Are Headphones Input or Output Device? The Mystery Ends Here

headphones input or output

This article is slightly off-topic, a bit different from our usual content. We got a lot of requests from our audience to clarify their doubts about earphones and their purposes.

We all love to enjoy our favourite music through the best earphone, but do you know whether headphones input or output devices? Obviously, it is not mandatory to know, but nice to know, just as we discussed tips to measure headphone’s sound.

The devices used to give information to a mobilephone, laptops, etc., are input devices, whereas; output devices deliver us information in the form of videos, audio, images, text, etc., are output devices.

Before going deep into the topic headphones input or output devices, first, let us see the difference between output and input devices.

Are Headphones Input or Output?

Here we have two types of headphones, one without a microphone or mic and another with a microphone (Headset).

The headphones without a microphone only serve as an output device because they can only reproduce information from a mobile phone, laptop, and tablet in the form of sound. It can not take data from a user to a computer.

On the other hand, headphones with an integrated microphone or headsets can perform the functions of input and output devices, so they are called input-output devices.

Voice command through mic for Google Assist and Apple Siri is an example of the input function of the mic. Here the microphone can be used to give instructions to the mobile while the headphone speaker gives a sound output.

Are microphones input or output?

Microphones or mic are designed to take instructions from a user to the mobile phone or laptop that makes them input devices. It can not retrieve data from a computer to a user.

Examples of Input Devices

  • Microphone
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • Webcam
  • Scanner

Examples of Output Devices

  • Headphone without microphone
  • Speaker
  • Monitor (Screen)
  • Printer

Examples of Input-Output Devices

  • Touch-enabled smartphone or laptop screen
  • Headset (Headphone with mic)

Are webcams input or output devices/ Camera input or output?

If the laptop you are using does not have an inbuilt camera, then Webcams are very helpful in video conferencing through zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc.

A webcam or camera is a video recorder that transfers data into the laptop. So they are input devices.

How do you use headphones as input and output?

As we discussed in the article, headphones with a mic can perform as input and output devices. Headphones through both the speakers can deliver sound output to the user, and microphones can take audio from the user and give it to the smartphone or laptop, whatever it is connected to.

But, a headphone without a mic works only as an output device.

Is audio an input or output?

Audio signals can act as input or output depending on the receiver and sender. Suppose the audio is taken from a computer or smartphone and brought to a user.

In that case, they are output audio but, if the audio is taken from a user and received by a computer or mobile phone, they are input audio.

For example, music from a smartphone is output audio, and audio instructions to Google Assist or Siri are a kind of input.

Mouse input or output?

A touchpad is an integral part of laptops, and they are placed just below the alphabet keys. They are used to move the cursor through the monitor and make a suitable selection. So, their function is to give information to the computer and are input devices.

Is touchpad input or output device? A touchpad also does the same function as a mouse.

Is printer input or output?

All types of printers are output devices. Printers usually take instruction from laptops and give us output in the form of prints.

Is microphone input or output?

Microphones are typical input devices. They take instructions from the user and deliver them to the computer or smartphone. In addition to recording our voice during communication, the mic can also give our instructions to Google Assist or Siri, which can execute our voice commands.

Let’s Wind Up

It is not necessary to understand headphones input or output device to use them. Since it is an integral part of our life, it is really nice to know.

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