[Clank007]

Hi,
I've got a 32 inch LG LCD TV into which I was hoping to attach a pair of headphones.

However, there is no headphone socket.

I've scoured these forums on this subject and basically this can be solved plugging them into an amp - but I dont have an amp.

Is there any other way I can get the headphones to work?
Suerely LG would have realised that a lot of people may want to use headphones atttached to their TVs? I find it unbelievable that modern TVs would be made without a socket for one.

Cheers for any advice,
Clank

[Deacon1972]

Not sure if the adapter below would work using the audio outputs on the TV, providing it supports them.

Connect red/white to the TV's stereo outputs and plug the headphones in the female 3.5mm jack socket.

Maybe someone could confirm this would work.

http://www.kenable.co.uk/product_inf...oducts_id/1371

[sancheeez]

It should work .... don't see why not.

If the TV is capable of sending sound to an amp it must have some form of audio out. If the audio out is twin phono then the adapter Deacon linked to should do the trick ...

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Clank007

Is there any other way I can get the headphones to work?
Suerely LG would have realised that a lot of people may want to use headphones atttached to their TVs? I find it unbelievable that modern TVs would be made without a socket for one.

To be honest, very, very few people ever want to use a headphone socket on a TV - so it's more often than not a complete waste.

If you have such a requirement, why not check before you buy the TV?.

[Orbitalzone]

Get some cordless headphones and use the audio output (it has that surely!) to feed into the transmitter.

As for the adaptor, well it will work but almost certainly will be too quiet and the TV volume control won't alter the level (most are fixed for line level into an amp)

The cordless option should work as it'll take a line level in most cases and the headphones have a volume control on the headset.

[sancheeez]

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

Get some cordless headphones and use the audio output (it has that surely!) to feed into the transmitter.

As for the adaptor, well it will work but almost certainly will be too quiet and the TV volume control won't alter the level (most are fixed for line level into an amp)

The cordless option should work as it'll take a line level in most cases and the headphones have a volume control on the headset.

Good point.

If you're looking for a decent pair of cordless headphones, I recently got myself a pair of Sennheiser RS130's and I'm very pleased with them. I can alter the level going to the transmitter unit as it's connected to a headphone socket but I imagine they'd work from a line-out feed.

***

Just had a quick google and this:

http://forums.dvdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=42529

... turned up.

Looks like Sennheiser RS range would be perfect for you.

(Best prices I could find for them when I bought mine was Amazon)

[Franglais]

I've just seen this interesting thread.

Actually, earlier this year, I exchanged some emails with LG themselves about this very topic.

Snippets from these emails include:

"we can confirm there is not a headphone socket on this TV. You can connect headphones to the set using the "VARIABLE AUDIO OUT" socket located at the back of the unit. To do this you will require a phono/3.5mm headphone jack adapter available from most electrical retailers. You will need to turn off the television's internal speakers when you do this"

and after I requested further clarification this is the response I received:

"You need to connect the phono leads from the Variable Audio Out to e.g. a Hi-Fi system or surround sound system and then plug the headphones to that"

[steven123]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

To be honest, very, very few people ever want to use a headphone socket on a TV - so it's more often than not a complete waste.

If you have such a requirement, why not check before you buy the TV?.

Not disputing this by any means but find it rather odd; both my CRT sets (Goodmans 32 inch Widescreen and Sony 28 inch Widescreen) do have headphone jacks which I find very useful for late night viewing and I would have thought they would have been even more necessary in LCD sets with the in-built speakers (typically) being so awful. Short of connecting an amp, a good set of headphones are the only way of getting decent sound out of them.

If my Sony set did not have a headphone jack it would have definately caused me problems, no DVD players or consoles have them and basic or all in one (DVD) home cinema systems often don't feature them either leaving no option of using headphones at all if the TV doesn't support them.

Surely the circuitly for headphone jacks only costs a matter of pence these days as well, just surprised they haven't become standard, even if only for the few that use them.

[Clank007]

I've just seen this interesting thread.

Actually, earlier this year, I exchanged some emails with LG themselves about this very topic.

Snippets from these emails include:

"we can confirm there is not a headphone socket on this TV. You can connect headphones to the set using the "VARIABLE AUDIO OUT" socket located at the back of the unit. To do this you will require a phono/3.5mm headphone jack adapter available from most electrical retailers. You will need to turn off the television's internal speakers when you do this"

Hi,
On Saturday I bought exactly that. ie a phono/3.5mm jack adapter.
However when i went to plug this in I realised that the phono connections were audio IN and not audio OUT.
Therefore a total waste of time.
The only audio out socket is the optical socket so therefore I've been told the ONLY way to listen through headphones with my TV is to buy an amp.

"You need to connect the phono leads from the Variable Audio Out to e.g. a Hi-Fi system or surround sound system and then plug the headphones to that"

Well not in my case as the phono leads are red and black standard ones converting to a headphone jack and do not fit into the audio optical out connection on the back of the TV.
Methinks I'll just have to give up and annoy the neighbours with the normal speaker sound.

