3.5mm headphone jack splitter?

[Trogdor_the_Burninator]

Hello,

I have a 3.5mm headphone jack splitter that looks like this.

It's intended to be used to take one audio source and play it through two sets of headphones. What I want to know is whether it can (safely) be used to go the OTHER way. I have two computers at my desk, and I would like them both to play audio through the same desktop speaker system. So for a while, I just plugged this thing into the back of my speakers, and connected the audio-out from both systems to it, and it seemed to work. But after a while, I wondered if maybe I was risking damage to the speakers or something (I was having some static issues that later turned out to be caused by radio interference), so I stopped doing that and bought a crappy portable speaker for my laptop. But this kind of sucks, so I'd like to know whether it's safe to go back to what I was doing before, or if there's something else I should be using to achieve the desired result.

Thanks!

[IgorM]

Yeah, there is a possibility of damaging your equipment. I didn't find a 3.5mm input switch to buy online but fond this diy version that is quite easy to make: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Construct-a-35mm-Switch-diy/

It basically would work the same as manually plugging the desired input

[Trogdor_the_Burninator]

2 minutes ago, IgorM said:

Yeah, there is a possibility of damaging your equipment. I didn't find a 3.5mm input switch to buy online but fond this diy version that is quite easy to make: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Construct-a-35mm-Switch-diy/

It basically would work the same as manually plugging the desired input

Thank you, but I don't want a switch. I want both computers to be able to play over the speakers at the same time - often I'll be playing a game on one system and have youtube open on the other.

[IgorM]

3 minutes ago, Trogdor_the_Burninator said:

Thank you, but I don't want a switch. I want both computers to be able to play over the speakers at the same time - often I'll be playing a game on one system and have youtube open on the other.

then you will need a mixer for that like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00102ZN40/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zTk2yb7ERQ9B3

there are probably cheaper options with fewer inputs

[WH2002]

If you don't want to use a mixer like the one @IgorM posted, because it is to expensive, you can make something that is a little cheaper. Basically what you do is, you take two aux cables (3,5mm male to 3,5mm male) and cut them in half. then you take four 10 kilo Ohm resistors and solder them to tree of the ends like drawn in the schematic. The colors in the drawing probably won't match the ones in your cables, so you wil have to take a multimeter in continuity testing mode and measure which of the wires is left, right an ground. as an alternative you could instead of two aux cables take one aux cable and one loose connector. One of the drawbacks of this method is that the only way to adjust the mix is by changing the volume on both of your computers.

Also just a few tips, get an aux cable that is not very thin because the wires in those cables are also very thin and that makes them extra difficult to solder. Another tip is to use heat shrink to protect all of your solder joints, both from being pulled apart and to prevents shorts.

[rice guru]

6 hours ago, I7 5820K said:

If you don't want to use a mixer like the one @IgorM posted, because it is to expensive, you can make something that is a little cheaper. Basically what you do is, you take two aux cables (3,5mm male to 3,5mm male) and cut them in half. then you take four 10 kilo Ohm resistors and solder them to tree of the ends like drawn in the schematic. The colors in the drawing probably won't match the ones in your cables, so you wil have to take a multimeter in continuity testing mode and measure which of the wires is left, right an ground. as an alternative you could instead of two aux cables take one aux cable and one loose connector. One of the drawbacks of this method is that the only way to adjust the mix is by changing the volume on both of your computers.

Also just a few tips, get an aux cable that is not very thin because the wires in those cables are also very thin and that makes them extra difficult to solder. Another tip is to use heat shrink to protect all of your solder joints, both from being pulled apart and to prevents shorts.

defnitely gonna have to try this. ones gonna output from my monitor  9for use when I use my switch, and the other from my alexa to a pair of old logitech speakers. just gotta find the old resistor kit. and the old mini breadboard cause i hate soldering

[theonlyratatoskr]

No. You need a mixer/interface to go from two signals to one.

 

Otherwise you end up with two mono signals into one stereo signal. Or, if you somehow split the two mono signals in software, then you have two mono signals. And mono is trash for music/audio consumption.