Single Xonar soundcard - speakers and headset...how to make it work?

J

joxang

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 30, 2010
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All I need to drive using my computer is a gaming headset (games), and a set of 2.1 speakers (films). Both run off a 3.5mm connector.

What's the best way of making this work? I've thought of using a splitter, but not sure how this would affect the sound quality. Also thought of using some kind of amp/receiver thingy but know next to nothing about audio hardware.
 
The wires that connect these things are tiny, so there is a concern about audio quality, but unless you are a super audiophile, I'm guessing you can't detect it.

And, I don't think you have a choice really that is as elegant as this. I think the Xonar Essence has a headphone-out and a line-out so you can have them both plugged into the card and I guess switch in software.

I am lazy so I wish someone would write a program that lets you hit one key and switch the Xonar profiles between headphone and speaker.
 
If your case has some sort of front panel audio, you can wire it to the sound card and plug the headphones in. Leave the 2.1 speakers in the rear (card) ports. The ASUS software will let you switch between each output while leaving both connected.
 
A regular y-cable/splitter should work fine here.

Any Xonar should have a decent low impedance output and any properly designed amp should have a high impedance input. You'll draw a little more current, but in most cases it should work fine with an indistinguishable difference in quality with a well-made cable.

If you do get some weird sound issues, putting a cheap headphone amp between the y-cable and your headphones would be your best bet.
 
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