# Plastic TRS Plug



## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

I don't want a metal one, I want it in all plastic so I can still use my speakers. I am looking for an all plastic TRS 1/4" "dummy" headphone plug to stick in my Receivers to keep dust from contaminating the contacts. Does anyone know where I might find something like this?


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Not sure what a TRS plug has to do with speakers, but you aren’t going to find a plastic one. They don’t conduct electricity very well, so no one has a use for them. I see no reason why a standard one wouldn’t keep dust out of the jack. Or, why not just stick a piece of tape over the hole?

Regards, 
Wayne


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

I am aware Plastic TRS plugs are not very conductive which is why I want one. I have plenty of metal 1/4" to 3.5mm adapters that I could use but when I plug them in to my receivers, it cuts the signal to the speaker. Using a plastic TRS plug would keep the dust out (headphone crackles) and it should allow the signal to keep flowing to my speakers when the headphones are not in use. 

I have found reference to such a plug, but the forum post was from 2002 and the URL to the product page is no longer valid.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

A plastic one would still cut out the signal on the headphone jack on the receiver as there is a micro switch inside the jack that is tripped when you stick the 1/4" jack into it, it will have nothing to do with it being plastic or not.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

What Tony said. The tape option is still open, though...

Regards,
Wayne


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

I know some headphone detection is software based. If I'm not mistaken, the headphone jack on my Yamaha and Integra work off a relay. Tape is so inconvenient. I'll have to test this out with a wooden dowel. And find a way to work around the switch, perhaps a 3/8 dowel will work for this purpose? 


If any manufacturers ever read this- Maybe a rubber cap as you saw on the old yellow Sports Walkmans of the 80s and 90s would be much better? Perhaps a plug that goes in only partway or a spring loaded door like the one you see covering some toslink jacks. Or an electronic camera like shutter opens when you turn the equipment on and off.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

The only reason the Walkmans' had rubber caps was for waterproofing, not dust-proofing. 

Can’t say that I’ve ever heard of dust “contaminating” headphone jacks. Is this something you’ve actually had a problem with? I suspect if it were an issue, manufacturers would have dealt with it decades ago. I have some components that are 20 years old, and the headphone jacks work fine. 

Regards, 
Wayne


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> The only reason the Walkmans' had rubber caps was for waterproofing, not dust-proofing.
> 
> Can’t say that I’ve ever heard of dust “contaminating” headphone jacks. Is this something you’ve actually had a problem with? I suspect if it was an issue, manufacturers would have dealt with it decades ago. I have some components that are 20 years old, and the headphone jacks work fine.
> 
> ...



Not recently. But I have heard it before.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

8086 said:


> Tape is so inconvenient.


How so? Just fold a tab on one end. It’ll come off and on easier than a rubber Walkman plug.



> I know some headphone detection is software based. If I'm not mistaken, the headphone jack on my Yamaha and Integra work off a relay.
> And find a way to work around the switch...


Software- or relay-based, they work the same way. It starts with a normally-closed switch contact arm built into the jack that breaks connection when the plug is inserted. There is no viable work-around, other than to simply avoid breaking the connection.










A search for “headphone jack dust” got this e-bay page with lots of options for rubber plugs. If this is for a 1/4" jack, you could also simply use those expandable foam ear plugs. Probably as inconvenient as tape or a rubber Walkman plug, but an easy solution.

Regards, 
Wayne


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