# Earphones with two inputs



## HQentity (Feb 7, 2011)

Ok, so I have set up my tv in such a way that I can play my xbox with the sound through headphones from the aux out on the tv, but i really want to listen to music through my iPod at the same time. Is there some way of having two inputs for one set if headphones? Any help much appreciated.


----------



## Impera (Jul 17, 2005)

Hi,

Yes, you can, but needs some stripping to be done to the headphones.

Method 1:

Cut the headphones cable. You should have either 3 or 4 sets of cables (normally 2 of them are plastic isolated (red and white) and a third cable naked (no isolation for a 3 cables cable) or 2 black wires( for a 4 cables cable). The colored cables are the signal cables for each headphone (left and right) and the other cables (the naked one or the 2 black wires) are ground.

Get another set of old headphones and cut the cable. You will be using the male plug. This cable should look identical to your original headphones.

Now just twist all cables with their corresponding colors, so you will be having one end with the headphones and 2 male connectors on the odther end (reds with reds, whites with whites, naked cables all together or black wires all together).

Method 2:

Get 1 adaptor that has 1 female miniplug entry on one side and 2 female miniplugs entries on the other side.
Get 2 cables with both ends having a male miniplug entry.
Connect your headphones to the adapter on the single female miniplug entry.
Connect the 2 cables on the other 2 female miniplug entries (one cable on each plug).
Connect your ipod on one male plug.
Connect your aux out on the other male plug.

Hope it helps !


----------



## Soundy (Feb 17, 2006)

^Have you actually tried this?

I suspect not, because this should sound like $#!t... the output of each device will appear as a parallel load to the other device, and AT BEST will cause one or the other or both to distort at a lower volume level than normal.

The PROPER way to do this is with a device known as a MIXER. There are dozens of variations on the idea, including some designed specifically for this purpose. For example: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102920#


----------



## wolfworx (Oct 2, 2001)

I created a device similar to Impera's method #2: two female inputs and one female output. I installed and wired the three female jacks in a box and added a three position switch for selecting input 1, input 2 or both, I use it to select the input to my speakers from the two computers I use with a KVM to share a single keyboard display and mouse.


----------



## HQentity (Feb 7, 2011)

Thanks for all the help guys 

I gave Imperias method 2 a go, but like you mentioned, the quality came out pretty rough, probably not helped by the way my TV aux connection is really broken when the wire got moved to hoover.  I would try method 1 but I would probably just end up with a load of cut up wires knowing me XD

The mixer looks fantastic, I might see what I can find cheap when I get paid


----------

