Question:
Hi, guys
I was wondering how do you hook up a pair of wireless headphones with the two RCA jacks up to a TV with no audio out jacks to go to?
Thanks,
-Gary
Answer:
Hello, Gary,
If your TV doesn't have a pair of RCA audio output jacks, you may still be able to get sound from your TV sources to the headphones but it might require some additional gear. First, look for a headphone output which some TVs have in the form of a 3.5mm (1/8") jack. If the TV has this, then all you'll need is a stereo 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable and you're in business.
If your TV does not have a headphone output then look for a fiberoptic digital output. If your TV does have one of those (most modern HDTVs do), then you will need a converter box (also called a "DAC" or digital audio converter) that will convert the digital signal to analog RCA outputs. There's a really basic one of these on Amazon for under $15. You'll also need a fiberoptic digital audio cable which should be under $6 (also on Amazon).
This basic converter only supports PCM sound (not Dolby Digital or DTS), but most TVs do output PCM so it will work with most TVs. If your TV only outputs Dolby Digital sound, then you'll need a more expensive adapter like this one for about $45.
If your TV does not have a fiberoptic digital output (which are very common on newer TVs, but not so on older analog TVs), then your only option would be to plug the headphones into one of your sources, like your cable box or satellite set-top box or DVD player. On most cables boxes and DVD players, the analog (RCA) outputs and the HDMI digital outputs are active at the same time, so your TV will still get sound over the HDMI cable while your headphones will get sound directly from the source device.
The other option (which is a bit of overkill, just for headphone use) would be to get an A/V receiver, plug all of your components (DVD or Blu-ray player, cable box, etc.) into the receiver and use the headphone output of the receiver for your headphones. The benefit to this would be that you could also buy some nice speakers and get a full surround sound rig for great sound when you disconnect the headphones.
