Audio jack extender on iMac?

[crazzy88ss]

I wanted to add a little 3-6 inch cable to extend my audio jack on the back of my iMac so I don't have to turn the computer around when ever I plug head phones in.

But then I started to think... if there's a little cable plugged in (but no headphones plugged into the extender), will the hardware recognize this and still play audio through the built-in speakers?

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

I theory it shouldn't, as most connectors trigger the "something is connected" by shorting.

[Elliott]

I haven't verified this, but if there's an extender plugged in, the iMac will probably assume that headphones are plugged in and not play sound through the built-in speakers.

Nik has a good point though. I'm not exactly sure how an extender does its job, and it might even vary from extender to extender.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

An extender should just extend, nothing more!

The connectors are not connected to each other as they would be if a headphone were plugged in (completing the circuit).

[Damian]

I wanted to add a little 3-6 inch cable to extend my audio jack on the back of my iMac so I don't have to turn the computer around when ever I plug head phones in.

But then I started to think... if there's a little cable plugged in (but no headphones plugged into the extender), will the hardware recognize this and still play audio through the built-in speakers?

Not the cheapest solution: You can if you use a USB DAC headphone amplifier.

This way you can even leave the headphones plugged in the DAC at all time. You only need to choose your output device from the volume icon in the menu bar.

[option + click] on the volume icon.

[Brodel]

If it's any help, I have a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable which I use to connect my macbook pro to my amp. When I unplug the end connected to the amp the sound dies until I unplug it from the mac at which point the sound starts to come from the mac.

[crazzy88ss]

Not the cheapest solution: You can if you use a USB DAC headphone amplifier.

This way you can even leave the headphones plugged in the DAC at all time. You only need to choose your output device from the volume icon in the menu bar.

[option + click] on the volume icon.

That's a good point, but 1.) I need a few extra inches on my headphones and 2.) I take them with me, so I wanted to solve the accessibility issue of having to constantly unplug/plugin the headphones.

An extender should just extend, nothing more!

The connectors are not connected to each other as they would be if a headphone were plugged in (completing the circuit).

Ah, also a good point.

---

I'll report back here if I do buy something.

[Ambroos]

It completely depends on how they detect it. My laptop (Sony Vaio Z) detects extension cables without anything actually connected just like it detects headphones. Which means it just detects if there is something plugged in the port, not if a circuit is completed. I suspect most computers work that way.

[ATLien_0]

I just tested this out on my MBP current gen with a radioshack extension and it mutes the main speakers.

[crazzy88ss]

I just tested this out on my MBP current gen with a radioshack extension and it mutes the main speakers.

Good to know, thanks.

[crazzy88ss]

Not the cheapest solution: You can if you use a USB DAC headphone amplifier.

This way you can even leave the headphones plugged in the DAC at all time. You only need to choose your output device from the volume icon in the menu bar.

[option + click] on the volume icon.

So the image you've attached... I can't actually find where that setting is. I'm on 10.7.3 at work (and 10.6.something at home).

[Elliott]

So the image you've attached... I can't actually find where that setting is. I'm on 10.7.3 at work (and 10.6.something at home).

You're option-clicking on the volume icon the menu bar?

[Nashy]

So wait... on a Mac you can't just select where you want the sound to come from?

[Damian]

So the image you've attached... I can't actually find where that setting is. I'm on 10.7.3 at work (and 10.6.something at home).

You can find it in the menubar like Elliott said.

That's a good point, but 1.) I need a few extra inches on my headphones and 2.) I take them with me, so I wanted to solve the accessibility issue of having to constantly unplug/plugin the headphones.

You can place the DAC on your desk which solves both 1.) And 2.)

[n_K]

The way all audio detection cables work these days is they have 5 connections on the bottom, one for L, one for R and one for Ground. Ground is always connected, but L and R are on flexible pieces of metal, when you push a headphone jack in, it stops them from touching the other 2 points on the connector (which go to the internal sound) and the sound instead flows out onto the headphone jack cable.

[Slacker]

I'm almost certain that audio will be cut from the built-in speakers whenever ANYTHING is plugged into the audio out jack. Remember, that headphone jack is more than a headphone jack, it's also an optical connector. Optical cables don't carry a current and would never complete an electrical circuit. So, I'm pretty sure that the built-in speakers are cut out whenever anything is plugged in there.

[Nashy]

Find an old pair of headphones. Chop cable. Plug in. Report.

[crazzy88ss]

You're option-clicking on the volume icon the menu bar?

Whoops; I was not. Thank you!

[crazzy88ss]

Find an old pair of headphones. Chop cable. Plug in. Report.

Don't have any.

[crazzy88ss]

You're option-clicking on the volume icon the menu bar?

So when I have my headphones plugged in, this is what I see:

[Elliott]

So when I have my headphones plugged in, this is what I see:

Yep, that's right. Headphones take the place of internal audio. If you had something like a USB headset or DAC, you'd see that as another choice.

[crazzy88ss]

Ah. Right.... bummer. :/

[mrp04]

So wait... on a Mac you can't just select where you want the sound to come from?

Those screenshots show that you can.

Or do you mean when you aren't using another sound card? My laptop (HP EliteBook 2740p) technically can switch output but the drivers are configured in a way that if the speakers are default and headphones are plugged in, sound comes out of the headphones. Macs probably work like this, too. I can have two separate audio streams if I play one to speakers and one to headphones, but if I choose to only play to one device, it will come out of the headphones no matter what I choose. Modified drivers may change the behavior.