Makeshift headphone amp - Any reason I shouldn't use a combo with the speaker unplugged?

[Bassaga]

I've got a Peavey VYPYR 2. I was looking into headphone amps, and it finally hit me that the Peavey has aux out, aux in, effects, all sorts of things that I'm looking for in this new tool.

The only issue is that when I play through headphones, it's real easy to turn my head and yank the cable out - causing the sound to suddenly blast through the speaker. The only chance I have to play is at night when everybody is asleep. It's a risk.

So I thought, why not just unclip the wires to the speaker and get a risk-free headphone amplifier that way? My hesitation is whether or not combo amps are designed to only run with the speaker. I'd hate to blow anything up, and I've never gotten into the electrical engineering of all this. So I thought I'd check here.

 

[abarson]

It would be very easy to add an inline switch to the speaker cable to silence the speaker.

 

[agedhorse]

When the headphones are plugged in, does that automatically shut off the speaker?

 

[Bassaga]

It does automatically shut it off, yes. And when the plug comes out, the speaker kicks right back in.

 

[tlc1976]

How about a headphone extension cable? It's been ages, but I used to use a 20 ft headphone extension cable, which I bundled with my bass cable. I left sufficient slack at my end to move my head. Then I could move around my room at will.

 

[agedhorse]

It does automatically shut it off, yes. And when the plug comes out, the speaker kicks right back in.

Then why unplug the speaker?

 

[Aloe]

yanking out a 1/8" cable is bad in the first place. if you do this from time to time, you might need to fix both the headphones and the amp.

get a headphone cable extender and call it a day.

 

[gln1955]

If the headphone cable is long enough, loop it around a handle so it can't be pulled from the jack.

 

[nickpc]

If the headphone cable is long enough, loop it around a handle so it can't be pulled from the jack.

This is the answer. And will save you from having to replace the headphone jack as well.

 

[Wfrance3]

Somewhat off topic, but for a versatile headphone amp that has an aux-in, the bang for your buck doesn't get much better than:
B1 Four / B1xFour | Buy Now
This is a link to Zoom's Page on these...

 

[Andy Marshman]

When the headphones are plugged in, does that automatically shut off the speaker?

I think he described doing that but accidentally janking the headphone cable out of the amp.

 

[Andy Marshman]

How about a simple stereo headphones extension cord? Loop it through the handle of the amp as a strain relief.

 

[DJ Bebop]

It does automatically shut it off, yes. And when the plug comes out, the speaker kicks right back in.

 

[Element Zero]

A plethora of 1/8 in extension cables are available online. Sweetwater, guitar center, musicians friend, Amazon…

 

[ddnidd1]

Go with an extension cable. You really don't want to be repeatedly straining either end of your existing headphone cable.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

Go with the extension cable! They are the cheapest solution to you problem. OR you could always set up a transmitter to you amp so that you can listen via a wireless headset. No cables to be unplugged accidentally then.

 

[agedhorse]

Using an extension cable won't allow the speaker to play unless the extension is unplugged from the amp.

The fear of damage to the 1/8" headphone jacks is EXACTLY why we use the more robust 1/4" headphone jacks.

 

[Spectrum]

If you pull the headphone out and power is suddenly routed to the vacant speaker jack (ie no speaker connected), can that damage the amp?

Does it depend on the make and model?

 

[tlc1976]

I always bundled my headphone extension cable with my bass cable, since they were both coming from and going to the same place. It only made sense. I left more slack for the headphone cable at the amp end since it was the weaker of the two, and sufficient slack at my end for me to turn my head and stretch and whatever.

Back in the day I used garbage bag ties about every 6 inches because there weren't many options for a broke kid and there was no internet. These days I would get a pack of Velcro wire ties and do the same, or one of the many other cheap options for cable management.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I've got a Peavey VYPYR 2. I was looking into headphone amps, and it finally hit me that the Peavey has aux out, aux in, effects, all sorts of things that I'm looking for in this new tool.

The only issue is that when I play through headphones, it's real easy to turn my head and yank the cable out - causing the sound to suddenly blast through the speaker. The only chance I have to play is at night when everybody is asleep. It's a risk.

So I thought, why not just unclip the wires to the speaker and get a risk-free headphone amplifier that way? My hesitation is whether or not combo amps are designed to only run with the speaker. I'd hate to blow anything up, and I've never gotten into the electrical engineering of all this. So I thought I'd check here.

If it's a totally solid state amp, it probably won't hurt it.

But, if there's a possibility it could, why take the chance?