[blargleblarg]

Hey guys, I'm new to hi fi stuff, so pardon my igorance.
 
I have a secondhand Onkyo AVR with a 1/4" headphone jack. I also have a pair of Harmon/Kardon headphones with a 3.5mm plug. I bought a stereo 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter and an extension cable to listen to my turntable with my headphones, but whenever I plug my phones into the 1/4" adapter (via the extension or not), the sound is quite distorted. What should I do? Do I need a headphone amp?

 

[Kylv]

  Do you have a different receiver or component somewhere that you could plug the headphones in to using the 1/4" adapter?  To see if the issue is the Onkyo or the adapter itself?
 
 I assume the receiver sounds fine when putting sound directly to speakers?  Is the 1/8th" plug being fully inserted into the 1/4" adapter?  sometimes they are pretty tight so that you don't pull it out on accident when the plug is inserted into the receiver. 

 

[blargleblarg]

Unfortunately I have no other equipment that will fit the larger plug. Everything sounds great from the loudspeakers and sub. All connections are tight. However, the sound is dramatically better when the 1/8 plug is pulled out of the adapter slightly.

 

[davidsh]

Probably a bad adapter

 

[blargleblarg]

I am using this adapter and this extension cable.

 

[blargleblarg]

I am currently using a Planet Waves 1/8 Inch Female Stereo to 1/4 Inch Male Stereo Adapter and a Monoprice 3.5mm M to F extension cable.

 

[Kylv]

Reading even a few of the 1 star reviews on Amazon for the adapter there are multiple people saying the same things you are.  Bad sound, only works when 1/8th is slightly pulled out, only providing mono sound.

 I would suspect that particular piece of equipment as the problem.