Can a headphone Y splitter damage my headphones?

[GustavMahler]

Hi,
I have a Y splitter connected to my PC, And if i hit or move one of the headphones it makes sound in the other one. Now i understand that one headphone can start sending a signal to the other headphone just like a microphone. Is it a bad Y splitter (I think probably it is) But can it cause any harm?

 

[guitargonaut]

While a headphone can work as a mic, like a mic, the signal it may produce isn't going to be big enough to cause any damage or be heard in the other pair.  The noise you're hearing isn't caused by the headphone - more than likely you're hearing the connection make and break between the splitter and your pc.

 

[MindsMirror]

  While a headphone can work as a mic, like a mic, the signal it may produce isn't going to be big enough to cause any damage or be heard in the other pair.  The noise you're hearing isn't caused by the headphone - more than likely you're hearing the connection make and break between the splitter and your pc.

Actually it is sound traveling from one headphone to the other. I tried it with my Y splitter. Tap the left ear cup and you hear it in the left of the other headphone, and vice versa. It won't damage anything though. Headphones are intended to have electrical signals sent to them, and that is all that is happening. You are doing more damage to the headphone you are hitting or moving, than to the headphone that it's connected to though the splitter. So unless you're hitting it very hard, you're doing no damage at all.

 

[GustavMahler]

Good to know, Thanks
I also wonder why it is not possible to connect two headphones to two different headphone jacks. It would work fine, I don't see the problem.

 

[MindsMirror]

  I also wonder why it is not possible to connect two headphones to two different headphone jacks. It would work fine, I don't see the problem.

What do you mean by that, do you mean mixing the sound from the two headphone jacks together? I could explain with a circuit diagram why you should not do that with a splitter cable.

 

[GustavMahler]

I mean outputting sound to two headphones at the same time. If i connect two headphones (Without a splitter, To different outputs of the PC) It only outputs to one headphone. Is that becuase the PC's soundcard has only one amp?

 

[MindsMirror]

It's because Windows will only let you choose one output device, it's a software limitation.

 

[Jacorby]

  I mean outputting sound to two headphones at the same time. If i connect two headphones (Without a splitter, To different outputs of the PC) It only outputs to one headphone. Is that becuase the PC's soundcard has only one amp?

I think it is possible yes @GustavMahler   Sorry to see that you are now banned, but for others who come across this, and your case in the event of a future re-visiting, a lead might be the software "Digital Audio Cable".  There is a utility in this package, I understand, which overcomes the Windows software limitation, where a program can only be broadcast through one audio device.  So that you can double headphone out, i believe, or double line out(pending you have line-outs), utilizing the repeater utility portion of the software tool.
 
The software is commercial.
 
I understand that this limitation is subjective to windows versioning, and products like windows xp included support for multiple audio streaming, but said functionality was later decidedly not included in the Windows 7 operating system.  I also understand that VAC was popular for overcoming these same limitations seen in windows 98'...  New doesn`t always mean improved in all cases.  You might boot xp. ahah hah.