I am looking for an audio cable recommendation to connect...
- from my brand new M1 MacBook Air (headphone jack) to my BOSE T4S mixer (1/4 inch input).
I have tried several types with varying results (in the sound quality)...
- HOSA 3.5 mini to 1/4"
- standard 1/4" to 1/4" cable with a HOSA adapter (1/4" to mini) on one end
- Radio Shack 3.5 mini to 1/4"
I'm not happy with any of the results so far as the audio quality (when listening on my wired BOSE headphones) seems to be significantly diminished when compared to listening on the headphones when they are plugged directly into the MacBook Air.
Of perhaps, could the issue be related to the mini-to 1/4" adapter on my BOSE headphones (the T4S has a 1/4" headphone jack, so an adapter is needed to plug in my BOSE headphones). I have tried several different adapters, also with varying results.
I would avoid using a mini-jack adapter as these can vary in quality. Instead, I'd recommend using a '3.5mm to 2 x 1/4" stereo cable' to connect from the MacBook to two inputs on the T4S:
Thanks so much for your reply. I have a cable like the one in your picture, plugged it into the T4S as you suggested, panning one channel L and the other R. It worked beautifully.
On a related adapter question, I have some doubts about the headphone adapter (3.5 MM female to 1/4" male) I am using for my BOSE Sound True Headphones. I have several of them (see photo), and they give varying results. None sound as good as when I plug the True Sound Headphones directly into the MacBook headphone jack (no adapter needed). Is there a different, or special kind of headphone adapter I should be using? Perhaps one from BOSE? Thanks. Steve
These adapters look as if they should work fine in theory, interesting to see that they give varying results. How does the audio quality differ when compared to plugging the headphones directly into the MacBook?
Thanks for your reply. With the threaded adapter, only a faint sound comes through- less than half of what should be heard. The other two are similar to each other in quality, but some of the brightness and crispness of the track suffers as compared to when the headphones are plugged directly into the MacBook with no adapter.
I have found the same kind of variances with 3.5 MM cables. With those, I believe it is the “fit” of the cable into the jack / the overall quality of the cable. For example, I have found much better success with Hosa cables vs. Radio Shack brands. My Sweetwater rep clued me in regarding this, and he was right on the money.
Thankfully, however, the overall sound is much improved as compared to the sound I was getting without the dual end cable you suggested in your original reply.
Good, I'm glad to hear the stereo cable setup has improved things somewhat. As for the headphones, the best I can recommend is to test a couple more adapters to see if this improves things. As I mentioned, these adapters can vary quite significantly in quality.
