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P2 Audio out to powered speakers without amplifier? — Parallax Forums

P2 Audio out to powered speakers without amplifier?

A quick test of connecting P2 audio output from a pin directly through a capacitor to powered speakers seems to produce good results.
Maybe we don't need the headphone amp if we have powered speakers?

Used the A/V board's mic jack for audio output and it seems to work with powered speakers...

Can we just ditch the headphone amp if using powered speakers and not headphones?

Thinking we can, but not 100% sure about quality.
Sounded fine to me though...

Comments

  • Ahle2Ahle2 Posts: 1,179

    Do you mean an active speaker? Well, that will work well and could produce good results depending on the model. The "without amplifier" isn't true though, because it is embedded in the speakers themselves.

  • The headphone amp on the AV board is a bit of a weird one, anyways. Kinda jank frequency response when not loaded (i.e. connected to a line-in, active speaker, etc) and WAY TOO LOUD with actual headphones (well, if you used some high-impedance headphones, it'd be ok I guess ;p)

  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,744
    edited 2021-08-17 14:56

    I guess the other question is: What should the circuit look like?

    Just a series 1 uF cap seems to work. Good enough?

    Maybe a 100 Ohm shunt resistor after the cap would help to keep the DC level in check?

  • @Rayman said:
    I guess the other question is: What should the circuit look like?

    Just a series 1 uF cap seems to work. Good enough?

    Maybe a 100 Ohm shunt resistor after the cap would help to keep the DC level in check?

    It all depends on what actualy efect you are after. If you're after just a sound than a capacitor will suffice but if you are after the highest quality sound possible then you need to consider matching impedance and voltage levels between the P2 and the given spaker and observe all of the good practices of the small signal analog world.

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