[Deacon1972]

There are plenty of converters/adaptors which solve issues like this.

I have found this adaptor that changes optical to 3.5mm jack, should be OK, check before buying.

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...r/display.html

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by steven123

Surely the circuitly for headphone jacks only costs a matter of pence these days as well, just surprised they haven't become standard, even if only for the few that use them.

Most of the Sony sets have entirely separate amplifiers, with it's own volume control for feeding the headphone socket - so it those cases it's hardly 'just a few pence'.

But even if it is cheap, any saving is well worth it for the manufacturer.

[steven123]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Most of the Sony sets have entirely separate amplifiers, with it's own volume control for feeding the headphone socket - so it those cases it's hardly 'just a few pence'.

Ah, that might explain why my Sony TV sounds great on headphones and the Goodmans TV, by comparison, sounds lousy.

[Clank007]

I have found this adaptor that changes optical to 3.5mm jack, should be OK, check before buying.

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...r/display.html

So are you saying I can possibly simply plug this connector into my optical audio out connection and then plug the headphones into the connector?
The optical audio out connection on the back of the TV seems to need a very slim in diameter connector to fit into it - the one you've highlighted seems a tad thick in diameter.

[Deacon1972]

Originally Posted by Clank007

So are you saying I can possibly simply plug this connector into my optical audio out connection and then plug the headphones into the connector?
The optical audio out connection on the back of the TV seems to need a very slim in diameter connector to fit into it - the one you've highlighted seems a tad thick in diameter.

That is the wrong adapter sorry, the one below is correct, I'm pretty sure it would work. The company is very helpful and would advise you before buying.

http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/AD102.html

[mincepie]

No no no no! Sorry!

While it is phyiscally the right size - that is - it would allow a 3.5mm headphones jack to be connected, it would still not work.
The ouput from your TV is digital optical - as in a beam of light, transmitting a digital signal. Some devices such as a portable minidisc use the 3.5mm jack (the optical version) as a way of a digial input for recording. - simply because its small and uses the same format as a 3.5mm jack. Hence the adaptors like others have shown exist. But it's not analogue audio, so, no good for headphones etc.

You would need some sort of digital to analogue convertor.
This could be in the form of a small box of electronics, or a hifi, home cinema amp, minidisc etc, that has a optical digital input and a headphones socket.

[mincepie]

Here's an example of such a convertor.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...0227615058#pic
You plug an optical lead from the TV to the convertor, it then has the red and white sockets, you can put the headphones in here with the adaptor you bought before.

The Gefen products (as in my link) are pretty solid - you might be able to find a slightly cheaper version from another brand elsewhere.

HOWEVER - Can you turn off the speakers in the TV - If you hit mute, it might mute the optical output too.

[Deacon1972]

Originally Posted by mincepie

No no no no! Sorry!

While it is phyiscally the right size - that is - it would allow a 3.5mm headphones jack to be connected, it would still not work.
The ouput from your TV is digital optical - as in a beam of light, transmitting a digital signal. Some devices such as a portable minidisc use the 3.5mm jack (the optical version) as a way of a digial input for recording. - simply because its small and uses the same format as a 3.5mm jack. Hence the adaptors like others have shown exist. But it's not analogue audio, so, no good for headphones etc.

Your are spot on - and I should have stuck with my first thought, but the 3.5mm jack description threw me, they are of course describing the mini toslink that can be found on equipment like mini disc players.

[Clank007]

No no no no! Sorry!

While it is phyiscally the right size - that is - it would allow a 3.5mm headphones jack to be connected, it would still not work.
The ouput from your TV is digital optical - as in a beam of light, transmitting a digital signal. Some devices such as a portable minidisc use the 3.5mm jack (the optical version) as a way of a digial input for recording. - simply because its small and uses the same format as a 3.5mm jack. Hence the adaptors like others have shown exist. But it's not analogue audio, so, no good for headphones etc.

Arrgghhhhh! I ordered one of these last night based upon the advice. Oh well, it was only a fiver including postage so could maybe sell it on....

[PeterBill]

Clank007,

Searching for a solution to the same problem, I came across this thread ... did you ever resolve the issue?

I tried a scart socket with a 3.5mm female plug, but that did not appear to work. link below ..

http://www.electrovision.co.uk/homep...e=005000300120

Pete

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by PeterBill

Clank007,

Searching for a solution to the same problem, I came across this thread ... did you ever resolve the issue?

I tried a scart socket with a 3.5mm female plug, but that did not appear to work. link below ..

http://www.electrovision.co.uk/homep...e=005000300120

Pete

It wouldn't work, SCART doesn't provide headphone outputs, only line level signals.

I've no idea what that adaptor is supposed to do?, I notice the advert doesn't specify what it's for.

Basically you need a little audio amplifier, feed that from the SCART socket (making sure it's one that outputs audio), and plug the headphones in the amplifier.

There are various special units available via the Deaf Societies.

[grahamlthompson]

Richer Sounds sell a headphone amplifier which should work fine with a scart to phono adaptor.

http://www.richersounds.com/search/h...ne%20amplifier