I'm currently using my BlackBerry 8130 w/ an 8 GB MicroSD card as a primary audio player in my car. It has a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack, which is fine. Lately I've been getting bored with it though and I've decided to get HTC's Touch Pro that they just released on Sprint

This phone doesn't have a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack though... It has some sort of "Extended USB" port, which apparently includes the audio signal. The phone comes with a special adapter that has both a 2.5mm and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Does anybody know whether or not the signal obtained through this port will be of "lesser" quality than of that of a regular 3.5mm jack? I've heard that converting audio from a digital to analog signal seriously deteriorates quality, but they say that this Ext. USB port has the "analog" built in, and the adapter just sort of re-splits them...

Also, this is kind of a random question, but I searched for this on another forum and saw some kid talking about "burning in" the device ITSELF versus the headphones or whatever. I know that new speakers/headphones have a burn-in period, but does something inside the device itself have to actually be burned-in when it's new??

Thanks.

Converting digital to analog is exactly what happens when you play a CD through speakers (many other examples, like talking on a cell phone). Bunko.

"Burn In" is largely an invention of the marketing department. You buy (speakers, receiver, whatever). They sound different at home than in the store (or not as "awesome" as the "stereo dude" led you to believe). Their answer is "needs to be burned in". Nice delay tactic. You wait for the month burn in period. In the meanwhile, you become "burned in" and accustomed to the "new sound". You're now a happy camper.

LOL. Whatever then I guess I'll just buy the ****ing phone. Thanks.

There will not be any more analog/digital conversions than there already were. Don't worry about it.

As far as burn-in goes...there's no such thing in that case.

However, BREAK-IN with speakers is real, as the suspension will often loosen up, changing the frequency response slightly. If someone tells you there is no such thing as break-in on a speaker then they're just being ignorant.

Chances are that the general signal layout on the circuit board will have more impact on your signal than anything else (including how they get the signal out of the phone). My experience with HTC has been less than stellar in general; I have no idea whether they or RIM would have the better analog audio team (or, in fact, any analog audio team at all -- maybe they let the radio guys do it...).