such as the global model Xperia XZ2 and Huawei P20 Pro were announced. All of them may appear as models this summer in Japan. It seems that it will be an earphone cable suitable for enjoying good sound with such a smartphone. Although it is an open price, it can be purchased for around 12,800 yen, and it has wide compatibility with SHURE "SE series" and earphones equipped with MMCX terminal. The connector on the earphone side is MMCX RMCE-USB, which is equipped with a 96kHz / 24bit compatible high-resolution DAC and amplifier in the line of the cable. SHURE first released the Lightning cable "RMCE-LTG" compatible with iPhone in 2017 (related review), but this time RMCE-USB also basically has these products, concepts, designs, and functions. Sharing. The feature of USB Type-C is that it can be inserted with either the front or the back facing, and the microphone and 3-button remote control are installed as separate housings. You can enjoy music playback control and hands-free calling. The cable has a slightly thick gauge, but it is strong against bending and stretching and has good handling. The shape of the cable on the ear side could be fixed, and it was easy to hang it in a loop. Equipped with DAC / amplifier inline of the cable. Shure's commitment is that the microphone, which has a 3-button remote control on the back side, is in a separate housing. ■ Analog connection VS digital connection. Compared to listening with the SE535, it is said that the stereo image becomes clearer and the stereoscopic effect increases when listening to music with a digital connection compared to when connected to an analog earphone jack. In order to actually confirm the effect, I tried RMCE-USB and Shure's standard earphone "SE535" this time. The reference uses the Xperia XZ1, which allows you to choose between an analog earphone jack and USB Type-C listening. I borrowed SE535 and listened to it and compared it.
