Connect (basicly) headphones to AV receiver and still use speakers

[Larry Browning]

I can't seem to find the answer to this anywhere on the internet. (I probably don't know what to search for)
My wife has severe hearing loss and is getting new hearing aids that have a feature that will allow transmitting of sound from RCA audio out connectors directly to the hearing aid. However, we have a home theater setup where all my various devices (DirectV, bluray player, ROKU, etc..) are connected to an AV receiver via HDMI cables. The Video is passed to the TV via another HDMI cable and the sound plays through the speakers attached to the AV receiver.
My AV Receiver has RCA audio out connecters, but it says that they only work for devices connected to analog in devices, which seems like it would not work for me.
I cannot use the headphone out jack because it will mute the speakers whenever something is plugged into it, and having the the normal sound on is an absolute requirement for this.
Does anyone know of a way I can make this work? I keep thinking there has to be some simple way to do this, but so far, no joy.

[Duane Meadows]

Larry, I can't think of a "simple" way. Defeating the the mute functionality, of the headphone jack would likely be the easiest. Some times speakers outs on TV's are hot(not isolated) so that isn't a safe idea to tap those! Even if not there are impedance and level matching to be concerned with.

HDMI has digital rights management embeded is the reason they don't feed that to the RCA outputs. Without looking at the schematic for your AV receiver, wouldn't want to venture a guess.

If the headphone jack is printed circuit board mounted(and it probably is) even that is somewhat complicated.

Also the issue of voiding warranties.

[Jerrimy Snook]

I typed hdmi to rca audio converter into Amazon search and came up with this.

http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Premium...udio+converter

[Larry Browning]

Not being an audiophile and just a casual user of all this stuff, all I want to do is tap into something that is putting out the same thing as the speakers all the time, regardless of the input. I really don't want to know why that is so hard, I just want it. I have a Yamaha RX-V671 receiver if that helps. At one point I thought I could tap into the zone 2 speaker output, but that also is analog only. I have even wondered if there was some way to just put a microphone in front of the speakers to pickup the sound that could be sent to the headphones.

[Larry Browning]

I typed hdmi to rca audio converter into Amazon search and came up with this.

http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Premium...udio+converter

Hmm, that might work if the hdmi output from the AV receiver is also transmitting the audio signal as well.

[Shawn Pixley]

I'm sure you could do it through a speaker selector box with volume control. Run right and left channels from receiver to selector box. Then run speaker set one to your normal speakers. Set speaker set two to a to the output device for the hearing aid.

[Shawn Pixley]

Many receivers also have multiple outputs for remote speakers as well. Not to be flip, but did you check yours?

[Duane Meadows]

I typed hdmi to rca audio converter into Amazon search and came up with this.

http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Premium...udio+converter

Looks that should work, as it has HDMI pass thru! Just put it between the AV receiver and the TV. I'll have to keep that one in mind, Jerrimy.

[Graham Wintersgill]

Larry

Does the TV get sound to it at all times and you just have the volume turned down? if so does it have a headphone socket that you could tap into?

Regards

[Jerrimy Snook]

Larry, If I am reading the manual correctly, then your receiver will send the audio for the tv either with the HDMI signal or to the analog rca outputs (page 27 top right). Connect your wife's hearing aids to the rca output, route the signal to the rca output and there you go. My one concern would be volume control for her hearing aids. (This would be the same as the hdmi-rca converter I posted earlier.)

It also looks like the receiver has analog recording outputs. These may work as well and are generally always live and would "record" whatever was being output to the speakers. There may be some sort of recording level volume control here.

[Burt Alcantara]

I have a "sound card interface" that allows me to do this. The card is not a card but an interface box. The one I have is a Focusrite Scarlett. It's expensive and used for interfacing musical instruments. I suggest you go to a Guitar Center and ask them for the cheapest box. This allows you to plug in various devices in and out. Tell them what you need and they will give you the right box. Be prepared to spend at least $50 but possible more.

[Larry Browning]

Larry

Does the TV get sound to it at all times and you just have the volume turned down? if so does it have a headphone socket that you could tap into?

Regards

Graham,
AFAIK sound is never sent to the TV itself. All devices are connected to the AV receiver via hdmi cables. All the audio is processed by the receiver and is not even sent to the tv at all. Only the video is sent to the tv via a single hdmi cable. So hooking anything up to the audio outputs of the tv will not work.

[Larry Browning]

Larry, If I am reading the manual correctly, then your receiver will send the audio for the tv either with the HDMI signal or to the analog rca outputs (page 27 top right). Connect your wife's hearing aids to the rca output, route the signal to the rca output and there you go. My one concern would be volume control for her hearing aids. (This would be the same as the hdmi-rca converter I posted earlier.)

It also looks like the receiver has analog recording outputs. These may work as well and are generally always live and would "record" whatever was being output to the speakers. There may be some sort of recording level volume control here.

Let me be clear. All devices are input to the AV receiver via hdmi cable which means that it is all digital. No analog input at all. The manual states that the RCA audio out connector only works for analog input devices. This means that this connector willl not work for me.
Page 31 of the manual seems to imply to me that the audio out only sends a signal from the following inputs:
AV5-6, Audio 1-2 or V-aux(audio). These are all analog inputs.
I suppose I can always just try it and see what happens, but I am not too hopeful.

[Lee Schierer]

Many receivers also have multiple outputs for remote speakers as well. Not to be flip, but did you check yours?

Most receives have A and B speakers. You can get a female RCA plug at Radio Shack and with a few bits of wire connect the hearing aid transmitter to the B speakers and run both A and B speakers using the B for your wife.

[Jason Roehl]

Most receives have A and B speakers. You can get a female RCA plug at Radio Shack and with a few bits of wire connect the hearing aid transmitter to the B speakers and run both A and B speakers using the B for your wife.

This.

Whatever male end your wife's device has, get a cord with the matching female end, then clip that end off with a foot or so of wire attached. Then strip the wires back 1/2" and plug them into the B speaker outputs. Start with all volume levels down, and adjust up slowly.