[No-Name]

Hi there, Ive been looking at headphones but Ive been looking for mono-headphones specifically as Im deaf and I only can hear with just one ear. So I need mono headphones that goes over my ears rather than the inbud earphones which I cant hear a thing out of. -Long story. Ive bought a Seinheisser HD 212 pro earlier on today thinking it was mono, the guy at the shop said so himself.

Got home, tried it out. It was not mono. I am not impressed. So I'm on the hunt for seinheisser headphones as I can really 'tell' the quality from the headphones Ive been using for years. But how does one find mono headphones? Ive been looking for 30 mins and I cant find a single one. I mjust be doing it wrong or using the wrong technical term?

And it has to be mono cos as I only can hear one side of the headphones, I miss out a LOT on the songs. Budget is £0 to £45 kind of thing.

No skullcandy recommendations, pls.

[TheTallOne]

You need headphones with a left/right control, something like this.

Probably not this one exactly, but you should be looking for headphones with this feature.

Also, this might be useful, you buy this in addition to your current headphones:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-H.../dp/B000H0K8VY

[No-Name]

(Original post by TheTallOne)
You need headphones with a left/right control, something like this.

Probably not this one exactly, but you should be looking for headphones with this feature.

Also, this might be useful, you buy this in addition to your current headphones:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-H.../dp/B000H0K8VY

That looks good but it specifically says stereo in the name. That is my problem; Ive got a headphone that plays different sounds from the music in the left and the right ears and I want to hear everything of the music in ONE ear. And Im pretty sure the links you've given me defeats the purpose, though it solves my volume control problem! Correct me if Im wrong? Im obviously a novice in this kind of thing.

[majikthise]

I don't if it's the best solution, but you could try encoding all your mp3s to mono?

[No-Name]

(Original post by majikthise)
I don't if it's the best solution, but you could try encoding all your mp3s to mono?

Is that even possible?

This sucks. I've been looking at headphones and no luck. How about MP3 players, would they be able to turn songs into mono?

[Nuffles]

What I would do (personally, but I'm a big fan of bodging stuff) Is simply modify a pair of stereo headphones. It's not hard. One way of doing this would be to connect the wires from the cup over your bad ear to the one over your good ear, as well as the ones already there. Both 'sides' of music would be played through one cup. The other, much less technical way of doing it (but a bit more ghetto) would be to short out the connections for L and R channels on the plug itself. Look at a plug, it has a tip, a ring and a body. The tip is L, the ring is R and the body is ground. If you short out the tip and the ring, you will get full sound in both ear cups. This could be done by supergluing a bit of foil between the two, or a tiny dab of solder that goes over the barrier would be a more long term solution.

[Pimplebottom]

(Original post by No-Name)
Is that even possible?

This sucks. I've been looking at headphones and no luck. How about MP3 players, would they be able to turn songs into mono?

Yes.
There should be an audio output option somewhere on it. If not, you can change the settings on the mp3 files on your computer.
Don't bother trying to find mono headphones- any stereo headphones can work as mono headphones.
It's like looking for a black and white TV because you want to watch old films. No need.

Good luck

[No-Name]

(Original post by Pimplebottom)
Yes.
There should be an audio output option somewhere on it. If not, you can change the settings on the mp3 files on your computer.
Don't bother trying to find mono headphones- any stereo headphones can work as mono headphones.
It's like looking for a black and white TV because you want to watch old films. No need.

Good luck

Thanks. That makes sense.

If the same analogy can be applied to laptops, surely there should be an option for mono/stereo in media players? If not, I have been looking through my output audio media, there's a lot of options on it and I'm not too sure what's the best way of proceeding.

