Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › [ask] cable to connect my soundcard and headphone
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

[ask] cable to connect my soundcard and headphone

post #1 of 16
10/3/10 at 10:30pm
Thread Starter 

hi..

wanna ask something

 

i want to connect my SC with headphone, so i need RCA to mini jack cable

 

i needsome advice, is the CHORD COBRA 3 cable is good for this?

 

thx

Reply
post #2 of 16
10/4/10 at 4:00am

what you're asking doesn't make sense to me - more info req.

 

can't you plug the headphone's to the audio out of the SC?

 

Reply
post #3 of 16
10/4/10 at 7:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lenni View Post

what you're asking doesn't make sense to me - more info req.

 

can't you plug the headphone's to the audio out of the SC?

 



yes, i cant plug my headphone to my sc directly, because my SC dont have ampli built in, and dont have Headphone out

my SC have digital output and RCA output only.

 

 i wanna use the RCA output because my SC best quality is in the RCA output

 

so, i need interconnet 2 male RCA to female mini

 

is the chord cobra 3 good for this?

thx

Reply
post #4 of 16
10/4/10 at 9:08am

I don't think you can connect the headphone's directly to the RCA outputs - won't work. but you can connect the SC to an external headphone amp. using the RCA or digital outputs.

 

personally I don't like Chord's cables

Reply
post #5 of 16
10/4/10 at 10:23am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lenni View Post

I don't think you can connect the headphone's directly to the RCA outputs - won't work. but you can connect the SC to an external headphone amp. using the RCA or digital outputs.

 

personally I don't like Chord's cables



why?

can u tell me the reason?

why u dont like chord cable>?

Reply
post #6 of 16
10/4/10 at 2:00pm

I've not tried the cobra's, but I had a bad experience with one of their "award winning" speaker cables, and some other IC's: basic cheap junk not worth half the price.

 

check Blue Jeans cables, or also Emotiva's RCA IC's for less expensive, better built, and performing cables, than Chord's.

 

personally I never buy anything "Made in England". ymmv


Edited by Lenni - 10/4/10 at 2:01pm
Reply
post #7 of 16
10/4/10 at 3:07pm

Delete


Edited by labrat - 9/15/11 at 2:41pm
Reply
post #8 of 16
10/5/10 at 5:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by labrat View Post

Assuming your term "SC" means your "SoundCard", if it only have RCA and digital outs, it is not meant to drive HeadPhones directly.

Digital Out is for connecting to a DAC, to "reformat" a Digital signal to an audible analog audio signal, meant to be sent to an analog amplifier.

The RCA's is analog audio LineOut signals meant to be connected to an analog amplifier directly.

None of these are powered signals designed to drive headphones directly!

You might connect a headphone to the RCA connectors via some adapter cables, you would also get some sound from your connected headphones.

But as these outputs are not meant to drive a load (represented by your connected headphones) but to connect to a high impedance/no load LineIn to an amplifier, your perceived sound would not be correct.


so, if i try to coneect it directly without ampli, my headphone will broken or not?

 

and, just for info, i am using headphone with low impedance 35 ohm, my headphone is AD900

Reply
post #9 of 16
10/5/10 at 11:49am

Delete


Edited by labrat - 9/15/11 at 2:41pm
Reply
post #10 of 16
10/6/10 at 7:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by labrat View Post

Neither your soundcard nor your headphones will be broken.

But as the headphones is seen as an active, dynamic load to a circuit with very little power to keep it's output up as the load is increasing, your headphones output sound will be anything but correct, neither in frequency linearity nor speed/transients presented.

Some do like this!

But it is not correct.

You should get an amplifier to connect to, between your SoundCard and your headphones.

To start with, don't you have chance to find a receiver with a headphone out?

Some "classic", older models have nice headphone outputs, and can be found cheap/affordable used.



but i dont have large budjet to buy an ampli

if i buy cheap ampli, i am affraid it will reduce the sound quality

 

i am very confusing now, hehe


Edited by mm38 - 10/6/10 at 7:04am
Reply
post #11 of 16
10/6/10 at 7:20am

Your sound card will not drive your headphones (if there are only RCA and digital outs). Usually sound cards have a headphone out, can you give your sound card info.(model/brand) so we can look at it?

 

If you have a receiver with a headphone out, you could send your RCA connections to it. Otherwise, you will have to get an amp of some sort to drive your headphones as mentioned before.

 

If cost is an issue, type in your budget dollar amount in the amp forum to see what comes up. Buying used on the sales forums are your best value.

 

You cannot drive your headphones with the RCAs. You might get some sound but that's it. Nothing will sound right because the drivers aren't being controlled.

 

I saw a thread that had $25 amps that is worth checking into with limited funds.

Reply
post #12 of 16
10/6/10 at 7:27am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Camper View Post

Your sound card will not drive your headphones (if there are only RCA and digital outs). Usually sound cards have a headphone out, can you give your sound card info.(model/brand) so we can look at it?

 

If you have a receiver with a headphone out, you could send your RCA connections to it. Otherwise, you will have to get an amp of some sort to drive your headphones as mentioned before.

 

If cost is an issue, type in your budget dollar amount in the amp forum to see what comes up. Buying used on the sales forums are your best value.

 

You cannot drive your headphones with the RCAs. You might get some sound but that's it. Nothing will sound right because the drivers aren't being controlled.

 

I saw a thread that had $25 amps that is worth checking into with limited funds.



ok, my soundcard is ONKYO SE200pci Ltd, that is dont have ampli built in, right?

 

and my headphone is AD900

 

ok, i will try to post in amp forum

Reply
post #13 of 16
10/6/10 at 10:15am

mm38... I have to ask: why did you choose the ONKIO over the  Asus Xonar ??  --> here

Reply
post #14 of 16
10/6/10 at 4:13pm
Thread Starter 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lenni View Post

mm38... I have to ask: why did you choose the ONKIO over the  Asus Xonar ??  --> here



because :

 

1. i already read many reviews in many forum, and i found a lot of people agree that onkio is better than xonar, u can read the review in head-fi = http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/451608/onkyo-se200pci-ltd-or-asus-xonar-essence-st

 

2. onkyo is a company that focus in audio for many years, and asus is a company that focus to computers hardware but try to make a good soundcard

 

3. i dont have time and skill to do mod, even a little mod.. if i choose stx, i wont roll the opamp, and i think i cant get the "real" stx without change the opamp.

 

4. onkyo use PCI, and stx use pci-e. if i choose stx, i will be a little problem. because i use a big graphic card, and it is only a little space between my vga to pci-e slot

i know asus have ST that use pci, but i think the price is to high for quality like that. 

 

that's why i choose onkyo...


Edited by mm38 - 10/6/10 at 4:15pm
Reply
post #15 of 16
10/6/10 at 9:11pm

Delete


Edited by labrat - 9/15/11 at 2:20pm
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › [ask] cable to connect my soundcard and headphone