If you constantly work at the computer and at the same time like to listen to music, then you do not need to talk about the importance of headphones. Without them, your musical preferences become known to everyone around you, and this is far from always good. And this is not to mention the happy parents of young children who have a bad habit of waking up from every loud sound.
Oddly enough, a considerable number of users are asked about how to connect headphones to a computer (Windows 7 is leading in this regard). It may seem strange (at first glance) because of its apparent simplicity. Like, I connected the plug to the desired connector, and that's it in the hat ... Unfortunately, it is not always so simple.
Rear Panel Connection
Today, an increasing number of users are buying headphones with a microphone: the growing popularity of Skype is affecting, and you should not forget about other similar programs. In addition, with this kind of headset you can play online games, communicating with your rivals through voice communication. However, it is not so easy to “make friends” with old computers, on the motherboard of which there may not be suitable connectors.
Before connecting the headphones to the computer (Windows 7 has problems in this regard, so be careful), you need to make sure that the socket under them is designed for stereo sound. Therefore, make sure in advance that you plug a normal stereo cord into the audio jack.
This is verified to the point of banality: two black stripes must be drawn on Jack`e. Otherwise, a short circuit occurs on the right output, which eventually leads to the failure of the connector. If you use standard headphones, then in the store for ham radio it is better to find a special adapter that will prevent the possibility of such a short circuit.
If you bought normal stereo headphones with a Jack plug, the diameter of which is 3.5 millimeters, you can connect them to the green connector on the
sound card of your computer or laptop. In the absence of color coding, refer to the inscription "Phones", which should be in any case.
Connecting professional headphones
Professional equipment used by directors and recording studio employees is a separate issue. The thing is that such headphones are equipped with plugs with a diameter of 6.3 mm. You can connect them to a completely ordinary port, just by purchasing the appropriate adapter in the radio parts store.
But professionals notice that such plugs set the so-called "radial" load on the socket. Therefore, we will try to create a home-made adapter. It is simple to do: take a 3.5 mm plug and a 6.3 mm connector, connect them to each other using a suitable copper core wiring.
Old equipment
Since you can’t connect the headphones to the computer if they are equipped with the old ONC-VG old plug, you need to think about making a special adapter. If you are interested in radio technology, then you know that such a plug is available on old domestic headphones of the TDS series. Despite a decent age, the quality of their sound remains high to this day.
To install such an adapter, you must use an ohmmeter to check the pinout of the plug. If it is connected between the input and the common contact of one of the pair of channels, then it will click only in one of them.
In the case when clicks are heard immediately in both channels (simultaneously), they are connected in series. After determining which channels correspond to the stereo output, you can start making an adapter. For it, you will need a standard ONTs-VG type jack equipped with five contacts and a 3.5 mm Jack plug.
A bit about headphones with a microphone
Finally, we’ll talk about how to connect headphones with a microphone. Since there are two plugs for this equipment, you must look for the connector labeled “Mic”. Please note that the quality of work and sound transmission largely depends on the software you use, so it must be properly configured. Consider the most common and simple method.
To do this, click on the "Start" button, look for the "Control Panel" item in the menu that opens. In the next dialog box, select the “Sound” option. There we are interested in the “Record” tab, which clearly shows whether the microphone input is connected or if you made a mistake with the line input.
We connect through the front panel
Today it is difficult to find a system unit that would not be equipped with a headphone jack on the front panel. And this is a great joy, since in the relatively recent past I had to crawl at a computer, looking for the right connector by touch.
Before connecting the headphones to the computer (your Windows 7 or another OS does not matter), it is advisable to install software from Realtek. We’ll make a reservation right away: first, we will consider this particular case, since the controllers from this manufacturer are the most common and are found in almost every system unit.
Where to connect
First you need to look at the connectors themselves: next to the one that is designed for headphones, there will be a corresponding icon. If you have a device with a headset for talking, you must also correctly connect the second plug. An appropriate icon will also help you in this matter.
You can figure it out by looking at the color of the plug itself: if it is designed for headphones, it is covered with green plastic. If for a microphone, then the finish is most often pink.
Software
After connecting, you need to run the Realtek dispatcher, which in such cases needs to be searched in the tray. Run the utility: the headphone jacks will be displayed on the right side of its dialog box. Please note: active jacks will be highlighted brighter, while disconnected ones are easy to recognize by light “blurring”.
To activate inactive slots, you need to click on the icon with the image of the folder, which is located at the top of the dialog box. A window opens with the parameters of the connectors through which they can be controlled.
It is necessary to check the box next to the option “Disable detection of front panel sockets”, then click “OK”. The outputs will become active, after which you can easily determine where to connect the headphones to the computer.
If the headphones are with a microphone
Double-click the left mouse button to bring up the device selection window. In the drop-down list, select headphones or a microphone (if there is such a need). Only after carrying out all the above manipulations, the front exits begin to work fully.
Before connecting the headphones to the computer, it is better to make sure that they are working in advance by testing them on the player or smartphone. Surprisingly, how many nerves were spent connecting equipment that was already faulty!
