# Question about making stereo headphones behave like mono headphones **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775 "2004-04-13T14:05:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/1 "2004-04-13T14:05:45Z")
Background: I have only one functioning ear. The other is pretty but useless. Or pretty useless, depending on how you look at it. Thus, when I listen to music on my iPod, I can only hear part of the song. This is most annoying with songs from the 60s & early 70s when they seemed to like to make the vocals come out of one side and most of the music out of the other. I assume this is because stereo was new and they really wanted to (ab)use it to its full potential. I’ve heard a rumor that you can buy a little stereo-mono jack at places like Radio Shack that will turn the music from stereo to mono. Anybody know if these things work? Would I get all the music coming out mono on both ear pieces, or all coming out of one and silence out of the other? Anybody know what it’s called? ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/2 "2004-04-13T15:20:27Z")
If you’ve only got one good ear (I can kind of empathize, I’ve got about 1.6 good ears) how about [this](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=33-1172)? A search at Radio Shack’s website for “mono headphone” brings up a couple of mono headhones as well as some of the [jacks](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=274-378) you were talking about. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/3 "2004-04-13T19:19:08Z")
Yes, they work just fine. If you look closeley at a stereo headphone plug, you’ll see three separate contact areas with separator bands between them. These are called the “tip”, “ring” and “sleeve” contacts. The left channel is carried on the tip of the plug, the ring carries the right channel, and the sleeve is a common ground. On a mono headphone, or on the mono side of a stereo-mono converter, there is only a tip and sleeve, but the tip portion is large enough to make contact with both the tip and ring of the stereo device it’s plugged into, so that both the left and right channels are combined together. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/4 "2004-04-13T19:27:43Z")
Thanks, you two! A trip to Radia Shack is in order. Thanks so much for the explanation of how they work, too. My ignorance has been vanquished! (at least in that area) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/5 "2004-04-13T21:25:12Z")
Questions with factual answers belong in [**General Questions**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=3). I’ll move this for you. **Cajun Man** for the SDMB ---
**Author:** ![cheapbastardon38thstreet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cheapbastardon38thstreet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheapbastardon38thstreet)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/6 "2004-04-13T21:39:25Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > If you’ve only got one good ear (I can kind of empathize, I’ve got about 1.6 good ears) how about [this](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=33-1172)? A search at Radio Shack’s website for “mono headphone” brings up a couple of mono headhones as well as some of the [jacks](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=274-378) you were talking about. Its not really that simple, you will have two different inputs fighting each other and muddie up your out-put. What you really need is a simple mixer [http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/mixer1.htm](http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/mixer1.htm) there are other ways of making them that doesn’t require an active circuit. I’m sure somebody is gonna come along and give a complete electronics course on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/7 "2004-04-13T21:45:11Z")
Signal wise there will be virtually no difference between merging the two channels by shorting them to each other and using any sort of mixer. All the amps in the mixer add is the ability to adjust relative volume of each input. There is no apparent need for that so why add the expense. Yes, some stereo signals will sound odd when combined but that won’t be changed by using a mixer to do it and in any event the difference will not be apparent to someone with only a single good ear. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/8 "2004-04-13T22:32:38Z")
Is there not somewhere a piece of software that will mix the tracks down to mono as a batch process? (won’t they take up less space on the iPod this way?) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/9 "2004-04-13T22:45:34Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > Signal wise there will be virtually no difference between merging the two channels by shorting them to each other and using any sort of mixer. All the amps in the mixer add is the ability to adjust relative volume of each input. There is no apparent need for that so why add the expense. > > Yes, some stereo signals will sound odd when combined but that won’t be changed by using a mixer to do it and in any event the difference will not be apparent to someone with only a single good ear. I thought we had a thread recently where someone (someone in the know) advised strongly against simply shorting the terminals to make mono, as they felt this could cause damage to the amplifier. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/10 "2004-04-13T23:34:15Z")
I’ve been out of electroncs for a while but I’m doubtful. Headphone jacks, particularly on portables, are not high power outputs. You’re really only cutting the impedance in half by effectively running the two headphone sides in parallel. I doubt if there will be enough current flow in any event to cause a problem. Good point about a mono mix though but I’m not sure how to easily do it. A better way if you can figure how. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrano9839](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Cyrano9839](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrano9839)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/11 "2004-04-13T23:45:38Z")
The part number you’re looking for at Radio Shack is 274-374 for 1/8", or 274-1520 for 1/4". Both retail for $2.99. I haven’t heard of any equipment damage in 17 years. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/12 "2004-04-13T23:46:56Z")
[Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=188315) the other thread (which was about HiFi speakers, not portable headphones, which I suspect makes quite a difference. However, the fact remains that if the signals one either channel should both happen to be at peak amplitude and completely opposite phase, the voltage difference across the outputs will be double that anticipated by design. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/13 "2004-04-13T23:56:08Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > This is most annoying with songs from the 60s & early 70s when they seemed to like to make the vocals come out of one side and most of the music out of the other. I assume this is because stereo was new and they really wanted to (ab)use it to its full potential. Stereo music was evolving in the 1960s. What you might be referring to is something called (at the time) duophone. It is not true stereo. If you want to appreciate the dilemma, listen to the original Beach Boys album _Pet Sounds_. That is the sound Capitol Records wanted, but not what Brian Wilson wanted. Now listen to the CD album _Pet Sounds Sessions_ which includes the _Pet Sounds_ album the way Brian really wanted it. It will blow your socks off. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/14 "2004-04-14T00:43:16Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > [Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=188315) the other thread (which was about HiFi speakers, not portable headphones, which I suspect makes quite a difference. Makes a vast difference. Several kinds of low impedance speakers, like the old Bose 901s IIRC, could not be used with just any old amplifier because the high current flow would burn up the output stages. This is a case where an amplifier not powerful enough for the speakers could be burned up by turning the volume too high. > [@](#): > > However, the fact remains that if the signals one either channel should both happen to be at peak amplitude and completely opposite phase, the voltage difference across the outputs will be double that anticipated by design. That’s not incorrect but probably inconsequential. Audio amplifiers typically have output capacitors or transformers so that the final output has no DC component. Any doubling of voltage becomes an extremely short transient and inconsequential at the current flows you get through most dynamic headphones. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-making-stereo-headphones-behave-like-mono-headphones/239775/15 "2004-04-14T00:58:01Z")
Fair enough BTW Looks like a bit of freeware called RazorLAME can handle the batch conversion to mono, at least for MP3 files (does an iPod use MP3s?)