ultimate cheap-o HT headphone setup (1 Viewer)

[Christopher R]

I am enjoying DVDs on my new TV but find that I can't play them too loud before disturbing the wife and baby. I've been researching some surround headphones (Acoustic Research AW791, Sony MSDR5100) but can't find reliable info on how well they really work. My feeling is that these technologies will improve a lot in the next few years, so I'm not going to blow a lot of money for surround headphones just yet. In the meantime, let me know if this plan will work:

Can headphones be connected directly to a DVD player through the RCA outs on the back? I'm thinking: a cable that converts two RCA plugs to a headphone jack, and plugging headphones directly into this. What would happen? If you heard sound, how would you control the volume? If it will work, is this kind of cable available, or is it a DIY project? Also, could a headphone amp be connected in the middle of this mess, or are these more often meant for some other kind of input/output? DVD player in question is Panasonic RV31; I do not currently own a receiver.

TIA---Chris

 

[Wes C]

They sell those connectors at Radio Shack. I have one, I think it was only like $3.99.

 

[Christopher R]

Actually, I went to RS and looked for such a cable---they had every cable imaginable EXCEPT a two RCA plugs to female phones jack. Are you thinking of a two RCA plugs to male phones jack cable? I have one of those already. Or, is there some kind of adapter that will convert a male phones plug to a female jack?

By saying that there are cables available, are you saying this would work?

Chris

 

[Wes C]

No, I definitely have 2 RCA plugs to a female jack. Im looking at it right now. They didnt have many at my store. I actually found mine on the ground.

 

[Christopher R]

Thanks for the tip, Wes. I went back to the store and found the cable. I also realized, after thinking about it some more, that it makes much more sense to take the signal from the audio out of my TV and control the volume through that.

Chris

 

[Ted Lee]

i don't think connecting the headphones to the rca output on the back of the dvd player would have worked anyways.

there's no amplification of the signal and no way to control the volume.

goingg through the tv was the smart move...i'm guessing your dvd player didn't have a headphone jack.

 

[Christopher R]

Yeah, I just tried it out through the TV, and it worked. The only problem is that I had to really crank the volume setting up to drive the headphones---should probably get some kind of basic headphone amp to drive them better. Otherwise, I just turned off the TV's speakers and had the sound all to myself.

Chris

 

[derekyeu]

Another suggestion. If you have a boombox that has RCA inputs and headphone jack, that's it.

Derek

 

[Juan Castillo]

No offense, but you don't have a reciever, and obviously are only listening to your movies through the TV speakers, and it still gets too loud for you wife... Wow. I would hate to be in that situation! sorry, like I said no offense, just in awe.

 

[Gordon Moore]

Juan,
You've obviously NEVER woken your wife and baby late one evening watching T2. It's not a pleasant experience, trust me. Once the baby(and your wife) is quiet and sleeping...you try very hard not to wake them (especially if your wife is the primary care giver at home) otherwise you have a viewing partner for the rest of the evening... First rule with babies....you sleep when they sleep!
Christopher,
I sympathize with you buddy. If you don't have a boom-box and you're cheap like me...necessity breeds invention. You obviously have a computer (unless you typed this from work). You could get creative and use the audio inputs from you sound card and go rca(dvd)->1/8"(computer audio-in). Then use the Headphone Jack (out) on the sound card. You're going to have to use a really long cable or move the computer but it will work...

 

[Christopher R]

Thanks for dredging up this old thread...
The boombox idea is a good one, though I have since bought an Onkyo HTS650 for home theater. Now I can just plug my headphones into that.
Juan: No offense, but I assume that you are not married? If not, you'll find that there are all kinds of interesting compromises that need to be worked out, though sometimes you can be surprised. Last night, we were watching "Saving Private Ryan" with the new system, and the scene came where the troops are waiting for the Germans to come for the bridge. There is a long scene where you can hear the tanks coming, and the rumbling just gets louder and louder, but you don't actually see the tanks for a long time, until the whole living room is shaking. After that scene, the wife said something like, "Wow, sometimes the surround sound can be pretty cool."

Chris

 

[Juan Castillo]

NO, I am married, your initial post made no reference to disturbing them while sleeping, that I can understand. I just meant, that without a reciever and bigger speakers, it seemed odd that you would even want to listen to the TV that loud since after a certain level, the smallish tv speakers are hard to take. Much less to disturb a person or persons who are awake..