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How to connect wired headphones to Apple TV 4k ?
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
You need an intermediary device.
The foolproof option would be a receiver with a headphone jack. AppleTV HDMI out to Receiver HDMI IN... Receiver HDMI out to TV HDMI IN. This would also give you many other useful capabilities. A good receiver can do many things in an A/V system. It is often considered to be the central hub. While this would certainly work, it would be massive overkill if you have no A/V aspirations beyond this one need.
Option 2 would be a little box designed to separate HDMI audio from HDMI video. Some of those would have a headphone jack and these usually cost a lot less than a Receiver. They are usually called HDMI Splitter or Audio Extractor and similar. Example
Option 3: if the TV has any kind of audio out, you might find you can get a box to receive audio out from TV and give you a headphone jack. This would be similar to the Audio Extractor just referenced, probably working with the TV's optical out or even RCA jacks. Like this...
Toslink Optical plugs in on the other end (input) and headphone jack plugs into the visible port. Odds are high that this would deliver stereo audio at best.
Option 3B: similarly, if you use a soundbar, it might have some audio out jacks and then a box that can receive from it could give you a headphone jack.
But if you are looking for a direct way, then NO. AppleTV is throughly locked down. The original generation AppleTV from about 2007 had some analog out options too and Apple has since "improved" on that.
One more thing: presuming you are after wired (superior) quality, so this may not do the job but AppleTV can connect with Bluetooth speakers including bluetooth headphones. It MIGHT be able to connect with a Bluetooth receiver (example). So that would be AppleTV wirelessly to Bluetooth Receiver into which you connect your wired Headphones. I'm not sure about this option but it seems plausible to work. Of course, all of the relative negatives of Bluetooth would apply, even if you parked this Receiver right next to the AppleTV.
The foolproof option would be a receiver with a headphone jack. AppleTV HDMI out to Receiver HDMI IN... Receiver HDMI out to TV HDMI IN. This would also give you many other useful capabilities. A good receiver can do many things in an A/V system. It is often considered to be the central hub. While this would certainly work, it would be massive overkill if you have no A/V aspirations beyond this one need.
Option 2 would be a little box designed to separate HDMI audio from HDMI video. Some of those would have a headphone jack and these usually cost a lot less than a Receiver. They are usually called HDMI Splitter or Audio Extractor and similar. Example
Option 3: if the TV has any kind of audio out, you might find you can get a box to receive audio out from TV and give you a headphone jack. This would be similar to the Audio Extractor just referenced, probably working with the TV's optical out or even RCA jacks. Like this...
Toslink Optical plugs in on the other end (input) and headphone jack plugs into the visible port. Odds are high that this would deliver stereo audio at best.
Option 3B: similarly, if you use a soundbar, it might have some audio out jacks and then a box that can receive from it could give you a headphone jack.
But if you are looking for a direct way, then NO. AppleTV is throughly locked down. The original generation AppleTV from about 2007 had some analog out options too and Apple has since "improved" on that.
One more thing: presuming you are after wired (superior) quality, so this may not do the job but AppleTV can connect with Bluetooth speakers including bluetooth headphones. It MIGHT be able to connect with a Bluetooth receiver (example). So that would be AppleTV wirelessly to Bluetooth Receiver into which you connect your wired Headphones. I'm not sure about this option but it seems plausible to work. Of course, all of the relative negatives of Bluetooth would apply, even if you parked this Receiver right next to the AppleTV.
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As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
You need an intermediary device.
The foolproof option would be a receiver with a headphone jack. AppleTV HDMI out to Receiver HDMI IN... Receiver HDMI out to TV HDMI IN. This would also give you many other useful capabilities. A good receiver can do many things in an A/V system. It is often considered to be the central hub. While this would certainly work, it would be massive overkill if you have no A/V aspirations beyond this one need.
Option 2 would be a little box designed to separate HDMI audio from HDMI video. Some of those would have a headphone jack and these usually cost a lot less than a Receiver. They are usually called HDMI Splitter or Audio Extractor and similar. Example
Option 3: if the TV has any kind of audio out, you might find you can get a box to receive audio out from TV and give you a headphone jack. This would be similar to the Audio Extractor just referenced, probably working with the TV's optical out or even RCA jacks. Like this...
Toslink Optical plugs in on the other end (input) and headphone jack plugs into the visible port. Odds are high that this would deliver stereo audio at best.
Option 3B: similarly, if you use a soundbar, it might have some audio out jacks and then a box that can receive from it could give you a headphone jack.
