How to get audio out for Sennheiser Wireless Headphones from Onkyo TX-SR507

[Fozzie Bear]

I know this subject has been asked numerous times before and I have trawled the internet looking for a similar scenario to my setup but have decided to ask the community here for ideas.

I have recently purchased a FireTV Cube which is connected to my Onkyo TX-SR507 and now controls the attached AV peripherals via HDMI CEC. Sound from any attached devices is now routed to the surround sound system and the TV speakers turned right down. (Prior to this all devices were directly connected to the TV via individual HDMI or Scart leads and were selected by the TV remote).


I have a pair of Sennheiser RS130 wireless headphones which previously worked fine with any attached video/audio source but have now stopped working. The Sony TV has to option to either mute the sound when headphones are plugged in or direct audio to the TV speakers AND the Headphone socket simultaneously. This was great if my wife wanted the TV sound down but I wanted to wear the headphones.

Since changing the connection setup I cannot get audio out of the TV headphone socket from any of the AV devices e.g. Fire TV, BD Player or Humax recorder. The only time it works is if I watch live TV via the built in Sony Digital Terrestrial Tuner.


Firstly I there a setting in the Sony TV which will allow HDMI audio to be transferred to the Headphone socket? Obviously this is the preferred solution as the setup is already configured this way. I have explored most options but cannot see anything in the settings which might be appropriate.

Secondly, failing an easy tweak above, will either of the following options work:

1. Take Audio Out from pins 1 and 3 of the scart socket on the TV using an appropriate adapter and feed the Sennheiser transmitter from this?
2. Can I use the left and right Surround Pre-Outs from the back of the Onkyo? Are these always active or only when 7.1 is selected as a speaker configuration.
3. Purchase an HDMI Audio extractor such as this and connect the Sennheiser transmitter to it?
   
   Notes Connecting directly to the headphone out socket on the front of the Onkyo is not possible as this mutes the speakers and cannot be altered.
   My only doubt with options 1-3 above is the Sennheiser seems to be designed to connect to a headphone socket (which I believe is low impedance????) and if the output would be sufficient to drive the transmitter.

For clarification I am not looking for HiFi audio only basic stereo on the headphones. Unless absolutely necessary I don’t want to get into purchasing expensive Headphone amps for the few times I need to use the headphones.

Attached is a basic schematic of the connections for clarification

 

[Rodders53]

page 76 HDMI AudioTVOut

Although it may not do exactly what you want.

Zone 2 pre out page 80 might also work to some extent as a way of feeding the headphone sender? That also has a limitation on the Z1 audio support? It will require a Z2 volume to be used to be set/preset to hear anything, but the main zone speakers could be down/off/ set differently in volume.

Surround pre out is not suitable. It would need the main amp speakers to be driven.

EDIT: Quite often older AVRs have issues with hdmi sound being decoded to both zones... but if you are only listening to the same source as the main it may be OK?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Many thanks Rodders53.

Thank you for pointing me to the HDMI AudioTVOut section in the manual which I will experiment with however Im not sure it will work if the notes below the section you pointed me to are accurate.
It states in note 1 "If set "ON" is selected and the signal can be output by the TV, the AV receiver will output no sound through its speakers". If I read this correctly this effectively mutes the receiver and surround sound so I would be no better off than connecting directly to the headphone jack.
I am beginning to think taking audio from the scart socket or via a HDMI Audio extractor is the only sure way to achieve what I need. Do you know if these will output sufficient signal to drive the Sennheiser transmitter

 

[Rodders53]

Try it? Easily switched on/off.
My Onkyo 515 happily passes audio over hdmi to my Panny TV and I can select either Home Cinema sound/control or TV Speaker.... I've never tried the TV headphones, I must admit!

Try zone 2 out also? Unless that, too doesn't fulfill your needs.

I understood your headphone need to be for when you only wanted to listen via headphones though...
Check out the threads on hard of hearing wanting simultaneous sound from two systems?

Scart out of TV would have no audio - other than from TV tuner and any devices connected direct to TV inputs I'd have thought?
Cheap enough to try, if you have the bits to make up a suitable lead.
Usually is a fixed level (domestic rather than professional level) and should be enough for the Sennheiser Tx (read/check the spec sheets?).

HDMI audio extractor is similar - but will probably not work for all the connected inputs to the AVR as sound won't usually be output on the TV hdmi cable... So may require a hdmi switch box, too and only one input to the AVR?