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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Speaker switch to bypass speakers with Taboo?
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Message started by Clay N on 05/02/22 at 02:09:39

Title: Speaker switch to bypass speakers with Taboo?
Post by Clay N on 05/02/22 at 02:09:39

I've been using my Taboo mkIII with headphones only and absolutely loving it, however I'm considering using it with speakers as well. In an effort to not disconnect my speakers every time I want to use headphones, I was wondering if I could buy a speaker switch with only one set of outputs connected to speakers and then when I want to use headphones, I would switch to the empty outputs. Would this damage anything? Is there a different/better way to accomplish this? I tried searching on the forums but wasn't able to. Thanks!

Title: Re: Speaker switch to bypass speakers with Taboo?
Post by Steve Deckert on 05/03/22 at 02:53:50

It's a great question, and the short answer is that using a switch box won't hurt anything except possibly the sound. Most speaker level switch boxes have impedance protection so that solid state amps won't explode when you engage more than two sets of speakers.

Some things to consider...

The headphones play about 4 times louder than the speakers in many instances. That makes them low level background monitors during headphone use.

To turn the speakers off, we use speaker cables that are terminated with banana jacks so that we can simply lift one of the jacks out of the binding post hole on each channel. It takes no longer than flipping two switches, but has none of the fidelity robbing consequences.

-Steve

Title: Re: Speaker switch to bypass speakers with Taboo?
Post by Clay N on 05/03/22 at 12:28:36

Thanks Steve! Using banana plugs and just unplugging them is such a reasonable and simple solution... I was definitely over thinking it :)

I've honestly never had a setup where the speakers and headphones were playing at the same time so I didn't realize the practical difference in their loudness. I may not even need to unplug the speakers at all ... we'll see what my wife says :)