But if you are looking for a direct way, then NO. AppleTV is throughly locked down. The original generation AppleTV from about 2007 had some analog out options too and Apple has since "improved" on that.
One more thing: presuming you are after wired (superior) quality, so this may not do the job but AppleTV can connect with Bluetooth speakers including bluetooth headphones. It MIGHT be able to connect with a Bluetooth receiver (example). So that would be AppleTV wirelessly to Bluetooth Receiver into which you connect your wired Headphones. I'm not sure about this option but it seems plausible to work. Of course, all of the relative negatives of Bluetooth would apply, even if you parked this Receiver right next to the AppleTV.
Thanks wish there was a easier way.
I have AirPods Pro ear phones but just prefer my wired headphones when at home if possible.
Otherwise I don't know.
Guess because my headphones were a lot more expensive and the sound signature is just different, better
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Of course. For quality of sound, wired is absolutely superior.
Consider your options. If you want it bad enough, one of those links in the chain should give you what you want.
I’d love it for Apple to put an AUX out on AppleTV again… as analog out is still essential for many “zone 2” options. Else, for that too, an additional intermediary box is necessary.
Consider your options. If you want it bad enough, one of those links in the chain should give you what you want.
I’d love it for Apple to put an AUX out on AppleTV again… as analog out is still essential for many “zone 2” options. Else, for that too, an additional intermediary box is necessary.
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Cool thanks.
Just used a old Amazon Echo connecting it to the Apple TV then using the 3.5 jack on it to connect my wired headphones.
It is decent but not super loud. Only up to 10.
Going to see if the newer echoes go louder.
Hope so.
If not back to the drawing board.
Just used a old Amazon Echo connecting it to the Apple TV then using the 3.5 jack on it to connect my wired headphones.
It is decent but not super loud. Only up to 10.
Going to see if the newer echoes go louder.
Hope so.
If not back to the drawing board.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Loud is going to be driven by the amplifier inside. Cheap products like Echo are going to have a cheap amplifier. They don't need much power to drive the Echo speaker(s) for the primary purpose.
While enormously overkill for this one want, a Receiver would let you get any quality of amplifier you are willing to pay for... AND blow your eardrums out if you wanted that much volume (and the headphones could actually play that loud). It would also deliver a very large number of other benefits.
OR again, find a splitter that will give you an AUX out and buy a pretty good amplifier like this one or this one or similar, making sure that your splitter/extractor OUT matches up with one of the audio inputs on the amp (optical to optical or RCA to RCA or AUX to AUX, though those last 2 can mix and match ends like RCA to AUX or vice versa): AppleTV HDMI out to Audio Extractor to any quality of amplifier into which you plug your headphones. This would cost less than a Receiver and let you pick any quality of sound and amplifier power/volume you want. It would also be an all-wired option vs. that short hop of Bluetooth from AppleTV to Echo which is weakest link in the quality chain right now (not so much the Echo but the reliance on that Bluetooth link).
In other words, audio quality is lost in the bluetooth link and then the probably poor amplifier in the Echo is not giving you the volume you desire. Receiver or Audio Extractor would eliminate the Bluetooth weakest link completely and Receiver or good (but cheaper) Amplifier would address the power/volume you desire.
Update: one more option that should/could work for you is to do this audio extraction and then amplification at the TV: AppleTV HDMI OUT to TV, then TV optical, AUX or RCA output into an amplifier with a headphone jack for your wired headphones. That would eliminate one of the added boxes (the extractor) as the TV would now be doing the audio extracting for you.
Just about all TVs have at least one of 3 ways to get audio OUT: optical, RCA out or AUX. Whatever your TV has would need to naturally flow into the same input on an amplifier for your headphones. The only catch with this simpler option is that you'll need to have your TV turned ON, even when you are listening to audio like music or podcasts because this makes the TV (on) a key link in the chain. On the flip side, you would only have to buy the right amplifier, so just a single purchase for an all-wired flow to your headphones.
Check what your TV has for outputs and one of the 2 amplifiers linked in the second paragraph should have a matching input for any of the 3 types. Note: those aren't the only 2 amplifiers that will work: pretty much ANY will work as long as you can match TV output to Amp input. But those 2 are high rated and have good power (so good volume).
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You can also use devices thet have HDMI IN, OUT and headphone ports. In my case I feed my Apple TV to the HDMI IN port on an Oppo blu-ray player which has a headphone jack. HDMI out is connected to my TV. I can listen via wired head phones via the Oppo, or wirelessly via the Apple TV.
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