Adding speakers to tv with no audio output

[luch]

I'm going to be putting a tv in a room where the viewing area will be
across the room, with a lot of ambient noise. I'd like to hook up my
tv to speakers in the viewing area, but the tv has not audio output,
just a headphone jack. Is there an adaptor that will allow me to
convert from the headphone jack to a speaker connection? These
speakers would not be powered, just in-wall speakers.

After reading some of the posts in this forum, I'm starting to get
concerned about creating a shock hazard or about blowing a component on
the tv? If this will work, what are the specs of the speakers I should
look a getting? If this will not work, will wireless speakers give me
what I want (I don't want the added wrinkle of having to remember to
power on/off the speakers, and there is not an electrical outlet in the
viewing area.) Thanks for any help.

 

[James Sweet]

I'm going to be putting a tv in a room where the viewing area will be
across the room, with a lot of ambient noise. I'd like to hook up my
tv to speakers in the viewing area, but the tv has not audio output,
just a headphone jack. Is there an adaptor that will allow me to
convert from the headphone jack to a speaker connection? These
speakers would not be powered, just in-wall speakers.

After reading some of the posts in this forum, I'm starting to get
concerned about creating a shock hazard or about blowing a component on
the tv? If this will work, what are the specs of the speakers I should
look a getting? If this will not work, will wireless speakers give me
what I want (I don't want the added wrinkle of having to remember to
power on/off the speakers, and there is not an electrical outlet in the
viewing area.) Thanks for any help.

Adding a headphone jack creates a shock hazard, but you already have one so
you'll have no problems. To connect the speakers you'll need an amplifier of
some sort, doesn't have to be anything fancy. You may need a couple
resistors to match the impedance but that may not be nessesary.

Another possibly neater option is to get a VCR with stereo audio out and use
that as the tuner.

 

[René]

I'm going to be putting a tv in a room where the viewing area will be
across the room, with a lot of ambient noise. I'd like to hook up my
tv to speakers in the viewing area, but the tv has not audio output,
just a headphone jack. Is there an adaptor that will allow me to
convert from the headphone jack to a speaker connection? These
speakers would not be powered, just in-wall speakers.

After reading some of the posts in this forum, I'm starting to get
concerned about creating a shock hazard or about blowing a component on
the tv? If this will work, what are the specs of the speakers I should
look a getting? If this will not work, will wireless speakers give me
what I want (I don't want the added wrinkle of having to remember to
power on/off the speakers, and there is not an electrical outlet in the
viewing area.) Thanks for any help.

Easy way out: buy PC speakers (intended for connection to PC -
soundcard) - they usually have a 3.5mm input jack that can be plugged
into the headphone output (use converter if this output is 6 mm).
Headphone jack should be isolated from hazardous voltages.

 

[Ross Herbert]

I'm going to be putting a tv in a room where the viewing area will be
across the room, with a lot of ambient noise. I'd like to hook up my
tv to speakers in the viewing area, but the tv has not audio output,
just a headphone jack. Is there an adaptor that will allow me to
convert from the headphone jack to a speaker connection? These
speakers would not be powered, just in-wall speakers.

After reading some of the posts in this forum, I'm starting to get
concerned about creating a shock hazard or about blowing a component on
the tv? If this will work, what are the specs of the speakers I should
look a getting? If this will not work, will wireless speakers give me
what I want (I don't want the added wrinkle of having to remember to
power on/off the speakers, and there is not an electrical outlet in the
viewing area.) Thanks for any help.

Since you cannot use powered speakers due to lack of power outlets
where the new speakers are required you cannot use a wireless
transmitter receiver setup. This means that you will be limited to
directly connecting your new speakers to the TV, and this may be a
problem depending upon your technical ability and the TV audio stage
capability/wiring. It is technically fairly simple to do but it
requires a fair bit of effort and appropriate knowledge.

I suspect that because the TV set only has a headphone jack you will
not be able to connect external speakers directly. It is probable that
the existing headphone output jack isolates the internal TV speakers
when the headphones are plugged in (it should be wired like this), AND
there will be series limiting resistors to reduce the maximum level
being fed to the headphones. These resistors will need to be bypassed
in order to drive external speakers so this would mean delving into
the innards of your TV set. Unless you are familiar with TV servicing
then don't do it yourself.

You will need to select external speakers having the same impedance as
the internal ones (this data may be stamped on the internal speakers
or it is in the TV user guide spec - possibly 8 ohms). You also need
to select external speakers which will be as efficient as possible
given the limited power output of the usual audio output amplifier in
most TV's, but this rating should also be in the spec - say speakers
rated at 5 - 7W RMS.

Now if the headphone output jack is a 3.5mm unit, as I suspect, then
you won't be able to wire your new speaker cables into a 3.5mm plug,
since this type of plug just isn't designed to take other than the
small diameter cable as used on headphones. Your new speaker cables,
being much longer, will most likely be stranded figure eight flex cord
so you will need to make a suitable adapter box to expand the 3.5mm
plug connections out to two sets of connectors suitable for stereo
speaker cables. There aren't any off-the-shelf items to do this that I
know of so you will need to be handy with electronics construction
techniques and components.

If all this seems too hard for you then you won't be able to achieve
your aim of connecting external speakers to your TV unless you use
powered speaker units and an A/V transmitter setup.

 

[b]

I'm going to be putting a tv in a room where the viewing area will be
across the room, with a lot of ambient noise. I'd like to hook up my
tv to speakers in the viewing area, but the tv has not audio output,
just a headphone jack. Is there an adaptor that will allow me to
convert from the headphone jack to a speaker connection? These
speakers would not be powered, just in-wall speakers.

(snip)

I would find a small-ish stereo amp, put it next to the tv. connect the
tv headphone out to its tape input (with 3.5mm jack to 2X RCA phono
plug lead). Then wire up two speakers from the amp to the listening
area.

-Ben

 

[NSM]

Adding a headphone jack creates a shock hazard, but you already have one so
you'll have no problems. To connect the speakers you'll need an amplifier of
some sort, doesn't have to be anything fancy. You may need a couple
resistors to match the impedance but that may not be nessesary.

Powered computer speakers are an easy way to go.