Using speakers and headphones independently

[suszterpatt]

I'd really like to be able to use my speakers independently from my headphones. This is so that if I unplug the headphones (to show an audio/movie/etc file to others), I wouldn't need to adjust the volume settings. I could just turn on the speakers, do whatever I want, and turn them back off while my headphones are still plugged in and operational.


Now, my mobo's manual says that it can't operate both the front and rear sound outputs. I tried using a small jack splitter, but half the voltage means 1/4 the power, which makes both devices way too silent, even with the software volume cranked up to max.


Is there any way I can do this? Anything that could double the voltage before I split it perhaps?

 

[grimdeath]

yep, i had the same exact problem, look online or go to walmart(where i got mine ) and look for a audio jack Y splitter(not the real name i dont think) i got one made by belkin and it works great. if i remember correctly i found it next to the headphones and cd players

 

[suszterpatt]

That's what I said that caused a major sound loss due to the halving of voltage. Sorry if it didn't come through.

 

[suszterpatt]

Bump.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Buy an amp? PC->Amp->Y spliter.


Lethal

 

[suszterpatt]

Where can I get one of those? Would it affect sound quality in some way?

 

[Thorny]

My mobo allows me to program the jacks on the back to whatever I want them. I use one jack for my headphones and one for my main speakers. Windows volume controls both, while I can adjust them indepenantly using the AC97 control panel. Not sure how/if it works on your board, but has proven to be very handy with mine.

Tim

 

[suszterpatt]

MSI Reminds You...
If you don?t want to connect to the front audio header,
pins 5 & 6, 9 & 10 have to be jumpered in order to have
signal output directed to the rear audio ports. Otherwise,
the Line-Out connector on the back panel will not
function.

Doesn't sound like I have a choice for both.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

What about getting a cheap Chaintech AV710?

You can plug the headphones and speakers into the 1/2 (L/R) jack and the other into the 7/8 (Rear L / Rear R) jack. Toggle between the mode of output in the Chaintech control panel and you'll be able to switch output back and forth.

$30.

 

[suszterpatt]

Sounds like a bit more hassle for a bit more money and a bit less comfort.

 

[svi]

I too would suggest an amplifier. Specifically, a relatively simple, low-output amplifier, probably opamp-based-- the little pocket headphone amplifiers people like so much. Some people call the kind of amplifier I'm thinking of a CMoy, after the name of the guy who put the pocket amp tutorial and schematic on Headwize. You'd spend money (specifically, about $30 for a decent "CMoy", no more than $40-- there are cheaper, worse alternatives, like Radio Shack's Boostaroo or whatever it is, but I don't think you could go below $20), which is always something unfortunate in my book, but it's a relatively elegant and simple solution to your problem.

What to do with it? You could hook it up straight to the motherboard's line-out and connect the speaker amplifier's line-in (probably the cables coming out of the sub meant to hook up to the computer, computer speaker manufacturers like to put all that stuff there) and the headphones to the amplifier's output, or you could hook split the connection to the speakers and amplifier-> headphones. Put more simply:

Motherboard -> Amplifier -> Y-Splitter -> Speaker amp line in, headphones
or
Motherboard -> Y-Splitter -> (Speaker amp line in), (Amplifier -> headphones)

It's up to you what to do. From an audio purity perspective, you should run the signal through as few components as possible as so to ensure minimal signal degradation. Practically, I doubt even a cheapish decent opamp would really make a difference.. driving a power amplifier's line-in is not the most difficult of tasks. However, running the little amp to the headphones only does give you independent volume adjustment for the speakers and headphones (assuming the speakers have some sort of volume control on them).

Oh, if you plan to put it right after the motherboard in the chain (meaning between the motherboard's integrated audio and everything else, speaker amp line-in included), I think it should have common input ground and output ground (no amplification of ground channel) for it to work properly as a pre-amp (which is what it's doing if it goes between source and speaker amplifier). It's only the pricier, fancier headphone amps that aren't this way, so it's probably not a big deal. Of course, if you plan to use it only to drive the headphones, then it doesn't need anything special-- headphone driving is what headphone amplifiers are made to do, after all.

Er, also, I'm definitely not an expert or anything. If you don't mind the idea of buying an amp, you should definitely wait for others' advice.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by: svi
Motherboard -> Amplifier -> Y-Splitter -> Speaker amp line in, headphones
or
Motherboard -> Y-Splitter -> (Speaker amp line in), (Amplifier -> headphones)

I think the amp needs to come before the splitter (like in the first example). If it comes post splitter not only are you amping a lower quality signal but you'll need 2 amps (1 for each split).


Letha

 

[svi]

I think the amp needs to come before the splitter (like in the first example). If it comes post splitter not only are you amping a lower quality signal

The line-out is still driving basically two very-easy-to-drive loads in parallel, which beats the hell out of driving even a very efficient headphone directly. You're right, of course, I just don't think the degradation would be significant given the loads here (especially given that this is, after all, integrated audio driving computer speakers).

but you'll need 2 amps (1 for each split).

Why? The speaker amp's line in doesn't really need the amplifier (pre-amp, here, I guess) before it... most computer speaker sets have pre-amps built in.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by: svi
Why? The speaker amp's line in doesn't really need the amplifier (pre-amp, here, I guess) before it... most computer speaker sets have pre-amps built in.

The OP said that both the headphones and the speakers were too quiet so both signals, apparently, need to get increased. If you put the amp after the splitter you'd need one amp for each line (one to the speakers, one to the headphones).

Unless I'm missing something (which is always a possibility).


Lethal

 

[svi]

The OP said that both the headphones and the speakers were too quiet so both signals, apparently, need to get increased. If you put the amp after the splitter you'd need one amp for each line (one to the speakers, one to the headphones).

Unless I'm missing something (which is always a possibility).

I'd think the reason that the signal would be too quiet with nothing but the splitter is partly the difficulty of driving the headphones... you're right, there's a voltage decrease even if it's driving two really easy loads in parallel, but I'd think the fact that there are still amplifiers in both chains (the pre-amp and power amp with the speakers, the headphone amp with the headphones) would nullify this.

I definitely don't know this for sure, though, and I haven't had a pair of computer speakers for ages. Still, at least neither solution is set in concrete-- so long as the OP gets a headphone amplifier capable of working as a pre-amp (as all the relatively cheap, simple designs should), all e needs to do to switch from one solution to the other is change the order in which the stuff is connected.