Tv Headphone Connection Socket - Can I Make It Switched?

[moggie 939]

I often listen to my Sony smart tv through my wired headphones but because the headphone socket on he tv is located in a very difficult position below an HDmi lead and I find it very awkward to insert the 3.5mm headphone jack into the tv!

I do not want to change my headphones to a bluetooth pair so..........is there such a thing as a connector with a switch which will allow me to leave it in he tv and switch it off when not using the headphones?

Or is the best option to try and find a bluetooth pair which are comfortable/

Thanks

Moggie

[bhg481]

You can buy extension leads for headphones so, if you connect to the TV using one, you can break the connection there instead of at the TV.

[Old_Geezer]

I don't know but imagine they should exist. Try a websearch ?

Or get a neighbour's teenage son to knock one up for you ?

[Ellipsis]

Something like this will do ...

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

Just pull the headphones out when you're not using them, leaving the lead plugged in to the back of the TV.

[Buenchico]

I think that Moggie's problem relates to the fact that inserting the headphone plug into the socket on the rear of her TV mutes the internal speakers. That occurs because, when the plug is inserted, a prong insert the socket is pushed to one side, breaking the connection to the speakers.

The use of an extension lead (as suggested above) isn't going to help if Moggie still wants to get sound from the speakers on occasions, as there would still be a plug in the socket, thus muting the speakers.

Not being able to listen via BOTH the to the speakers AND through headphones simultaneously has long been a problem in households where one person has hearing difficulties, and thus needs to use headphones, while others want to listen to the sound from the speakers. However some manufacturers have responded to the problem by introducing a menu setting whereby users can choose whether or not they want to have the speakers disabled when they insert a headphone plug. If there's such a setting on Moggie's TV, she can leave her headphones plugged in and then switch between the two audio options in the TV's menu.

So it might be a good idea for Moggie to read through the user manual for her TV set, to see if there's mention of disabling the auto-mute function. (If you need help, Moggie, please provide us with the exact model number of your TV, which you should find on the rear of it).

[Ellipsis]

OK, there are a few possibilities.

One alternative would be to not listen to sound through your TV speakers but to use a separate set of speakers, or a hifi, or a soundbar, that had a headphone jack on it.

If there's already a mini hifi near the TV, that could be ideal.

Or if the smart TV has an optical audio output, this can feed a soundbar independently of the headphone socket - so you could plug an extension lead into the headphone socket and still listen on the soundbar.

[moggie 939]

Thank you Buenchico - yes that is exactly my problem! However - I have checked my Sony TV instns and you are correct! There is indeed a setting on the Bravia so I have now solved the problem.
Thanks everyone.
Moggie

[Hopkirk]

I love a story with a happy ending.

Well done Chris and Moggie.

[brainiac]

A great example of what AB (and Chris) is so good at!

[Ellipsis]

Well done, Chris ... buen, Chico ...