Listening to 2 or 3 audio inputs at the same time

Zeldacuz

Estimable
Jul 26, 2014
2
0
4,510
HI, I have a PC with a triple monitor setup and a Asus Xonar essence STX sound card along with a PS3 and PS4 I connect to my monitors through HDMI. I like to play my ps4 or ps3 on one monitor while listening to music or watching twitch or youtube on another monitor. At the moment the only way for me to hear both is to plug in a pair of in ear headphones into the monitor displaying the ps4 and wear a pair of over the ear headphones connected to the PC sound card. I would like to know if there is a way to connect all three to one pair of headphones and hear both inputs at the same time using just one set of headphones. Preferably something that wont compromise sound quality. Any amazon links would be greatly appreciated.
 
Solution
Assuming that you've got all the original bits and bobs from your PS3 plug in the composite cable and run the white and red cables to a female RCA to male 3.5 cable then plug the 3.5 jack into your line in on your PC.
You'll have to set the PS3 to output audio from the composite cable which can be easily changed via the system settings, and you'll have to add line in to your playback mixer on your PC which is done by right clicking the volume icon on your start bar then selecting recording devices, double click on line in and go to the listen tab, check the box next to 'Listen to this device".

By the way the line in port will be on the back of your computer is near the microphone and audio output 3.5 ports located on the motherboard...

panpipes

Estimable
Jul 29, 2014
3
0
4,520
Assuming that you've got all the original bits and bobs from your PS3 plug in the composite cable and run the white and red cables to a female RCA to male 3.5 cable then plug the 3.5 jack into your line in on your PC.
You'll have to set the PS3 to output audio from the composite cable which can be easily changed via the system settings, and you'll have to add line in to your playback mixer on your PC which is done by right clicking the volume icon on your start bar then selecting recording devices, double click on line in and go to the listen tab, check the box next to 'Listen to this device".

By the way the line in port will be on the back of your computer is near the microphone and audio output 3.5 ports located on the motherboard, it is typically coloured blue (the line in that is).

I'm not familiar with your soundcard but I'll be very surprised if it doesn't have a line in port on it, which you'll just have to apply a similar method to what I wrote above.

This is the cable you'll need that goes from the composite cable (PS3/4 audio output) to your PCs line in.
http://www.amazon.com/Hometheatre-Female-Splitter-Cable-6-Inch/dp/B0016LC5VY
 
Solution

Zeldacuz

Estimable
Jul 26, 2014
2
0
4,510


Thank you, this somewhat helped but this solution runs into some problems because the PS4 only outputs via HDMI or toslink audio. I would also like both ps3 and ps4 always connected to the line in on the sound card and preferebly be capable of hearing both consoles at once. Would this require a external mixer and converter for the toslink? If so which ones? and would sound quality be degraded?
Would this work? http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-TOSLINK-Digital-Optical-Switcher/dp/B00G188Z7A
 
Your link is to an optical switch which will not work for your purpose.
You can get a DAC to convert the optical to analog audio for the PS4. This one will work:
http://www.parts-express.com/digital-to-analog-converter-%2851-compatible%29--180-999
Then you need a mixer like this one:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PowerMix3/
and a bunch of cables with the right connectors.
I would not be concerned about the sound quality unless you have pretty high end music headphones. Then a headphone amp or better dac might be good but that will be a lot more expensive and I suspect you will be fine for gaming without them.