Speakers & Headphones

[maniac]

For the past couple of days I've been thinking about ways to connect my headphones and the speakers to my pc but it's more complicated than it sounds.

From the sound card I use a 3.5mm splitter to connect both the speakers and the headphones at once and use either one or the other (or both for that matter ). But the problem is that I don't wish to let my headphones on while using the speakers, the speakers can be turned off so thats not a problem when using the headphones. Attaching and detaching the headphones all the time is not really an option I'm considering, and using the passthrough of the speakers control thingy is too messy for my taste.

So my question is, is there any way to work around this? How do you guys and gals connect your speakers and headphones so I might get enlightened or something?

 

[Excalabur50]

My speakers connect via optical cable whilst the headphones are in the card via 3.5mm jacks and I just swap between the two in Windows sound control panel real quick and simple

 

[maniac]

Now that you make me think of it, I could connect the headphones to the soundcard and the speakers to the onboard audio.

Ok something that might actually be a very good idea just hit me, what if I connect a 3.5mm jack to one of the internal headers off the soundcard (using some sort of adaptor) will it work?

Edit: I can't seem to find an hd audio header to 3.5mm jack, it would be king if it was mounted on a pci plate, if not I'll work something out.

 

[Excalabur50]

You cant run onboard and soundcard together its one or the other about the only way you could do it is use the case front audio for the headphones then the back plugs for the speakers

 

[maniac]

You cant run onboard and soundcard together its one or the other about the only way you could do it is use the case front audio for the headphones then the back plugs for the speakers

Yea I understand, thats kind of the idea I'm trying to go with, you know to create another "front audio" at the back of the case.

 

[Excalabur50]

Yea I understand, thats kind of the idea I'm trying to go with, you know to create another "front audio" at the back of the case.

No not really why do you want to use the back and not the front

 

[SuB]

I have the Xonar STX and it has 2 seperate outputs for speakers and headphones, you just switch between them using the software. Much easier.

 

[maniac]

No not really why do you want to use the back and not the front

Mainly cause I hate cables with all my heart, and I don't really want them to be in my face all the time.

 

[Mark3Max]

Hi maniac,
What are you using for sound output , onboard or soundcard?
I (like Sub) have a Xonar STX , and I have headphones and speakers connected to the sound card and a set of Bose earbuds connected to front panel and switch between them in the Xonar audio center. Works great for me.
I'm not sure there is a way to not have cables unless you use some kind of audio out switch.

 

[Devo234]

Mainly cause I hate cables with all my heart, and I don't really want them to be in my face all the time.

Why not get some wireless headphones?

 

[SuB]

Why not get some wireless headphones?

Because they're pretty much all, tat ? I would very much try to avoid wireless headphones personally.

 

[Devo234]

Even the corsair vengeance ones?

I dont personally like wireless either i just making a suggestion based on the comment

 

[FlamingBeatz]

Solder a switch in one of the 2 splitted cables?

Btw. I have a seperate headphone and speaker volume control on my Focusrite Saffire Pro 14.

 

[maniac]

I kinda sorted this a couple minutes ago, I found that my sound card has an HD audio header on it so I connected the front IO header to it, and when I connect my headphones the speakers automatically go off and when I want I just unplug my headset.

I know someone suggested this but I seriously didn't even check if my soundcard had a front IO header...... silly me