Speaker/Headphone Switchers
Wednesday, September 3, 2003 by grayhaze | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I recently bought a new case for my machine which had front access sockets for headphones and line-in audio. Unfortunately the connector on the inside isn't compatible with my Live! soundcard, being a standard six-pin header designed to be attached to on-board soundcards on modern motherboards. So I started looking at possible solutions to get a useable headphone socket on my system.
I decided it's probably time to upgrade to an Audigy 2 card anyway, but that has pretty much the same internal connectors on the card as the old Live! ones, as they are designed only for use with the breakout box that comes with the Platinum versions. Now, I wasn't willing to spend an extra £130 on the Platinum Audigy 2 just to get a headphone socket.
My speakers are the old Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater surround speakers, which have their own external amplifier, but unfortunately no headphone socket. The idea of buying new speakers to get the socket also isn't viable.
Does anyone know of a company who manufacture a speaker/headphone switcher box in the UK? This would allow me to plug the box into the soundcard output at the rear of the computer, and then be able to switch between sending that output to the speakers connected to one output on the box or the headphones connected to the other output. This would be the ideal solution, but I'm finding it impossible to locate such a seemingly simple thing.
Anyone?
I decided it's probably time to upgrade to an Audigy 2 card anyway, but that has pretty much the same internal connectors on the card as the old Live! ones, as they are designed only for use with the breakout box that comes with the Platinum versions. Now, I wasn't willing to spend an extra £130 on the Platinum Audigy 2 just to get a headphone socket.
My speakers are the old Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater surround speakers, which have their own external amplifier, but unfortunately no headphone socket. The idea of buying new speakers to get the socket also isn't viable.
Does anyone know of a company who manufacture a speaker/headphone switcher box in the UK? This would allow me to plug the box into the soundcard output at the rear of the computer, and then be able to switch between sending that output to the speakers connected to one output on the box or the headphones connected to the other output. This would be the ideal solution, but I'm finding it impossible to locate such a seemingly simple thing.
Anyone?
grayhaze
Reply #2 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 7:44 AM
Reply #2 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 7:44 AM
Well I already have a recent motherboard with on-board sound, but it produces inferior quality sound and doesn't have an SPDIF output for connecting to my speakers like the SoundBlasters do. I tried switching to the on-board sound for a while to see if I could bear the downgrade, but I just missed all the features I lost in the transistion.
kona0197
Reply #3 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 7:46 AM
Reply #3 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 7:46 AM
Well I would not spend that kind of $$$ for a sound card either. unfortantly all of the add ons I know of for doing what you want done are here in the US...
IPlural
Reply #4 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 8:33 AM
Reply #4 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 8:33 AM
if you know or can find the pin-out on the female and the male connectors, you can buy the ends and wire your own so you can make the connection.
Probably cost you about $2.50 - $5.00 us....
Probably cost you about $2.50 - $5.00 us....
GhoS
Reply #5 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 2:25 PM
Reply #5 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 2:25 PM
I used to use a split connection on the output. Its not a box, but was simply a splitter of sorts but just wires. Plug it into where the line out jack is, plug the speakers in one side, and the headphones in the other. With my setup anyway, if I turned the volume switch on the headphones up, the speakers went down....... turn the headphones down and speakers were back up. I dont' believe it was a feature of the headphones either. Just need own volume control on the headphones.
The splitter I used is fairly common in the states, I would assume you could find it in the UK also.
The splitter I used is fairly common in the states, I would assume you could find it in the UK also.
MadIce
Reply #6 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 6:26 PM
Reply #6 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 6:26 PM
Not really switches, but here is a http://www.starland.co.uk/pages/kia/a41.htm to some splitters. They also have converters.
voo
Reply #7 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 7:55 PM
Reply #7 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 7:55 PM
Would that be NVIDIA nForce2 your using grayhaze that has NVIDIA's SoundStorm?
Dont think this is a switch but it might come in handy, at Overclockers UK. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Motherboard_Accessories.html
I've not seen many cases with those at the front, usually at the top or rear, as Xaser cases use those and can hook it up to your board. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Thermaltake_Cases.html
Dont think this is a switch but it might come in handy, at Overclockers UK. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Motherboard_Accessories.html
I've not seen many cases with those at the front, usually at the top or rear, as Xaser cases use those and can hook it up to your board. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Thermaltake_Cases.html
Iben
Reply #8 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 9:10 PM
Reply #8 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 9:10 PM
I've got a gateway computer and Sound Blaster Audigy platinum eX.
I have two speakers and a subwoofer that came with the computer.
The speakers have a mic jack and a headphone jack.
The Audigy has an external drive that has a phone jack with a volume knob.
It also has a guitar jack , a optical cable jack,mic jack and many others.
The Audigy card will automatically detect my headphones and turn off the speakers or I can have both on a once.
The best thing I ever did was buy my Gateway and my Audigy sound card.
I am one very happy customer.
The Audigy is awesome!!!!!!!!!!
I have two speakers and a subwoofer that came with the computer.
The speakers have a mic jack and a headphone jack.
The Audigy has an external drive that has a phone jack with a volume knob.
It also has a guitar jack , a optical cable jack,mic jack and many others.
The Audigy card will automatically detect my headphones and turn off the speakers or I can have both on a once.
The best thing I ever did was buy my Gateway and my Audigy sound card.
I am one very happy customer.
The Audigy is awesome!!!!!!!!!!
Iben
Reply #9 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 9:14 PM
Reply #9 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 9:14 PM
The Audigy external drive also has a remote control, that you can run your computer with from your bed or a chair while you listen to music and watch slide shows or DVDs. 
Iben
Reply #10 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 9:19 PM
Reply #10 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 9:19 PM
Today I upgraded to 512 MB Ram so now I can do every thing a once and write messages on this board. 
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Reply #1 Wednesday, September 3, 2003 7:39 AM
just a thought.....