HELP: headphone/TV RCA connection

Quick idea:

Use one of these:

and use something like this to connect the two male ends?

Ah, yes. I should have been more specific. I know how to physically make the connection, but not how to ensure there is an "electrical" match between the TV and headphones.

I'm particularly suspicious of this TV connection, since I've never been able to find a resource that can explain why I have to turn my stereo receiver all the way up so that there is normal volume coming out of my headphones when plugged into the receiver. (I've tried setting my TV audio to fixed volume mode--no difference; standard 75? ohm cable).

If they do not output headphone-level signals, you need an amplifier. That's what amplifiers are for; that's why they are manufactured.

The operative word is "if." That's why I wrote my post.

Right... RCA jacks normally output line-level audio, not headphone-level.

RCA output with a 1kohm source impedance aren't going to drive headphones very adequately.

Graham

Depending on how aggressive you want to get about this, you may have another option. (Decades ago when they started cost cutting there was something called "hot chassis", which was where some parts of TVs of that era might have 115 volts present on metal parts inside, to save the price of a transformer. That presented some risk if you were going to get into modifying those and didn't know what you were doing.

But I don't think there have been hot chassis in a long long time. It looks a lot more common for most of a tv chassis to be one or two tiny circuit boards, a few chips, and more likely to run on 5 or 12 volts than 115.

So, considering that safety issue, it may be possible for you to turn off the set, let it gradually discharge for a while, open the case, splice into the wire from the chassis to the speakers, find or drill a small hole in a convenient place on the plastic case, mount yourself a little jack and create an external headphone jack.

That is just an option, or maybe not, depending on your skill, experience, and willingness to consider this before you decide whether or not to do this. (I got a new TV years ago that seemed a little to cheap. It turned out to be the end of the line with sets that don't have all the various new connectors and features out the back. But now it has a headphone jack in the side of it)

Don't get yourself into trouble.

Usually you need a maximum power of 50 to 100mW for a decent level in the headphones. Most headphones are 32 Ohms today, so when yours really have

The last three responses had the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks! It seems like I need to find a pre-made (or schematic) for a headphone amplifier (w/ volume control) that uses RCA jacks as its input.

you need a headphone amplifier.

the sterio outputs will probably not be effected by the TV's Volume setting. (so you can turn the TV volume right down and use the headphone amp to adjust the sound level for comfort)

you could try without the amp.. just a RCA to headphone adaptor. at 120 ohms they may work acceptably at line levels... still if you're buying Sennheiser phones it'd probably not be acceptable.

Bye. Jasen