Any Hi-Fi nerds out there..? Trying to connect head phones to tuner.
SkyGod
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Age: 67
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes
on
1 Post
Any Hi-Fi nerds out there..? Trying to connect head phones to tuner.
Simple really, but not so.
Got a recent model Samsung flat screen TV, Sony tuner and Comcast/Motorola cable box.
Boght a wireless headphone, but can't hook up.
Amazon.com: Sennheiser RS 180 Wireless headphones with docking station: Electronics
Can't find a headphone outlet on the tuner, cable box or TV..
Will call customer service for all these products when the weekdays roll around, but for now, if there is smarter folks than me out there..How do ya connect?
This is the tuner:
HT-SS360 | Home Theater System (5.1-channel) | Sony | Sony Style USA
This is the TV:
46" LCD TV LN46B630 46" 1080p LCD HDTV (2009 MODEL) - LCD TV - Televisions | SAMSUNG
This is the cable box:
DCH3416 All-Digital, HDTV, Dual-Tuner DVR, M-Card Host Set-top - Motorola USA
All this should be really easy sh!t, but as usual, over-engineered and not user friendly.
(Yes, I tried the installation when I was sober..No cigar...
)
So, do ya plug in the speaker outlets with pirate wires, or you modify an HDMI cable to fit your head phone jack or what...?
Got a recent model Samsung flat screen TV, Sony tuner and Comcast/Motorola cable box.
Boght a wireless headphone, but can't hook up.
Amazon.com: Sennheiser RS 180 Wireless headphones with docking station: Electronics
Can't find a headphone outlet on the tuner, cable box or TV..
Will call customer service for all these products when the weekdays roll around, but for now, if there is smarter folks than me out there..How do ya connect?
This is the tuner:
HT-SS360 | Home Theater System (5.1-channel) | Sony | Sony Style USA
This is the TV:
46" LCD TV LN46B630 46" 1080p LCD HDTV (2009 MODEL) - LCD TV - Televisions | SAMSUNG
This is the cable box:
DCH3416 All-Digital, HDTV, Dual-Tuner DVR, M-Card Host Set-top - Motorola USA
All this should be really easy sh!t, but as usual, over-engineered and not user friendly.
(Yes, I tried the installation when I was sober..No cigar...
)So, do ya plug in the speaker outlets with pirate wires, or you modify an HDMI cable to fit your head phone jack or what...?
Hippopotomonstrosesquipidelian title
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: is everything
Posts: 1,826
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not knowing any of the kit, but assuming the Sony's connected via HDMI or optical SPDIF to the telly, I'd guess you'd have to connect the headset to the telly. Seems like the telly supports bluetooth headphones, incidentally.
I see a left and right audio out on two RCA jacks on the TV, item 9 on page 12 of your manual.
I see a left and right audio out on two RCA jacks on the TV, item 9 on page 12 of your manual.
Psychophysiological entity
I've just sent one of those Samsung T/Vs back for full compensation. (It was full compensation for a 50" Sony.) Well, actually, it was to replace the compensation one. See below.
The 46" was nice, until it was in a dark room with dark scenes...then it looked like someone was shining flashlights up from the corners. Funny thing is, I sent the first 46" back because it arrived from Sears in a smashed box. That one worked well. So, if it gets lights in the screen, knock it around a bit.
Sound:
I just pulled the sound from accessories plugs - RCA I think they're called here - that DID NOT control from the volume on the T.V. Absolute PITA. Had to turn the amp down or off for the ads. I could find no output that went up and down with the TV volume.
We watched a Hugh Grant Net flix tonight on a 24" monitor with 2" speakers. I've yet to address Bush's kind advice tonight on how to make the speakers work.
The 46" was nice, until it was in a dark room with dark scenes...then it looked like someone was shining flashlights up from the corners. Funny thing is, I sent the first 46" back because it arrived from Sears in a smashed box. That one worked well. So, if it gets lights in the screen, knock it around a bit.
Sound:
I just pulled the sound from accessories plugs - RCA I think they're called here - that DID NOT control from the volume on the T.V. Absolute PITA. Had to turn the amp down or off for the ads. I could find no output that went up and down with the TV volume.
We watched a Hugh Grant Net flix tonight on a 24" monitor with 2" speakers. I've yet to address Bush's kind advice tonight on how to make the speakers work.
SkyGod
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Age: 67
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes
on
1 Post
Seems like the telly supports bluetooth headphones, incidentally.
I see a left and right audio out on two RCA jacks on the TV, item 9 on page 12 of your manual.
(
Hippopotomonstrosesquipidelian title
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: is everything
Posts: 1,826
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The logic was, there's one solitary HDMI output on the Sony, which I presume is going to the TV. You've got a headphones with a 1/8" analog audio cable with 1/4" and RCA adapters. You've got RCA analog audio jacks on the back of the TV. If the TV does sound passthrough, that's probably the place to connect your headphones.
