Buying USB headphones, will they work?

Good evening, Chaay, and welcome to the Audio/Video forums!

To start, I would strongly suggest reading the Headphones sticky at the top of the forum. Then, if you have particular questions regarding your needs, come back and ask additional questions. There are lots of members here willing to assist.

Happy gaming,

Boz

...plug the audio jacks into an adapter which goes into the line-in port on the back of my desktop tower. My speakers plug into the audio port on the back of my desktop tower. I'm not audio savvy, but I think that the computer speakers I have (two of them that sit on either side of the computer) draw power from the sound card in my desktop tower.Chaay

1. Do your computer speakers require an external power source, meaning do they have a plug that goes into the wall or require batteries? If not (i.e. they do not turn on in any way), they run off the power of your PC's speaker output jack.
2. Does your computer have a front-panel audio output jack? If you don't see one, look around for a small panel; most PCs made in the past five years have some form of front-panel jack. It is typically marked, though not always, with a green ring. If you have a front-panel jack (a 3.5mm jack), you can plug a pair of regular headphones into that jack directly; that's what it was meant for, really. Grab a pair of headphones - any headphones - and test to see if it works. When you plug your headphones into the front audio jack it should automatically disable the PC speakers. Report back; if you do not have a front-panel jack, reply accordingly and move on to the next question!
3. Do you require a microphone, meaning a headset with a mic built-in? Generally if you are using this kind of setup your PC microphone jack will not communicate with your XBox360, and you'll have to jack into the XBox360 directly regardless.

So I "think" my question is: If I purchase the X11 Turtle Beaches (or any USB Headphones) to use for my Xbox 360 and PC, will they work properly?Chaay

Because I imagine the headphones would draw power from the computer speakers which draw power from the sound card, and I don't think there's enough audio ports on the computer to accomplish that. But I might just be confused and I don't even need the computer speakers plugged in; I just need to make sure I am not using the default sound card only as it is way too quiet.Chaay

I think that's enough for now.

Good luck,

Boz

My computer does have a front-panel jack for headphone and microphone. However, the headphones will then only use the sound from the sound card, not the speakers. The sound card(I think its integrated) is way, way too quiet, whereas if I can play through the speakers the sound volume is fine. Normally I could just plug the headphones into the speakers, but the speakers lack any jack. I have two questions of my own which I will list below which might solve my problem entirely that will not require me to purchase new speakers.

Do you require a microphone, meaning a headset with a mic built-in? Generally if you are using this kind of setup your PC microphone jack will not communicate with your XBox360, and you'll have to jack into the XBox360 directly regardless.

The Turtle Beach software should disable your speakers when the headphones are plugged in. If they do not, you can go into the default Windows "Volume Control" and adjust your PC Speaker output. Just go into "Options," then "Properties," and enable the check box for "PC Speaker." This will allow you to adjust its volume independently.

You will not hurt your PC plugging lots of PC speakers into the various jacks; it's actually quite difficult to hurt a PC by plugging something into the wrong jack, since each plug on a PC is designed for a specific purpose. A power cable from the PSU will not go into a SATA plug which will not go into an IDE slot which will not attach to a Power On header; so no worries, there.

Allow me to summarize, and correct me if I'm wrong: Your speakers work fine, but the audio output on the front panel of your PC seems to be too quiet when you plug in your earbuds.

I am inclined to believe you have a software issue. Even the least expensive motherboard (mobo) chipset will still blow your ears out if you have earbuds plugged into the 3.5mm audio output and the volume maxxed out.

The front and rear 3.5mm audio output is identical. It is sending a low-wattage audio signal to either your headphones or speakers. If you plugged your speakers into the front jack, you should have the same result as you do now with them plugged into the rear jack. The reason plugging headphones into the front jack disables the rear is because, by design, the mobo is designed to assume front-audio jacks take priority. The same actual holds true for home stereos, too. When I plug headphones into my Yamaha receiver, it disables the speaker outputs.

Just for giggles, try unplugging your speakers and plugging your earbuds directly into the audio jack on the rear of your PC and seeing if the volume remains too low. If it works in the rear jack but is still quiet in the front jack, it could be a loose mobo wire (the wire connecting the mobo chipset to the front port). It could still also be a software issue.

Make sure that you have gone into Control Panel and adjusted the audio settings. Check for any third-party software that may also affect the audio settings. Sometimes you can have the Volume cranked up, but the "WAV" volume is turned down, and so you get very little volume.

Also, if you have not already determined your sound card model, do so. For example, my previous Gigabyte mobo was the GA-P35-DS3R, which uses a Realtek ALC889A audio chipset. You may also have a seperate sound card, though this is less likely. You should determine your chipset or sound card model so that you can download the most updated drivers, which may include a hardware fix. Updated drivers also often contain better audio controls than the default windows controls.

Here is one of the two questions I had. From what I understand, the desktop speakers I have possess their own drivers...Chaay

I have my Xbox 360 plugged into the line-in port via an HD AV cable, and my speakers in that green audio port. So I think it's impossible for me to add 3.5mm headphones because I have no ports left, right?Chaay

1. Get a new sound card and install it inside your PC (likely no feasible since yours is on loan)
2. Get a USB soundcard (easy, inexpensive)
3. Get a USB headset (least desirable, typically low quality)

I have more feedback, but start with this, and come back with details. Honestly I'm hoping you'll be able to plug your headphones into the front jack, fiddle with the volume control settings, and get it working.

Happy gaming,

Boz

I'm glad you're familiarizing yourself with the settings, and have gotten you volume controls, er, under control!

To follow-up, you are unlikely to be adjusting your volume frequently. I imagine you'll find a volume you're comfortable with and know where to set it before switching to your XBox. That said, if you do find you need on-the-fly volume control, and external control is cheap and easily available (like this girl I once dated).

If your headphones are broken, take a look in the sticky for whatever fits in your budget.

If you have any further questions, come on back. Helping is its own reward.

Happy gaming,

Boz

If you're concerned about your headphone's ambient noise you'll want a pair of over-the-ear, closed-back headphones. This means that many over-the-ear, open-back headphones like the popular Sennheiser HD555s are not an option for you.

I didn't really get into that level of detail in the sticky, so let me know your preferred budget and I'll come back with a couple recommendations. I would also suggest making a login at Head-Fi and posting the same request for suggestions in your budget range in this thread. Head-Fi regulars are headphone enthusiasts; I'm just a guy that knows too much about a lot of random consumer electronics stuff.

Happy gaming,

Boz

Unless you have a gigantic head like I do I would strongly consider the JVC HARX900, which is about $60, closed-back, and sound fantastic. They do tend to be a tight fit and they're BIG, but are otherwise a very good value. Alternatively there are some Sony and Shure options available, but you'll have to chat up the Head-Fi folks for recommendations in your price range.

One thing I neglected to mention: Over-the-ear headphones will give you a sweaty head if you are prone to such things (most people are not). If so you might consider opting for a nice pair of earbuds.

Good luck!

Boz