Plugging both speakers and headphones through rear panel

eagors93

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May 17, 2015
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Hello every one,
I'm considering buying a sound card. Here's an image of how its plugs look like:
http://i67.tinypic.com/1zmgylz.jpg

I'd like to plug in 2 speakers and headphones separately (WITHOUT using a splitter) through the rear panel (front is not an option).

I'd like to use the green output for speakers what leads to my question: can I use another output to plug in my headphones? E.g. Rear left nad rear right (the gray one)?

Will I lose any quality/power since this output would be meant for "rear left and rear right", not headphones?


It's kind of urgent. Please help me!


EDIT 01 Apr 2016:
For those looking for solution, to put it simply: it seems that there is no easy way to plug headphones and speakers seperately through the back panel with most of popular sound cards, without using a splitter. Try front panel instead.
 
Solution
If you set your sound to Stereo in your settings this might work. That said Stereo may disable that plug, there is no way to tell. If its not set to stereo whatever you have plugged into the gray plug is going to sound weird because it will only have the rear sounds. Like I said no way to know for sure without testing it. You are MUCH better off using a splitter.

Rogue Leader

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If you set your sound to Stereo in your settings this might work. That said Stereo may disable that plug, there is no way to tell. If its not set to stereo whatever you have plugged into the gray plug is going to sound weird because it will only have the rear sounds. Like I said no way to know for sure without testing it. You are MUCH better off using a splitter.
 
Solution

eagors93

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May 17, 2015
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I understand it may be better to use a splitter, but I'm looking for a way to switch between speakers and headphones. I want to buy headphones that do not have a volume dial. I wouldn't want audio to play from both speakers and headphones simultaneously. See right now, they ARE plugged with a splitter, but since I have a volume dial, I can mute my headphones when switching to speakers.

It would be easier if I could switch between speakers and headphones in Windows, but right now there is no Headphones option. Only Speakers for the output that is used for both speakers and headphones:
eqbmg5.jpg

 

Rogue Leader

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Yeah even if you plugged them into the 2 different ports, you can't configure it so you can mute one and not the other.

Sorry but this isn't the solution you're looking for.

The only thing I can think of is if you use the HD audio connector on your PC case, and plug that into your sound card. Then if you plug headphones into the headphone connector on your case, it will mute the sound card output. At least thats how it used to work, I haven't used it in many years.
 

eagors93

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May 17, 2015
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And then use the front panel, I assume?

If I plugged them to two different rear ports, wouldn't headphones appear as a new device in Windows' options (right now they are merged, as seen on the image above - I believe due to using a splitter)? If so, I would be able to switch between audio sources (headphones/speakers) then, and the the ones that are not selected would be cut off, right?

If not, is there ANY other way to use both these devices and not have them play simultaneously (excluding front panel that is)?
 

Rogue Leader

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No they would not, that port is considered a rear port of the "Realtek High Definition Audio". That Device is for both of those ports.

Other than using the front panel headphone connector, you have no other way to do this.
 

eagors93

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May 17, 2015
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Rogue Leader said:
No they would not, that port is considered a rear port of the "Realtek High Definition Audio".
Yeah ok, but I was considering the solution mentioned above if I bought the sound card I mentioned in the beggining of the topic (it wouldn't read "Realtek-something something", which has only 1 output, but more or less: "Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio", which has several outputs). Would all the plugged devices still appear as a single device then? I guess so, but just want to make sure.

Do you have any clue as to why, when I plug my headphones through the FRONT panel, it still doesn't appear in Sound Devices?
 

Rogue Leader

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Yeah that sound card will work the same.

Now is your front panel port plugged into the motherboard? Does it work do you get sound through it?

When you go into the configuration for the sound device plug your headpohones into the front panel, it should disable the sound out put. Try in RealtekHD Audio Manager.
 

eagors93

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May 17, 2015
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It is plugged and headphones work - it's just displayed as the same device as the rear ones.

It does mute the rear panel, I just wonder why does it not appear as a separate device.
 

Rogue Leader

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Because they are the same device, its not a separate audio device and will only output to the one spot.

Seems this has fixed your problem.
 

eagors93

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May 17, 2015
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Actually, I found a way to make the headphones appear in the Sound Device panel (using the front panel, that is).

I had to go to Advanced settings of Realtek HD Audio and select "Make front and rear output devices playback two different audio streams simultaneously". It then started displaying Realtek HD Audio 2nd output:
alp5si.jpg


Now instead of unplugging headphones, I can switch between devices.