I just recently purchased the Philips Citiscape Uptown headphones (http://www.head-fi.org/t/612677/review-philips-citiscape-uptown-updated-sept-13-2012), and they're working fantastically in my iPod, phone and directly into the computer. However whenever I plug them into an extension cord (some cheap one I picked up some time ago), they sound like absolute garbage. Every other set of headphones I plug into this same extension cord sound pretty much the same as when plugged directly to the source. 
 
I'm wondering if there is anything unique about extension cables and cord controls. The only difference I can tell between the Uptown headphones and other ones I try is that the Uptown have gain control and a single button mic control. As a side note, when I have the Uptown headphones plugged into the extension cord and hit the mic button, they sound just as good as they would when plugged directly into the source.
 
 
Thanks.

I just got my Citiscape Uptown's and was loving them at home.  I brought them into work and plugged them into my extension cord which then goes into my mac.  They sounded like two tins cans on strings!  Horrible.  I noticed that if I pressed the talk button on the cord, the quality returned to normal. 
 
I did a google search and here I am - I would never have suspected the extension cable but plugging the citiscape's directly into the mac takes away the problem.
 
Very strange but thanks for posting!

So your plugging a 4 Pin TRRS into a 3 Pin TRS extension?
 
Do you push the connector in all the way?
Try just plugging it in til it just catches the first stop, so that the last ring is exposed.
 

What he said. Are the other headphones your trying head sets with mic's and apple control or just head phones.
 

"So your plugging a 4 Pin TRRS into a 3 Pin TRS extension?" Yes
 
"Do you push the connector in all the way?" Yes
 
"Try just plugging it in til it just catches the first stop, so that the last ring is exposed."  Didn't make a difference.
 
"What he said. Are the other headphones your trying head sets with mic's and apple control or just head phones." I tried another headset/mic set (etymotic hf3's) and same problem.  My regular etymotic er4p's (no mic obviously) sound excellent (as usual) with the extension.

The problem is the TRRS going into the TRS extension...
 
You'll need a TRRS extension:
http://www.markertek.com/Cables/Audio-Cables/iPod-Interface-Cables/Sescom/IPHONE-ADAPT-1.xhtml?IPHONE-ADAPT-2
 
Or you can get a TRRS Splitter that will separate the mic and headphones:
http://www.amazon.com/Woodees-VOIPAD35-Laptop-Adaptor/dp/B0046RE60I/ref=pd_sim_e_4
 
That way you can just plug your headphones into the splitter and your extension onto the headphone plug from the splitter.
 
I personally would go with the TRRS extension from markertek in whatever size you need.
Also if you have any soldering skills, markertek sells all the parts for you to build your own TRRS extension.

Quote:

The problem is the TRRS going into the TRS extension...
 
You'll need a TRRS extension:
http://www.markertek.com/Cables/Audio-Cables/iPod-Interface-Cables/Sescom/IPHONE-ADAPT-1.xhtml?IPHONE-ADAPT-2
 
Or you can get a TRRS Splitter that will separate the mic and headphones:
http://www.amazon.com/Woodees-VOIPAD35-Laptop-Adaptor/dp/B0046RE60I/ref=pd_sim_e_4
 
That way you can just plug your headphones into the splitter and your extension onto the headphone plug from the splitter.
 
I personally would go with the TRRS extension from markertek in whatever size you need.
Also if you have any soldering skills, markertek sells all the parts for you to build your own TRRS extension.
 

Click to expand...

Awesome. Thanks, I'm going to try and put one together myself!

Quote:

kidfiction said:

Awesome. Thanks, I'm going to try and put one together myself!

Click to expand...

Your Welcome!
 
Good Luck with the cable and be sure to let us know how you make out!

Yes, like the others your extension cable is the older trs stereo and not the new trrs 4 pole. second mistake is the gain control, will degrade base tones, all it is is a variable resistor, place it to the loudest setting (near zero ohms) and hot glue it their. use the volume control of the device. In a nutshell, you are increasing the impedance of the headphones, which will kill your base response. If the amp was made right it will have high speed buffer within the amps feedback, giving much better audio. most affordable amps cut the high speed buffers out, so impedance change will change the base response curve.

Extension cords will introduce insertion loss of the connector, and increase impedance due to the cable itself. Lutz wire is now used in cords to reduce internal added impedance. Use the shortest cord to do the job.

Quote:

estefan2020 said:

Yes, like the others your extension cable is the older trs stereo and not the new trrs 4 pole. second mistake is the gain control, will degrade base tones, all it is is a variable resistor, place it to the loudest setting (near zero ohms) and hot glue it their. use the volume control of the device. In a nutshell, you are increasing the impedance of the headphones, which will kill your base response. If the amp was made right it will have high speed buffer within the amps feedback, giving much better audio. most affordable amps cut the high speed buffers out, so impedance change will change the base response curve.

Extension cords will introduce insertion loss of the connector, and increase impedance due to the cable itself. Lutz wire is now used in cords to reduce internal added impedance. Use the shortest cord to do the job.

Click to expand...

 
Interesting estefan2020... we have a very fine Sound Science forum for all that lovely stuff...
 
15' of extension isn't going to change audible jack squat on a pair of Uptown's plugged into an iPod or a Laptop...