Is it possible to connect headphones and speakers at the same time?
It is generally accepted that in the case of connecting speakers, headphones can only be plugged into their connector (if any). This is not true!
You can do much easier by buying a cheap and practical splitter. Two pairs of headphones can be connected to it at once. There are also devices that support the ability to connect more devices. But before you connect the headphones to the computer (Windows 7 or a similar system) with this method, make sure that your amplifier pulls out such an amount.
Possible problems
We have already said that it is far from always possible to do everything the first time. The most common problem is the lack of sound. What happened and how to eliminate such an annoying misunderstanding?
First of all, you need to check the headphone plug itself. Among cheap models, one can often find hidden marriage when the diameter of the Jack is slightly less than that of the connector. In this case, a complete visual impression is created that it is firmly inserted, but the computer does not “see” the headphones.
To protect yourself from such surprises, be sure to check the equipment purchased in the store.
Of course, the connector itself may also be to blame, which is especially true for older computers. Test it by connecting obviously working speakers or other headphones to it.
Among other things, the problem may be in the mixer settings. To check them, you need to find the icon with a speaker in the tray, then double-click on it with the left mouse button. A dialog box will open in which all possible programs and devices for outputting sound will be marked with icons. Its level can be adjusted using the sliders available here. They also need to pay attention when the headphones on the computer are playing quietly.
If under some of the devices you notice an icon with a crossed out speaker, then the problem can be solved very quickly. Just single-click on the icon with the left mouse button. After that, you can check the performance of the headphones.
Make sure your audio device is connected.
If the computer does not “see” the headphones, then the reason can also be found in the “Task Manager”. To do this, right-click on the “My Computer” icon, and select the “Properties” item in the context menu that opens. A window will open, in the left part of which you need to find and activate the option “Device Manager”. In the dialog that appears, select "Sound, video and game controllers." Expand the drop-down list by clicking on the “+” icon.
Drivers
If in front of any of the devices in the list there is a question mark, then the problem is in the drivers. Right-click on it, and then click on the item “Update drivers” in the pop-up context menu. Important! For success, you must have a media with installation files or the Internet, from which the program independently downloads everything you need.
Restoring the original device driver
If even after that the headphones on your computer do not work for you, it makes sense to try to roll back the drivers to their original state. To do this, we do everything as in the previous case, but after you right-click on the device in the drop-down menu, select the "Properties" item. A dialog box opens in which we are interested in the "Driver" tab.
Having opened it, you need to click on the “Roll back” button. All! Most likely, the system will be able to roll back to the last successful configuration, after which your equipment will work.
Some notes on USB headphones
Recently, USB microphones have become relatively widespread. Their advantage is that they need only one connector. Unfortunately, they also have certain disadvantages. Very often they “refuse” to work with old motherboards.
It happens that the headphones do not connect to the computer due to the fact that the old standard USB 1.0 is used. Its speed is trite enough for adequate data transfer, and therefore, in the case of an old machine, it is better not to buy such models at all.
And further. It is generally accepted that such headphones are universal. This is far from the case. They are great for Skype conversations and online games. We strongly recommend not using them for music! The fact is that they are difficult to calibrate at low frequencies, and when watching movies where the sound is superimposed on music, USB-headphones for a computer can greatly “blur” the sound, making it fuzzy.
It is best to connect them through the rear connectors. As a rule, the data transfer rate there is always higher. In addition, frontal connectors are often poorly connected by “talented” assemblers, so there may be problems with connecting and identifying equipment. So before connecting the headphones, Windows 7 (and if the OS is older, even more so) must be completely updated so that all the drivers are available.
Gamer models
Now let's talk about games. This is a special topic. The fact is that a well-chosen sound theme is vital for a full-fledged and interesting game. Have you ever listened to music at Morrowind? If so, then you probably won’t imagine how you can play this wonderful game, mocking your ears with cheap Chinese devices!
In general, gaming headphones for a computer should maintain an optimal balance of low frequencies. This is due to the fact that you (for obvious reasons) will not have a subwoofer, and high frequencies in games are very rare (it’s not an opera, really).
Of course, in WOT and similar team projects involving interaction with other gamers, the built-in microphone is most welcome.
As for the materials for the case, it is preferable to choose high-quality shielded models. To fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the virtual world, you must completely abstract from the reality of the surrounding reality. If through headphones you will perfectly hear all the sounds in the room, then you will not succeed in doing this.
The cups should be covered with soft and “breathing” material that will not rub the skin of the ears, and also will not contribute to their diaper rash from accumulated sweat.
Please note: the weight of professional headphones is pretty decent. Of course, after a few minutes you stop noticing him, but after an hour and a half after the start of the game, we advise you to take breaks. This is useful not only for your eyes, but also for your neck.
When choosing a game model, pay attention to more expensive samples. As a rule, several speakers are installed in their cups at once, the volume of each of which can be adjusted separately.
We hope you find out how to turn on your headphones. Windows 7, as experts say, has some problems with sound transmission, and therefore we recommend connecting devices using a high-quality sound card.