Usually yes, in one direction or the other: most studio headphones terminate in 6.35 mm while laptops and some compact interfaces use 3.5 mm. It costs almost nothing, and it is often already in the headphone box.
Check both ends
Look at the plug on your headphones and the socket on the device. Six point three five millimeters is the studio standard; 3.5 mm (0.14 in) is the laptop and phone size.
The adapter is usually supplied
Most studio headphones ship with a screw-on 6.35 mm (0.25 in) adapter over a 3.5 mm (0.14 in) plug, or a 3.5 mm (0.14 in) adapter in the box. It is also the single most commonly lost accessory in this catalog.
Impedance is the other half of the question
An adapter makes the plug fit. It does not make a 250-ohm pair loud enough on a laptop — that is impedance, and it is a separate specification worth checking before buying.
Check your own manual before you plug anything in. Voltage, polarity and current draw differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s figures take precedence over anything written here. A supply of the wrong polarity can damage a pedal in seconds, phantom power is safe for most microphones but not for every one, and the required voltage is printed next to the socket or stated in the manual — not inferred from a connector that happens to fit.
The questions players ask
Does an adapter hurt the sound?
A simple passive adapter between 6.35 mm (0.25 in) and 3.5 mm (0.14 in) does not meaningfully affect it. The adapters that cost you something are the ones that break a balanced connection or block phantom power.
Which interfaces use 3.5 mm (0.14 in)?
Compact ones, to save space. The M-Audio M-Track Solo in our catalog is an example — worth knowing before the first session rather than during it.
Last reviewed 2026-08-18