3.5 mm TRS vs. Coaxial Cable Types (RG Series)
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
3.5mm TRS is the 3-conductor version of the 3.5mm mini-jack. It's wired either as unbalanced stereo audio (tip: left, ring: right, sleeve: ground) in consumer headphones, or as balanced mono (tip: hot, ring: cold, sleeve: ground) in some professional audio gear -- the same three contacts, different signals depending on the device.
Coaxial cables transmit high-frequency radio frequency (RF) and television signals under MIL-C-17 standards through a concentric center conductor, dielectric insulator, metallic shield, and outer jacket, categorized into 75-Ohm video/broadband series (RG-6, RG-59, RG-11) and 50-Ohm wireless/RF series (RG-58, RG-8X, LMR-400).
Specification Comparison Table
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Connector Family
|
Phone Jack (Mini-Jack) | — |
|
Shaft / Plug Diameter
|
3.5 mm (1/8") | — |
|
Conductors / Contacts
|
3 (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) | — |
|
Signal Format
|
Unbalanced Stereo / Balanced Mono | — |
|
Standard Stereo Pinout
|
Tip: Left | Ring: Right | Sleeve: Ground | — |
|
Balanced Mono Pinout
|
Tip: Hot (+) | Ring: Cold (-) | Sleeve: Ground | — |
|
Primary Applications
|
Standard headphones, PC audio line-out, auxiliary inputs, portable media players | — |
|
Governing Standards
|
— | MIL-C-17 / SCTE (Society of Cable Telecom Engineers) / ANSI/TIA-568 |
|
RG-6 / RG-6 Quad Shield (75Ω)
|
— | Center Conductor: 18 AWG (1.02 mm) | Outer Dia: 6.86 mm (0.270") | Satellite TV, Cable DOCSIS 3.1, HDTV Antennas |
|
RG-59 (75Ω Legacy / CCTV)
|
— | Center Conductor: 20–22 AWG (0.81 mm) | Outer Dia: 6.15 mm (0.242") | Baseband analog CCTV, short-run composite video |
|
RG-11 (75Ω Long-Distance Drop)
|
— | Center Conductor: 14 AWG (1.63 mm) | Outer Dia: 10.3 mm (0.405") | Heavy low-loss underground long-run drops |
|
RG-58 (50Ω RF / Two-Way Radio)
|
— | Center Conductor: 20 AWG (0.90 mm) stranded | Outer Dia: 4.95 mm | CB Radio, amateur VHF/UHF, Wi-Fi pigtails |
|
LMR-400 (50Ω Ultra Low-Loss)
|
— | Center Conductor: 10 AWG (2.74 mm) solid copper-clad aluminum | Cellular towers, 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi antenna masts |
|
Impedance Matching Rule
|
— | Never mix 50Ω and 75Ω systems; impedance mismatch causes high Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) and RF reflections |