Is there a way to enable both optical audio and the stereo jacks?

ILikePie · 25 Jan 2013

I just picked up a set of gaming headphones that use optical audio for its source, but I also have a set of 5.1 surround speakers. I'd like to be able to just use the headphones when I want to without having to go into sound manager and make the optical plug the default audio source every time I want to use them. Is there a way to enable both audio sources at the same time or do I have to switch them every time? Thanks for any help in advance!!!

fireberd · 25 Jan 2013

Short answer is NO. Windows will only allow one "default" audio playback device. Thus you will have to manually change as your are doing.

mayhem2k · 05 Sep 2013

This worked in XP so it is a limitation of MicroCrap's new OS.

fireberd · 06 Sep 2013

It can be done in XP but you need the KMPlayer, a 3rd party application.

mayhem2k · 19 Sep 2013

I don't recall having a 3rd application when I used it in XP. Then again, almost everything is a 3rd party application to XP

jimbo45 · 22 Sep 2013

Hi there
This might work -- do your 5.1 speakers also have a "Headphone" output socket -- I'm using a BOSE computer sound system and when I want headphones I just plug the cans into the BOSE headphone socket while leaving the optical connection from computer to sound system in all the time.

If you need an extra long cable there are plenty of double ended jack cables you can buy cheaply (female at one end for your cans and male at the other end for the "phones" connection).

Cheers
jimbo

Lady Fitzgerald · 22 Sep 2013

jimbo45 said:

Hi there
This might work -- do your 5.1 speakers also have a "Headphone" output socket -- I'm using a BOSE computer sound system and when I want headphones I just plug the cans into the BOSE headphone socket while leaving the optical connection from computer to sound system in all the time.

If you need an extra long cable there are plenty of double ended jack cables you can buy cheaply (female at one end for your cans and male at the other end for the "phones" connection).

Cheers
jimbo

One of the things I like about my new Corsair SP2500 2.1 speaker system is it has a control pod on the desk that has a headphone jack in it.

The technical term for the cable you are referring to is extension cable. A good place to get them is Monoprice.com. I recently bought some from there for an experiment I did.

N00berG00ber · 22 Sep 2013

if you are using realtek, you can enable front panel and rear panel playback simultaneously. you could then plug your head phones in the rear and your speakers in the front panel headphones. its in the settings in realtek.

or you can find a splitter of some sorts. maybe aux to aux and digital

jimbo45 · 23 Sep 2013

Hi there
Another suggestion
You can get a separate DAC (Digital to Analog converter).

These usually have a Digital "Pass thru" -- connect from the digital O/P on the computer to your 5.1 system and plug your Phones into the Analog jack. - Don't go overboard though as DAC's go from cheap to HIDEOUSLY EXPENSIVE costing several THOUSAND US dollars !!!

Cheers
jimbo