[bloodandsoil]

Need some technical help here. Just got my ATH-A900 headphones. And I have a Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card.

My sound card has 3 audio-outs (as well as 1 audio-in, microphone jack). Currently I have my monitor's built-in speakers plugged into the audio-out #1 jack on my sound card. And that works fine.

Well so I plugged in my headphones to the audio-out #2 port, but I can't hear anything. Why is that?

My idea is that I want to have my monitor speakers plugged into audio-out #1 and my headphones plugged into audio-out #2, so that when I want to listen to my headphones I will just mute my monitor speakers.

 

[alexpea]

If there's sound from the monitor-speakers, then try plugging the phones into that output. Also try unplugging the speakers, making only the output #2 be connected to the phones.

Now tell me what you discovered

 

[bloodandsoil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexpea /img/forum/go_quote.gif If there's sound from the monitor-speakers, then try plugging the phones into that output.

Yes, when I do this I can hear sound from my headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexpea /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also try unplugging the speakers, making only the output #2 be connected to the phones.

When I do this, I can't hear any sounds from the headphones.

My goal was to have my monitor-speakers and my headphones BOTH plugged into the sound card at the same time. So that way, I can just mute my monitor-speakers and put on my headphones. Make sense?

But it appears that the output #2 jack does not work on my sound card.

 

[alexpea]

Or maybe it's just not an output? Exactly which soundcard do you have? There are many versions of the X-Fi...

 

[bloodandsoil]

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer.

The three output ports look identical, except that one is labeled with "1" and is green, the other with "2" and is blue, and the other with "3" and is pink. They all have the picture representing output--the ((( ))) with the arrow coming out of it.

 

[uraflit]

it wont work that way. what you are referring to as output#1 is the only one you should be using.

i dunno any way around unplugging/plugging in speakers and headphones in your case

 

[bloodandsoil]

What about using the front panel microphone or audio-out jacks?

 

[rb67]

The only way you can get it so you don't have to unplug your speakers or install a switch is if you have a front panel jack. Check to see if you have a mount on your case, and you can buy and install a headphone jack accessory kit.

Another choice is a headphone switch. There are a number of headphone/speaker switches made for this exact situation out there. They are available for about $20.

 

[bloodandsoil]

I have a green front panel jack and a pink front panel jack, but unfortunately neither one of them seems to produce sound into my headphones.

I put this system together myself, so I just might have to pop off the case cover and look to see if I have them plugged into the right spots on the motherboard...or would they plug into my sound card?

 

[bloodandsoil]

Ok I just plugged in my front panel into my sound card and now I can hear sound from my headphones.

This brings up another issue though. I notice that the volume on my monitor speakers is WAY lower than the volume of my headphones. When I have the Windows volume control applet set about in the middle, my monitor speakers have the right sound level, but when I plug in my headphones it sounds VERY loud.

How do I independently manage the volume levels for my monitor speakers and for my headphones?