Spec me a sound card that allows speakers AND headphones plugged in at same time

jmp_78 · 26 Nov 2010 at 14:26

As the title suggests really... oh, as cheap as possible too please! Fancied an Asus Xonar card over my onboard Realtek audio, but would really like headphones plugged into soundcard directly, along with seperate speakers.

Thoughts welcome

Marsman · 26 Nov 2010 at 14:36

Not going to happen I'm afraid, not cheaply at least. Any that have separate speaker and headphone sockets are going to cost you more than £100. Other than using the front case header, with either the case audio sockets, or maybe a front bay type panel, only other way it to use some kind of splitter.

Philtor · 26 Nov 2010 at 14:44

Yeah as Marsman says you would need to use a splitter. Google Headphone jack spiltter and you'll see what you need. You can connect one output to your speakers and the other to your headphones.

jmp_78 · 26 Nov 2010 at 14:45

Okay, thanks guys.

Darn it!

Shamrock · 26 Nov 2010 at 15:55

Wouldn't a Xonar DG allow this by making use of the front panel header?

Uriel · 26 Nov 2010 at 17:03

Practically anything with a front panel header would work as long as your case has a suitable front panel.

Essexraptor · 26 Nov 2010 at 20:12

Uriel said:
Practically anything with a front panel header would work as long as your case has a suitable front panel.

Sorry .... I'm a sound moron!

Could you pad this out with a bit more of a explanation of exactly the setup/configuration that you mean?

Thanks

Marsman · 26 Nov 2010 at 22:14

Most sound cards have what is known as a front panel header, or front case header. Motherboards have them, it's where the PC case front audio sockets connect to, so that they may be used.

Uriel is referring to a suitable front panel, or front case audio sockets, because many are basically crap. They are cheap, the cables that connect to either the motherboard or sound card are cheap, and can often pick up unwanted interference. Sometimes there is a work around, sometimes not.

Essexraptor · 27 Nov 2010 at 01:15

Marsman said:
Most sound cards have what is known as a front panel header, or front case header. Motherboards have them, it's where the PC case front audio sockets connect to, so that they may be used.

Uriel is referring to a suitable front panel, or front case audio sockets, because many are basically crap. They are cheap, the cables that connect to either the motherboard or sound card are cheap, and can often pick up unwanted interference. Sometimes there is a work around, sometimes not.

Thanks

Told you I was a sound moron!

Was unaware that a front panel header was available.... but I am now so I had better dig out the manual to try and identify which one it is .....doh!

Rroff · 27 Nov 2010 at 01:21

If your using an onboard realtek update your drivers - the latest ones for my laptop interestingly allow me to enable multiple audio devices on the same card and to repurpose the line-in jack to be dedicated as a line-out for one of the devices.

Essexraptor · 27 Nov 2010 at 01:29

Meaning that it may be possible to update the Realtek drivers leave the front header attached to the MB and still access the sound card?

Sorry for noobish question but I'm sure I'm not alone in line-in, line-out and sound mumble jumbo!!!

appreciate your time and patience

Rroff · 27 Nov 2010 at 01:35

Sorry I was off at a slight tangent - just noticed the options with the realtek on my laptop with the latest drivers for it that the line-in could be repurposed as an independant output instead which would kinda work for what the OP wanted as well. Might not work for all realtek onboard tho.