New XPS 15: Which headset combo to use?

[olivex]

I am glad to discover that my XPS 15 (L521X) has two headphone jackets. One is for pure 3.5mm headphone, the other is for headphone/mic combo. But for the combo, I don't know which kind of headset is compatible with it?
For example Samsung headset and iphone headset are not compatible. Actually as I search on Internet, people say there are two kinds of standards for this kind of headsets: OMTP and CTIA.
I called dell but apparently this question is new to them.

[daver160]

Does the L521x have the 3-port S/PDIF array of ports? Or is it only 2 (headphone, headphone+mic)?

I think you mis-understood the difference between "phone" headset and "computer" headset. (If I've misunderstood your problem, please let me know).

While both are headsets, you should be aware of how they plug into the headphone jack port. For example, an iPhone headset has only one plug with 4 "segments" (or TRRS plug), and a regular computer headset (full headphones + microphone that hangs from one ear piece) has two plugs, each with 3 "segments" (or TRS plug).

In this case, if you want to use a full headset (TRS), you plug in the headphone plug into the normal 3.5mm headphone port, and the mic into the headphone/mic combo port. The audio driver/software should automatically pick up what you are trying to do and ask you what you want to enable.

(While I have never done this, some people have been successful on other laptops)
If you want to plug in an iPhone headset into your laptop, just plug it into the headphone/mic combo.

[olivex]

Does the L521x have the 3-port S/PDIF array of ports? Or is it only 2 (headphone, headphone+mic)?

I think you mis-understood the difference between "phone" headset and "computer" headset. (If I've misunderstood your problem, please let me know).

While both are headsets, you should be aware of how they plug into the headphone jack port. For example, an iPhone headset has only one plug with 4 "segments" (or TRRS plug), and a regular computer headset (full headphones + microphone that hangs from one ear piece) has two plugs, each with 3 "segments" (or TRS plug).

In this case, if you want to use a full headset (TRS), you plug in the headphone plug into the normal 3.5mm headphone port, and the mic into the headphone/mic combo port. The audio driver/software should automatically pick up what you are trying to do and ask you what you want to enable.

(While I have never done this, some people have been successful on other laptops)
If you want to plug in an iPhone headset into your laptop, just plug it into the headphone/mic combo.

I believe it's a 4-seg jack, the icon is a headphone with a mic. I plugged in a samsung headphone and could hear music so it's not a mic-only jack.

[daver160]

Yeah I just tried my headset, and my 502 didn't recognize the microphone, even though I selected it as 'Mic in"


Guess they don't support these types of mics

[olivex]

502 is different. 502 has 3 jacks, one headphone, one mic (only), one spdif
521 has only two, 1 for headphone and one for headphone/mic combo.
You can google a 521 picture to see that.