Need Headphones that dont mute speakers...

[neilrlsmith]

This is an odd one as I dont know where to post this...I don't even know if there is a solution but I heard from my mums nans brothers auntie that it was possible.

I am very partially deaf. My wife is not. Therefore the TV is up to loud all the time (for her).

I want to be able to buy headphones that dont mute the speakers for her. The added complication is that we dont use the TVs speakers. I have an Onkyo 605 surround sound amp. Obviously if I plug headphones in, the speakers mute. Also the amp is about 8 meters away so the solution also has to be wireless.

Is this possible please???

[pixelpidgeon]

Hi. If the onkyo amp has optical out, you could always invest in a 'beresford tc-7510 dac' and a 10m optical cable off ebay. Then plug a decent set of headphones into the dac.
There may also be a setting in the onkyo amp to allow sound through speakers with headphones connected. cheers pixel

[pbirkett]

You will have to go for an external amp. Its not the headphones themselves that mute the speakers, its the electronics in the TV that detect when the headphones are plugged in which automatically mutes the speakers.

Try visiting www.headphone.com if you look in the product page, it will show you a list of wireless models, but ultimately, you are going to need some kind of amp.

One thought that comes to mind is a set of Pioneer wireless headphones I used to own, I think they were called DIR-800C or something like that. They came with a wireless base unit which was fed by a digital output. Was under £200. Sounds expensive, but something like that would, perhaps, be the optimal solution. That said, I'm sure Philips had a rival set not long after which was cheaper and better. In the end I reverted back to wired ones, but that might not be an option for you (not without a long cable, anyway).

[pixelpidgeon]

Hi again. Heres a link to the Beresford amp. http://www.homehifi.co.uk/TC-7510/orderuk.html

For ease you can also choose to purchase with coaxial or optical cable if you like. Thats if you were to position the amp close to your onkyo. This would mean that you would either have to go the wireless headphone route, or accept a longer headphone cable from your sitting position to the amp.

The other option is to hide a long (10m+) optical cable under the carpet from the onkyo amp to the beresford (your sitting position) and the just plug in sitable headphones.

Regarding wireless headphones here are a few options http://www.audiocubes.com/category/H...cy=GBP&sort=5a

or sennheiser SR 130' http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec...s/Product.html

sr 140's http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-1.../dp/B0007WGSMU

bear in mind that the sound quality will be better from a similarly priced quality wired headphone.
fyi i have the beresford and am very please with the sound quality both from the headphone out to external amp and speakers.

the other option is to replace your onkyo amp with an amp that doesnt shut off sound to the speakers when headphones are used. but i dont know of an amp that does this. im sure someone else on these forums might though. cheers pixel

[cribeiro]

I'd recommend the Sennheiser wireless solutions, they are cheaper and will get the job done, too (no surround sound, though).

The "mute" problem is not in the headphones, though. You will need to use a "tape out" in your receiver, or similar (instead of the digital out mentioned above) so that you can hear the same that the speakers are playing.

[pixelpidgeon]

why wont the digital out give the same signal as tape out. I was thinking along the lines that digital out would send whatever signal the amp was currently sending to the speakers? cheers

[cribeiro]

Originally Posted by pixelpidgeon

why wont the digital out give the same signal as tape out. I was thinking along the lines that digital out would send whatever signal the amp was currently sending to the speakers? cheers

That's a good question.

I do not know if the AVR digitizes the analog signals and outputs them over the digital out.

I do not know either if the digital inputs are output over the tape out.

Thus, maybe both are needed. Check the manual.

But my suggestion was rather to introduce a cheaper solution, I have nothing against the digital out

[pixelpidgeon]

glad to hear it! no seriously, i was interested, as it got me thinking about maybe only a certain digital signal was passed through and not whatever the amp is currently 'playing'. In fact, you have pointed this out. cheers

Originally Posted by cribeiro

That's a good question.

I do not know if the AVR digitizes the analog signals and outputs them over the digital out.

I do not know either if the digital inputs are output over the tape out.

Thus, maybe both are needed. Check the manual.

But my suggestion was rather to introduce a cheaper solution, I have nothing against the digital out

[eviljohn2]

I'd be wary of using the digital output - you wouldn't be wanting DD or DTS signals being sent to a DAC that won't decode them.

Coming out of the tape output and straight into a wireless headphone base station would seem like the easist option to me.

[cribeiro]

Originally Posted by eviljohn2

I'd be wary of using the digital output - you wouldn't be wanting DD or DTS signals being sent to a DAC that won't decode them.

Coming out of the tape output and straight into a wireless headphone base station would seem like the easist option to me.

But what happens if a digital signal is fed into the receiver? Do you get plain stereo out of the tape out for those too? I don't think so And thus, it wouldn't be a complete solution.

[pixelpidgeon]

see what you mean. apparently there is a way to se the digital out of a sky box to stereo. But this would only affect sky viewing and not dvd player etc.... and also would reduce the when watching something that includes surround sound and listening through a surround system and amps.

i agree then that tape out to wireless headphones seems a good way to go..

Originally Posted by eviljohn2

I'd be wary of using the digital output - you wouldn't be wanting DD or DTS signals being sent to a DAC that won't decode them.

Coming out of the tape output and straight into a wireless headphone base station would seem like the easist option to me.

[pixelpidgeon]

the more we delve the bigger the can of worms hehe
wheres the op gone... on holiday

Originally Posted by cribeiro

But what happens if a digital signal is fed into the receiver? Do you get plain stereo out of the tape out for those too? I don't think so And thus, it wouldn't be a complete solution.

[pablo99]

Maybe I'm reading the OP wrong but.....the answer here is simple with no need for optical, DACs, line level, etc.

Wife listens through Onkyo amp and speakers at a volume comfortable for her.

Hubby listens through headphones connected to TV, headphones mute the telly speakers and voila!

Headphones connected to the telly can be wired or wireless if preferred.

This assumes the telly has a headphone socket. I'm guessing it has if it has a line level out to the Onkyo amp.

Hope this helps

Pablo

[neilrlsmith]

Hi!

For some reason AV Forums didnt notify me of the responses so I assumed no-one cared

I want a simple no frills solution is possible, I just dont want to alter the sound config of the external speaker. Perhaps a little connection info will help.

Firstly, TV has NO speakers but does have a headphone socket.

TV is connected to Onkyo Amp via HDMI. The HDMi is obviously carrying picture only to the amp as the TV has no speakers.

Can I just plug headphones in to the TV then as Pablo suggested!!!?

Why do I think it wont be that simple

[mossym]

Originally Posted by neilrlsmith

Can I just plug headphones in to the TV then as Pablo suggested!!!?

Why do I think it wont be that simple

why don't you try it and see? surely you have a pair of headphones lying around, it won't do any damage.