Stereo Connection
December 10, 2005 @ 3:05 pm
I have been puzzling over how to connect my computer to my stereo for months now, and finally hit on a cool solution. Behold, the Stereo Cable / Telephone Jack hybrid! In my new apartment it's about 40 feet and three rooms from my stereo to my computer. I didn't want stereo cables running all through the house, but to run through the basement I needed something small enough to fit through the holes in the floor where the radiator connects. I also didn't want to do soldering or sloppy connecting to patch things together.
Thinking about the problem, it occurred to me that I would need four strands of wire to carry the signal - positive and negative for both left and right channels. I was considering speaker wire when it suddenly occurred to me that telephone wire has four strands. I've got tons of telephone wires and connectors since I've never lived in any place with enough telephone jacks in the right place.
So, I bought two telephone jacks (usually for wall mounting) and spliced a stereo cable into each one, using the handy screw connectors in each jack. I used the short telephone wire for testing but once it worked I was able to run a couple telephone wires through the basement and make the connection. I taped the cases shut and voila!
Three notes of caution if you want to try this yourself:
First, the two wall jacks were not meant to be connected to each other by a telephone cord, so the wiring is a flipped. The black wire in one comes out connected to the yellow wire in the other, just as the red wire comes out connected to the green wire. If you're not sure about it, test the left and right channels independently when you've wired everything up.
Second, you'll probably need a ground loop isolator. If the two systems you are connecting have even the slightest power differential from the electrical system, electricity will flow from one to the other over the audio connection, creating an audible hum. The ground loop isolator breaks the connection but allows the audio signal through.
Third, some of the wires in this setup are used in phone lines to transmit electricital power to your phones. I have no idea what this power would do to an audio system, and I have no desire to find out. Just don't cross this setup with your telephone system and everything should be fine.
Replies: 2 Comments
wait, did somebody say *geek*? naw, I think it's rad that you used telephone wire. also, heck out how uncool I am according to the hip webcomic.
Why R. Ing said on December 10, 2005 @ 5:16 pm
Geek with a sweet hi fi.
Nick Baker said on December 11, 2005 @ 1:02 pm
