Audio cables and adapters

Buying guide

For audio, first work out whether you need an analogue or a digital signal. A 3.5 mm jack is analogue and connects directly; a USB adapter has its own built-in sound card and is useful when a device no longer has an audio output. Check whether the plug has three or four contacts – a four-contact plug carries the microphone too, and an ordinary splitter won't separate it in two. An optical connection is digital and completely immune to interference. On a long analogue cable, background hum often comes down to the quality of the cable.