I need a crazy headphone switch
 

I like to go back and forth between my headphones and my surround speakers. This is a huge pain, switching back and forth. Currently I have to jack my headphones into my soundcard or into my speaker amp.

Is there some way I could leave my headphones always plugged in somewhere and hit a switch (be it a hard switch or a software switch) to go back and forth?

There are A/V switches availible at electronic stores. To use them with headphones you would have to buy an adapter. So yes it is possible.

I have two switches myself. I picked one up at an independant electronics store and teh other at Sears on the Tv dept somewhere.

If your surround set has an headphone attachment, plug your headphones into that.

otherwise, yeah, it should be pretty easy to make one yourself or to buy one =)

Off to Radio Shack I go . . .

Thanks guys.

I solved this by buying a new sound card LOL, Got myself a Gametheater XP, its got a 1/4" jack on the front of the breakout box for your headphones, and when it is turned on by a Dial, the comp sees this and makes the necessary changes. Also helped that it has Optical in/out and RCA Jacks for all 5 channels, acts as a 4 port USB hub and has MIDI jacks on it. I know it dont have the crazy high quality sound as the audigy 2's do but I cant tell the difference between the 2 on a $600 Reciever so I could care less :)

I just wanted to say this cuz I think the GTXP is WAY under rated

Would it be possible to use another sound card for the headphones? Is there some kind of software to easily change back and forth?

I have 2 soundcards in my work laptop - one in the laptop itself (its an ESS piece of shit) and one I put in one of the PCI slots in the docking station for listening to music at my desk. A couple of minor problems - the CD player sound cable can only be plugged into one or the other (no contest - it's in the docking station card) - and each application you need to select which sound card to output to. Can't see any reason why you couldn't have 2 cards in a desktop.

they sell spliters for like 3 bucks that you can use...

that's what i did so you will actually always have feed going to both the speakers and the headphones...