Reddit reviews Califone CAS1500 Cassette Player/Recorder, Built-in Microphone, AC/DC Power, 1/4" Headphone Jack
We found 1 Reddit comments about Califone CAS1500 Cassette Player/Recorder, Built-in Microphone, AC/DC Power, 1/4" Headphone Jack. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Built-in microphone that cannot be misplaced500 mW amplifier loud enough for class sizes up to 20 peopleSturdy function buttons are easy for independent learners to operateMade of durable ABS plastic to withstand every day use
I never found a 3-conductor (TRS) 2.5mm jack I liked much. And not because of the stereo imaging problem (shared return) but because they all seemed to be made poorly and either produced noisy connections (when you move it it makes scratchy noises) on day one or after a bit of use.
Although since Kenwood-style connectors used mono 2.5mms for decades before (used for some radio microphones and for cassette tape recorders with an electret microphone and pause switch), as seen on the side of this recorder perhaps it is possible to make a lasting, reliable 2.5mm jack.
As far as I know there were two reasons for Apple (and others) to switch from 2.5mm to 1/8". First is that 2.5mm jacks usually used their 3 conductors for mono audio out, mono mic in (with mic bias) and shared return. That meant no stereo audio out and since the iPhone was announced as being a music player that simply wouldn't do. So it had to have a 1/8" jack.
Second reason is related, but basically that since 2.5mm jacks were mono that meant there weren't any hi-fi 2.5mm earphones. So if Apple used a 1/8" jack you could use a lot of quality headphones with their phones (but not as many as if the hadn't recessed the jack, idiots!) and if they used a 2.5mm basically there would be only whatever Apple bundled.
Apple also used a 4-conductor (TRRS) 1/8" jack (CTIA config, see here) which meant that headphones made to work on their devices (including microphone) weren't 100% compatible with other 1/8" jacks. Take your iPhone earbuds and plug them in on a plane and you may find you get no audio (or close to it) because the 3-conductor jack on that plane contacts the 1,3,4 conductors on the AHJ (CTIA) jack on that page instead of the 2,3,4 conductors as would be needed to make the earbuds work. Your fancy noise cancelling Bose (or otherwise) headphones may come with a "swapping" adapter to convert between CTIA and OMTP to make your headphones work in places they otherwise wouldn't.
But I guess I digress too much. It's all a bit of a mess.