[No-Name]

(Original post by Nuffles)
What I would do (personally, but I'm a big fan of bodging stuff) Is simply modify a pair of stereo headphones. It's not hard. One way of doing this would be to connect the wires from the cup over your bad ear to the one over your good ear, as well as the ones already there. Both 'sides' of music would be played through one cup. The other, much less technical way of doing it (but a bit more ghetto) would be to short out the connections for L and R channels on the plug itself. Look at a plug, it has a tip, a ring and a body. The tip is L, the ring is R and the body is ground. If you short out the tip and the ring, you will get full sound in both ear cups. This could be done by supergluing a bit of foil between the two, or a tiny dab of solder that goes over the barrier would be a more long term solution.

Wow, I don't think I could ever think of messing around with a pair of stereo headphones, especially £40 quid worth. And I think this one is going to be difficult cos some headphones have one wire going to cup A then it leads from cup A to cup B but this one Ive got, the lead goes to cup A and B. But thanks for your suggestion!

Btw, how are you finding Exeter College, had to attend there for 2 years.

[thefish_uk]

You want one of these (assuming that the product FAQ at the bottom of the page is correct): Maplin Stereo - Mono Converter which basically does what Nuffles suggested but in a nice package that you can use with anything. Failing this you could always buy two stereo jack connectors (one male, one female) and a short length of cable to go between them and make your own adapter.

I am pretty sure that if you actually found and bought a pair of mono headphones they would not do what you wanted as an actual pair of mono headphones shorts the right ear signal straight to ground meaning you only hear the left anyway!

I've found quite a detailed forum discussion of the topic here. Interesting point is that joining the two outputs in this way can theoretically trash the amplifier in your computer / MP3 player etc.

[Pimplebottom]

Bah. beaten to it.
Listen to the fish

[No-Name]

(Original post by thefish_uk)
You want one of these (assuming that the product FAQ at the bottom of the page is correct): Maplin Stereo - Mono Converter which basically does what Nuffles suggested but in a nice package that you can use with anything. Failing this you could always buy two stereo jack connectors (one male, one female) and a short length of cable to go between them and make your own adapter.

I am pretty sure that if you actually found and bought a pair of mono headphones they would not do what you wanted as an actual pair of mono headphones shorts the right ear signal straight to ground meaning you only hear the left anyway!

I've found quite a detailed forum discussion of the topic here. Interesting point is that joining the two outputs in this way can theoretically trash the amplifier in your computer / MP3 player etc.

Thanks for those links! It seems quite a few people have the same problem as I, thanks! Ill pop into Maplins today, there's one 0.4miles and Ill let you know how it goes. Thanks!

[Nuffles]

(Original post by No-Name)
Wow, I don't think I could ever think of messing around with a pair of stereo headphones, especially £40 quid worth. And I think this one is going to be difficult cos some headphones have one wire going to cup A then it leads from cup A to cup B but this one Ive got, the lead goes to cup A and B. But thanks for your suggestion!

Btw, how are you finding Exeter College, had to attend there for 2 years.

I'm very used to taking apart brand new stuff I've been known to buy a brand new drill and rip it apart the moment I got home because I wanted the motor, gearbox and speed controller out of it .

Exeter College is doing me grand thanks. I'm practically living in the arts department - one lecture in Victoria Yard Studios, one in the CCI and one in Vicky House. I then have just philosophy in the Tower Block, which is a nice pointless academic subject anyway I prefer the people down in the CCI/Studios area, so I tend to stick down there How did you find it?

[martinbennett]

ok mate i got the same problem dont worry so has brian wilson of the beach boys so were in good company i found a pair on e bay they have a stereo and mono switch on them they are very light weight and white in colour so they look cool some headphones dont sound very good when you switch to mono but these still sound great they are made by hi tex chp 101v they may be on internet cant remember who i bought them from i hope all this helps i lose all the music by the beatles as i cant hear the stereo abbey road was always a pain till i got these dont buy the ones in argos with the stereo mono switch it always breaks off and those huge ones with stereo mono switch on e bay aviod those as well the sound is alful and the lead is too short if i can find out who sold me these good ones on e bay i will let you know also dont bother with the mono head phone jacks they dont work right take care mate please let me know how you get on cheers