Need A Headphone Extension

[tjansen]

Hello,

Does anyone out there happen to have bought a headphone extension cord with a volume control included. I recently bought some noise canceling headphones and would like to be able to listen to them at some distance from my computer, preferably around 25 feet or so. I would also like to have volume control. The headphones are very loud, which is OK, but I would like to be able to control the volume from the headphones, not just the computer. The plug type is what seems to me to be pretty standard, the 1/8" or so. I would guess it is the 3.5 mm variety that I see referred to. There is one plug for earphones and one for microphone.

Getting the product shipped here (Ratchaburi Province) is one concern. When I bought the headphones themselves, from the US, customs tacked on several dollars, I forget how much. I don't go to Bangkok often, so if there is a source there, I would like one that will mail the product to me.

Thanks for any help.

Tom

[phaethon]

That's a pretty long extension, not sure I've seen any ready made. If you have or can borrow a soldering iron and have something like a branch of PowerBuy nearby you should be able to buy the wire and male and female 3.5 jacks and make it yourself. Otherwise the local TV repair guy should be able to oblige.

[gennisis]

I have hearing problems with my TV...brilliant picture but muzzy sound. I solved my problem with wireless headphones....you might want to investigate this metthod. I have JVC headphones and they have volume control.

[phaethon]

I have hearing problems with my TV...brilliant picture but muzzy sound. I solved my problem with wireless headphones....you might want to investigate this metthod. I have JVC headphones and they have volume control.

I was about to suggest that too, but then I saw he already had (expensive) noise cancelling 'phones. I have Philips IR which are useful when on Skype and I need to get up and make tea or just potter about up to 10m away.

Again, a bit of technical know-how could see the IR receiver removed from the wireless 'phones and its output sent, via 3.5mm jack, to the noise cancellers...

[Darrel]

I attached a cheap USB IR sensor to my PC and now use a remote control to operate all the home theatre functions, including the volume.

For the cable, just get two regular 5m 3.5mm stereo extension cables (ie m/f) and connect them together. That's 30 feet.

(I also bought a pair of Sennheiser RS180 wireless phones, and they are extremely good.)

[aussiebebe]

A good place to go is Amorn electronics, they stock extension cables. I have a 5meter extension cable but I've never seen one with volume control - you mean the headphones don't? To solve the problem with wires as Darrel suggested, you'd need to buy four 5-meter m/f cables (2 for audio, 2 for mic), I think around 180b each from Amorn.

[ETatBKK]

try this company in both Pantip and Fortune Tower, I used to go there for odd cable solution. there are some near-by shops also carry wide varieties of cables, and some do make-to-order.

http://www.tvdotcom.biz/index.php/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.browse&category_id=6

[Darrel]

.... you'd need to buy four 5-meter m/f cables (2 for audio, 2 for mic),

He mentioned the mic socket, but I dont think he actually has/uses a mic. So 2 cables should be enough. I may be wrong.

[khastan]

If you have access to ebay then this is what you want http://www.ebay.co.u...#ht_2718wt_1165 or if you prefer a straight plug rather than angled http://www.ebay.co.u...#ht_1763wt_1398

[damole]

You may also consider buying a straight extension cable and using a small headphone amplifier which has its own volume control, you should get an improvement in sound quality too. I have both a Fiio E7 which I now use as an external DAC for my laptop and an Fiio E11 which I use with my Alessandro MS-1 and Koss Portapro headphones.

The Fiio range are critically acclaimed and the basic units very reasonably priced. You can buy them from Munkong Gagdet in Bangkok and we now have a shop in Airport Plaza Chiang Mai that sells them, no use for you I know but others might be interested.

--damole

[tjansen]

Looks like I have a lot of choices. The most obvious to me is to get the Volume control from Ebay and, as some suggested, have a local TV repair shop make up a cable.

I have a couple of follow-on questions.

1) Is there a possibility of getting stuck with some disproportionate Customs fee if I order from the US? When I bought the Audio-Technica headphones, I paid something like $20-30 USD extra for customs.

2) I feel silly admitting this, but this acclaimed (on Internet reviews), expensive set of headphones, when the Noise Canceling function is on, has an annoying, intermittent electronic buzz. My guess it is caused by cell phone usage in the area or something like that. Unfortunately, the headphones don't cancel their own noise. Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks to all for a lot of good input.

[phaethon]

1) Pick a supplier who will send via registered (air) mail rather than one who uses couriers like UPS/FedEx etc. Mail is a lottery on customs charges that is very much in your favour, whereas couriers charge the customs themselves and then just hand it over like it's their 'duty' to do so ()

2) You sometimes get a buzz on headphones (and microphones) if there is a loose, partial or dirty connection, jack plug/socket is the prime suspect.