Audio switch between headphones and quad speakers
According to the nice people at my local electronics/computer shop, a lot of people have asked for this but no one anywhere sells it. Maybe someone here can help.
I (like many, many people) have my computer audio going to a setup with speakers in front and back. My sound card has two outputs, a stereo output for the front speakers and one for the rear speakers. What I want is a device with a knob or button; when I turn this knob, I select between headphones disabled and all four speakers active, or headphones active and all four speakers disabled.
Regular switches will not work (i.e., don't put this link in your answer http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=CTLG_004_002_007_000&product_id=26-204). Every single headphones switch I have seen will only acccept ONE (1) line from the computer. As I described, I've got a line for the front speakers and a second one for the rear. Ideally, when the speakers are disabled I'd like to have a mix of front and rear sent to the headphones, but I'd be happy enough if only the front went to the phones and the rear got lost.
I'll accept either of two answers to this question:
1 - a link to a product page where I can buy it
2 - a schematic for a circuit to build it, but only from a design that has actually been built and used
Note: if you've got the schematic, you may want to start a small home business. www.unicornelex.com will place an order for a bunch of them, I'm certain.
I (like many, many people) have my computer audio going to a setup with speakers in front and back. My sound card has two outputs, a stereo output for the front speakers and one for the rear speakers. What I want is a device with a knob or button; when I turn this knob, I select between headphones disabled and all four speakers active, or headphones active and all four speakers disabled.
Regular switches will not work (i.e., don't put this link in your answer http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=CTLG_004_002_007_000&product_id=26-204). Every single headphones switch I have seen will only acccept ONE (1) line from the computer. As I described, I've got a line for the front speakers and a second one for the rear. Ideally, when the speakers are disabled I'd like to have a mix of front and rear sent to the headphones, but I'd be happy enough if only the front went to the phones and the rear got lost.
I'll accept either of two answers to this question:
1 - a link to a product page where I can buy it
2 - a schematic for a circuit to build it, but only from a design that has actually been built and used
Note: if you've got the schematic, you may want to start a small home business. www.unicornelex.com will place an order for a bunch of them, I'm certain.
SOLUTION
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ASKER
DabRain, doesn't attaching all the grounds together lead to crosstalk between the channels? If there is such a thing as an 8-pole, 2 position switch, that would do it, right? If i need to build this, I'd actually rather not deal with circuitry and ICs and relays, and this sounds promising...
Watzman, that live drive is awesome... just a little too rich for my wallet at this time. It won't work with my Live! soundcard, so I'd need to get both.
Watzman, that live drive is awesome... just a little too rich for my wallet at this time. It won't work with my Live! soundcard, so I'd need to get both.
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ASKER
All right, I think I've got a plan. This seems pretty easy to build: I just need the switch, three stereo jacks (to speakers and headphones), and three stereo plugs (to pull off the sound card). I can even run the headphone jack and switch inside the case to a blank drive bay and make it look swanky like the live drive. I can machine an expansion port cover like the one here to connect to the sound card...
http://www.frontx.com/cpx073.html
The whole thing should cost about 15 dollars, plus be a lot of fun!
Thanks for the help!
http://www.frontx.com/cpx073.html
The whole thing should cost about 15 dollars, plus be a lot of fun!
Thanks for the help!
A normal closed-circuit stereo headphone jack will do what you want for two speakers (the left and right front speakers), but would not cut off the speakers other than the main left and right speakers (by the way, I am assuming that you are driving the speakers with line-outs, and that the speakers have internal power amps).
Suggestion -- you won't like this now, but it do it you will love it later -- Get a new sound card, a Soundblaster Audigy Platinum with the "live drive". These have a headphone jack that does exaclty what you want built into the live drive. But the live drive has a LOT more -- it has Toslink optical digital inputs and outptus, mic inputs, headhphone jack (that cuts off the speakers) with a real knob volume control, Line inputs and outputs, SPDIF digital inputs and outputs, IR remote control, midi inputs and outputs and a firewire input and output. All in a very sexy looking control panel that mounts on the front of your computer in a 5.25" drive bay. This is the ultimate in sound cards. You can get this in an Audigy, Audigy 2 or Audigy 2 ZS, list price is $199, but you can find the Audigy 2's for about $50 to $70, in fact the factory sells refurbs on E-Bay with a factory warranty (search for "Audigy Platinum").