Hi everyone. I hope this forum is a good place to ask this question.
I'm working on building a custom computer, and want to make my own front audio connector build into my desk. I'm trying to figure out the wiring from my motherboard out to headphones. I'm looking to use a 1/8" audio jack to a stereo pot for volume control, then on to the motherboard. I'm just using ground, left and right channels at the moment (no jack sensing).
I'm running into trouble figuring out the wiring for this. Everything I've tried so far has garbled audio or changes the volume of one channel/side, but not both channels. I also have trouble with getting the audio to completely mute when the pot is turned all the way down.
I have a couple of other concerns as well. First, I'm not sure if a 1K pot is the right value for this project, and second it occurred to me that the metal plate I have everything mounted on is probably grounding the jacks and the pot together. I have a picture of the headphone and mic jacks with the pot attached.
I'm working on building a custom computer, and want to make my own front audio connector build into my desk. I'm trying to figure out the wiring from my motherboard out to headphones. I'm looking to use a 1/8" audio jack to a stereo pot for volume control, then on to the motherboard. I'm just using ground, left and right channels at the moment (no jack sensing).
I'm running into trouble figuring out the wiring for this. Everything I've tried so far has garbled audio or changes the volume of one channel/side, but not both channels. I also have trouble with getting the audio to completely mute when the pot is turned all the way down.
I have a couple of other concerns as well. First, I'm not sure if a 1K pot is the right value for this project, and second it occurred to me that the metal plate I have everything mounted on is probably grounding the jacks and the pot together. I have a picture of the headphone and mic jacks with the pot attached.
Attachments
Sorry about that. This is how I understand it, though I'm not 100% sure about the potentiometer wiring. The motherboard connector, going to the pot, is also just Left, Right and Ground for the headphones.
Attachments
Last edited:
You need a 'stereo' pot (two stacked pots) unless you want to add the L&R signals together for mono.
vipe155, i see couple of issues here...
audio signal from mother board can be used only as line level signal, likely not suitable to power headphones, you need to insert headphones amplifier, even if it is just one dual opamp
the volume is typically controlled by software
Computers with headphone output jack do indeed have headphone amp built in and can drive headphones.
What you are trying to do is absolutely wrong. Even if the signal on mother board can drive headphones, inserting 1k ohm pot at the output is completely wrong and basically making it only low current line level signal. Volume pot is before an actual headphone amplifier.
Besides one mono pot can not possibly work for stereo signal, as others pointed out.
You should stop what you are doing as it is absolutely wrong.
audio signal from mother board can be used only as line level signal, likely not suitable to power headphones, you need to insert headphones amplifier, even if it is just one dual opamp
the volume is typically controlled by software
Computers with headphone output jack do indeed have headphone amp built in and can drive headphones.
What you are trying to do is absolutely wrong. Even if the signal on mother board can drive headphones, inserting 1k ohm pot at the output is completely wrong and basically making it only low current line level signal. Volume pot is before an actual headphone amplifier.
Besides one mono pot can not possibly work for stereo signal, as others pointed out.
You should stop what you are doing as it is absolutely wrong.
It's certainly possible to do what you describe.
I built a 'box' which allowed me to route the 'headphone out/line out' signal from the computer (tower case front panel) to either a 1/4" stereo jack for my headphones or to RCA connectors which went to a stereo amp and speakers.
As I recall, it had a 'mute' switch (for when the phone rang) and possibly also a volume pot.
Later, I changed that to a DAC/Headphone amp setup (with Line Outs for the stereo) which used the USB out from the computer, but that's a different story.
You just need to understand the wiring of your jacks and pots.
Do you have an ohmmeter? Use the continuity setting on a multimeter or even better (IMO) use an analog (needle meter) multimeter to figure out how the signal is getting through your jacks and connectors. A 1/8 stereo plug or an old cable with 1/8 plug connector is handy for figuring out the wiring. Those closed body plastic jacks can be a bit 'mysterious' - 'what connects to what' isn't obvious.
I am using a stereo pot...I think my labeling in the diagram might have obscured that.
As far as amplification, the old computer case mounted Front audio board that I have for reference is two 1/8" jacks, no amp, nothing else and it works fine. I'll attach a picture of something similar.
In the most basic sense, I'm trying to make my own version of that (same cable to the motherboard, for example) but with an analog volume control.
What value of pot should I be using? 500 ohm?
Attachments
They are just an average consumer over the ear, 32Ω.
My motherboard is made by MSI, and has their "Audio Boost" marketing gimmick, which means that the board has a built-in headphone amp (supposedly up to 600Ω). So it's probably nothing special, but the front headphone out is not just line level.
I can connect my 5 pin jack directly to the motherboard, it works, sounds ok enough, and volume can be controlled through software. Beyond that, is it possible at all to put a stereo pot between the board and the jack to control volume, or should I be trying some other setup?
- Status
- Not open for further replies.