SkyGod
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Age: 67
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes
on
1 Post
The 46" was nice, until it was in a dark room with dark scenes...then it looked like someone was shining flashlights up from the corners. Funny thing is, I sent the first 46" back because it arrived from Sears in a smashed box.
The TV is not the problem, but these expensive headphones ain't doing their job: Easy install and Plug and Play it said...Bullsh1t because there is nowhere to plug in except in the Cable Box RCA and there ya only get cable input at 10% volume/power and a bunch of static.
After I talk to the maker tomorrow, I will post the solution and it better be good, otherwise I will get a healthy refund in the mail and the Sennheiser folks will have to look at headphone outlets in stereo tuners to stay in business.
Not impressed so far...
The logic was, there's one solitary HDMI output on the Sony, which I presume is going to the TV.
Psychophysiological entity
re read the post, 3 outputs on the player I guess you mean?
From your link, it looks like I should have dealt with Amazon. Samsung demanded - despite both my wife and I giving a spirited argument why this should not be - that they had to have the set in NJ before the check would be issued. And this followed an e mail that said the check had been posted a week before.
More and more 'electronics' will be sold from the net. I have never, ever, had to deal with the madness the likes of Sears. Just calling them was like trying to get in touch with the dead, and it went on for months. Their head office recently sent me separate compensation, cos they were sorry for being annoying. I can only spend that in their stores - having sworn I'd never set foot in the building again. I'll sneak in one day and buy something frivolous.
From your link, it looks like I should have dealt with Amazon. Samsung demanded - despite both my wife and I giving a spirited argument why this should not be - that they had to have the set in NJ before the check would be issued. And this followed an e mail that said the check had been posted a week before.
More and more 'electronics' will be sold from the net. I have never, ever, had to deal with the madness the likes of Sears. Just calling them was like trying to get in touch with the dead, and it went on for months. Their head office recently sent me separate compensation, cos they were sorry for being annoying. I can only spend that in their stores - having sworn I'd never set foot in the building again. I'll sneak in one day and buy something frivolous.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipidelian title
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: is everything
Posts: 1,826
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well I dunno Towerdog, it's your kit. You could look on the back of it, I presume. You could already have plugged the headphones in by now to discover whether sound comes out. Sony says you've got 3 HDMI in, one HDMI out.
Psychophysiological entity
Although it's not the main issue, in an attempt to get back into the modern world, I've just read Wikki on HDMI. It was a 20 min read, with a plethora of references.
I can see why people get confused with interfacing kit, but as a T/V C&Guilds kid of the 50s, what I can't see is how so much of this stuff can be connected together without it smoking.
I can see why people get confused with interfacing kit, but as a T/V C&Guilds kid of the 50s, what I can't see is how so much of this stuff can be connected together without it smoking.
SkyGod
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Age: 67
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes
on
1 Post
You could already have plugged the headphones in by now to discover whether sound comes out. Sony says you've got 3 HDMI in, one HDMI out.
Lots of HDMI input and such, but headphones does not carry no HDMI, otherwise I would have been in business 24 hours ago..
Next...
Chief Bottle Washer
Ideally, you should connect audio out for your headphones to the Sony HTS: it is, after all, the 'central processor' for whatever audio you have selected to the screen.
Unfortunately your Sony hasn't got compatible output for any headphone system, be it Sennheiser or whoever. I had a mate with an identical problem, the only way that I could hook up his wireless headphones (Philips) was to the flatscreen, so he could only get sound through headphones and speakers from the TV tuner.
To get BluRay or other sound output he has to plug into the front headphone socket of the HTS, which then knocks out the speakers. I suspect that your choice of Sony HTS is the culprit, not the headphones.
FWIW, I have a Bose which allows an audio output in parallel with the speakers, allowing me to listen through wireless headphones while SWMBO has the speakers at her level. Happy wife, etc
Unfortunately your Sony hasn't got compatible output for any headphone system, be it Sennheiser or whoever. I had a mate with an identical problem, the only way that I could hook up his wireless headphones (Philips) was to the flatscreen, so he could only get sound through headphones and speakers from the TV tuner.
To get BluRay or other sound output he has to plug into the front headphone socket of the HTS, which then knocks out the speakers. I suspect that your choice of Sony HTS is the culprit, not the headphones.
FWIW, I have a Bose which allows an audio output in parallel with the speakers, allowing me to listen through wireless headphones while SWMBO has the speakers at her level. Happy wife, etc
SkyGod
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Age: 67
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes
on
1 Post
I suspect that your choice of Sony HTS is the culprit, not the headphones.
As for choice of Sony HTS, yeah I bought the box a few months ago thinking it would be complete for my use including headphones, it did not occur to me to check. (When I buy a car I assume it comes with seatbelts, no need to ask the question.....)
re-read #5.
