Precautions to Take When Using a USB Charger

With the popularization of smart phones and the use of USB adapters, it has become commonplace for audio equipment to be powered and charged by USB power supply.

The USB charger in turn has become commonplace for audio equipment to be powered and charged on it! Inquiries about the USB connection have been increasing.

USB, the standard in the PC industry, is constantly evolving, and there are cases where products that have been on the market for some time are not compatible with the USB standard.

This time, as of November 2024, I have summarized the increasing number of cases and inquiries that I have been frequently receiving for some time. I would like to explain them more clearly and simply.

01 USB-C type USB adapter cannot supply power

In the past, USB adapters were known as

CLASSIC PRO / UA201 Compact USB Power Adapter

This type of adapter was commonly used. This type of adapter has a USB-A output.

In recent years, USB adapters with USB-C output have become available.

As you know, new models of Mac products such as the iPhone have switched from the Lightning terminal to USB-C.

However, USB-C adapters and cables cannot be used with some devices.

In order to power a device via USB-C to USB-C, it must conform to the “USB Power Delivery” standard. This means that the device itself, the USB cable, and the USB adapter must all support it, or the power will not be supplied.

Most products with USB-C ports, such as those sold in the past, do not support this standard, with the exception of PCs and smartphones.

In the past, with USB-A and other devices, electrical power flowed as long as each terminal was connected properly, but “USB Power Delivery compatible products can be charged only when they send and receive the necessary voltage and current to each other, thereby preventing excessive power distribution and other advantages,” according to the company's website. This prevents excessive power distribution.
Many audio products are not currently compatible with USB Power. Regardless of the products sold by Sound House, it is best to assume that USB-C adapters cannot be used to supply power unless the product description in other stores or online stores states that the product is compatible with USB PD charging. Please note that no matter how hard you move the connector, it will not supply power.

By the way, the USB-C connector may be hard to insert when you purchase a new product. Please note that there have been cases where we received connectors because they would not power the connector only for us to find out that it wasn’t inserted all the way into the device.

02 Cannot receive power charge from Computer

Smartphones can be charged by connecting to a PC, but some equipment may not charge. The amount of power that can be supplied is determined by the USB type, and if the device requires a larger amount of power, it may not work properly.
If a USB hub or a USB conversion adapter is used between 2 devices, the devices may not be able to charge due to lack of power, or the interface may not operate properly.

I myself had a case where I was charging an electric screwdriver I use at work by connecting it to my PC, and it stopped working altogether. When connected to the PC, the charging LED would light up, but it seemed that the driver was not fully charged. After that, I connected it to a USB adapter and charged it, and it charged and operated normally. At first, I thought that the motor was broken. But I was told that the charging method was wrong.

03 Unable to receive power from cheap USB adapters

Surprisingly, many people have purchased adapters at 100-yen stores and other places, but have experienced difficulty in getting their smartphones to finish charging. I have also experienced this, but many inexpensive USB adapters from about 10 years ago had a weak output and could not fully charge a battery.
This was also my actual experience. After that, I stopped buying cheap USB adapters, so I am not sure about the ones sold at 100-yen stores in recent years.

As I mentioned earlier, we also sell the following USB adapters.

⇒ CLASSIC PRO / UA201 Compact USB Power Adapter

The above electric screwdriver could also be charged with this USB adapter. I also use it around my desk to test various models, and it works fine.

USB standards are rapidly evolving and changing in the computer industry, and I feel that there are many cases where previous products are no longer usable or not compatible. Although we use USB adapters without thinking about it, users also need to adapt to the changes. This time, I have briefly explained common problems as examples, but you can find much more detailed information by searching, so please check them out if you’re interested.