Chimpy Chompy on 20/3/2017 at 09:56
I have two devices, a PC and a TV. I want them to share a set of stero speakers, Audioengine A5+.
First I tried was a switching box with stereo RCA adapters for input and output. If both input devices are attached, it's fine switched to TV. If switched to PC, the sound is coming through, but there's an annoying buzzing sound on top. Which suggests some unwanted signal is leaking in?
Then I tried a very simple 2-to-1 3.5mm jack adapter. There's no switch here so I guess it just passes through everything it's receiving. Again TV is fine. But the PC is far too quiet.
I don't know if the problem is shitty components or if I should take a totally different approach? I guess some people would run various sources into an amp, but my speakers are already self-amplified.
Al_B on 20/3/2017 at 13:28
Quote Posted by Chimpy Chompy
First I tried was a switching box with stereo RCA adapters for input and output. If both input devices are attached, it's fine switched to TV. If switched to PC, the sound is coming through, but there's an annoying buzzing sound on top. Which suggests some unwanted signal is leaking in?
Could be a ground loop. If your TV's Earth isn't the same as your PC's then current can flow through the switching box which can superimpose itself as noise. It may be worth checking your power leads and multi-way power strips (if present) have correct grounding in place - or simply ensure your TV and PC are plugged into the same power strip. However, it may still be an issue depending on the power supply design in your TV.
Quote Posted by Chimpy Chompy
Then I tried a very simple 2-to-1 3.5mm jack adapter. There's no switch here so I guess it just passes through everything it's receiving. Again TV is fine. But the PC is far too quiet.
It's best not to do that if I understand you correctly. The two outputs will be attempting to drive each other which could potentially cause damage (or just won't work correctly). A proper switch or similar is a better bet.
Your Speakers appear to have two audio inputs and the (
http://support.audioengineusa.com/support/solutions/articles/14000058743-if-i-have-2-inputs-plugged-in-at-the-same-time-how-does-the-a5-switch-between-audio-sources-) FAQ on the Audioengine website suggests that they can both be connected up at the same time. This may still have the ground loop issue you saw with your switch box but it's worth a shot as a simple solution.
Sulphur on 20/3/2017 at 13:34
Dumb question, but have you tried connecting the PC to the TV via HDMI and then connected the speakers to the TV's audio out? You should get audio from both sources that way.
Zerker on 21/3/2017 at 21:31
You shouldn't need a multiple jack joiner; the AudioEngine A5s have two inputs: RCA and stereo mini plug. If you connect multiple inputs, the speakers will mix them together for you properly. I've got the A2s hooked up to my TV due to lack of space for anything bigger and I've got the TV hooked up to one input and my old Android phone (as a media player) hooked up to the other. The A2s also act as a USB sound card, but since I've got my PC audio going through the TV, it's not a feature I'm personally using. It doesn't look like the A5s offer that.
That said, my first recommendation would still be to hook up the PC through the TV like Sulphur suggested. If not, connect to multiple inputs (TV on RCA, PC on stereo mini or vice versa). I'd recommend changing the TV's output volume to be variable controlled rather than fixed. Then you can turn down the TV volume so it isn't quite so loud relative to the PC.
Chimpy Chompy on 22/3/2017 at 10:44
Yeah. I, uh, don't know why I didn't do this already. :sweat:
That said, running the PC through the TV would probably mean the least confusing tangle of cables.
Thanks all!