Left a a message with the Tech Support folks over at Sennheiser..No call back yet.
My only choice I guess, would be to cut of the plugs and hook up the bare wires from the headphone transmitter to one set of speaker wires on the Sony...???
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Personally
I would play the DVD on my laptop which has a fibre optic out and HDMI out. Take the fiber optic and HDMI output from the laptop into the Amp then plug your headset into the audio jack of the laptop.
The problem you have got is combining 6 channels into 2 which requires some form of Digital proccessing. Even pumping it through the laptop you might see/hear a bit of lag.
I would play the DVD on my laptop which has a fibre optic out and HDMI out. Take the fiber optic and HDMI output from the laptop into the Amp then plug your headset into the audio jack of the laptop.
The problem you have got is combining 6 channels into 2 which requires some form of Digital proccessing. Even pumping it through the laptop you might see/hear a bit of lag.
Chief Bottle Washer
Originally Posted by TowerDog
Left a a message with the Tech Support folks over at Sennheiser..No call back yet.
SkyGod
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Age: 67
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes
on
1 Post
I would play the DVD on my laptop which has a fibre optic out and HDMI out. Take the fiber optic and HDMI output from the laptop into the Amp then plug your headset into the audio jack of the laptop.
Mad Jock is right, the optical out is the key. Perfect example of read first, buy second.
Hmm, I read the description on the Sennheiser headphones before I hit the "buy" button: "Easy installation, Plug and Play" and with a modern stereo tuner from a reputable company I had no doubt the installation would be as described.
At any rate, that is water under the bridge right now.
MY only choice seems to be a compromise: Cutting off the plugs from the headphone transmitter and hook up to one of the speaker outlets...
Whcih speaker: Got 5 or 6 of them with sub-woofer, center, left right and aft left and right...Or all of them?
Any ideas...?
(Needless to say, I don't much about stereos and all that except turning on and off)
Maybe you should be calling Sony? Their HTS is (IMO) the problem, not the headphones.
Chief Bottle Washer
ps Don't even think of splicing in to your speaker cables 
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 13th Apr 2010 at 21:19. Reason: Remove cr@p advice!
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No don't do that you will stuff up the impedences of the speakers and you might blow the amp.
Anyway you will only get one channel of the sound if you do that.
Dolby 5.1 is 6 channels of digital information. These are all squirted seperately through the amp to the approprate speaker.
The issue with home cinema setups is that by design they don't use the telly's speakers so they don't actually have any sound information on the HDMI cable only visual.
Some amps have an optical out. This allows digital 5.1 sound to be transfered to another device. Your one appears not to have an out but does have an in.
YOu need some way of getting to that digital 5.1 information your amp won't let you do it, it has virtually no outputs apart from a HDMI and analog speaker connections. A laptop will process the 6 signals and convert it into a 2 signal suitable for your headset. But you want the amp to also get the 5.1 signals so the home cinema system will give you surround sound. It relatively easy with a laptop to configure it so it will pump out the 5.1 through its optical out while playing the visual on the HDMI. So if you pump them both into your amp you get the cinema effect. Now you headset needs a 2 signal input which you can get from the laptop headset jack.
Anyway you will only get one channel of the sound if you do that.
Dolby 5.1 is 6 channels of digital information. These are all squirted seperately through the amp to the approprate speaker.
The issue with home cinema setups is that by design they don't use the telly's speakers so they don't actually have any sound information on the HDMI cable only visual.
Some amps have an optical out. This allows digital 5.1 sound to be transfered to another device. Your one appears not to have an out but does have an in.
YOu need some way of getting to that digital 5.1 information your amp won't let you do it, it has virtually no outputs apart from a HDMI and analog speaker connections. A laptop will process the 6 signals and convert it into a 2 signal suitable for your headset. But you want the amp to also get the 5.1 signals so the home cinema system will give you surround sound. It relatively easy with a laptop to configure it so it will pump out the 5.1 through its optical out while playing the visual on the HDMI. So if you pump them both into your amp you get the cinema effect. Now you headset needs a 2 signal input which you can get from the laptop headset jack.
SkyGod
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Age: 67
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes
on
1 Post
A laptop will process the 6 signals and convert it into a 2 signal suitable for your headset. But you want the amp to also get the 5.1 signals so the home cinema system will give you surround sound. It relatively easy with a laptop to configure it so it will pump out the 5.1 through its optical out while playing the visual on the HDMI.
In my case that would not be practical...
I don't really need hi-fi 5.1 sound in the headphones so to cut my losses I am thinking about splicing the 2 RCA wires to the one of the speakers: Which speaker would be best....? (Of the least bad)
ps Don't even think of splicing in to your speaker cables
I tried to touch the 2 RCA plugs to 2 of the speaker wires and it sounded ok..