Are you wondering if it’s possible to connect speakers to two different computers? We are about to explain how to do that in just a moment. If you have two computers (PCs) you may also need to know how to connect them to the same monitor as well. You’re going to need a few devices to make it happen but it’s not too hard to do.
Like most people using a computer you probably have external speakers.
But if for any reason you buy a second computer, you’ll be stuck having to unplug and plug in that one speaker every time you switch computers. That’s a hassle that nobody wants.
Let’s get right into what you’ll need to connect speakers to two PC’s –
- First you’re going to need a device similar to this: a 3.5mm Audio Y splitter
- Also you’ll need a 3.5mm Stereo Coupler/Gender changer (female to female)
- Lastly, you’ll need 2 3.5mm Male to Male cable (one for each computer)
In a nutshell, you’ll plug your speaker plug into the Gender Changer. The Y Splitter; will also be plugged into the Gender Changer (the other end). Then simply connect the male/male cable from one computer to one of the Y splitter (female ports), and the other cable, to the other computer (and then to the open female port).
Now your speakers are going to work on both PCs. There are also other ways to do this same thing using slightly different tools. For example, your speakers may use USB to connect instead of the traditional headphone jack. What you may notice however, is a lot of regular headphone jack splitters are not long enough to reach two PCs. This is why we recommend the 3 parts for this job.
Should you be using one speaker with two PCs?
In short yes, this should be ok. I would not recommend playing audio from both PCs at the same time. Don’t overload your speakers.
Since we’re talking about two computers with one pair of speakers, what if you also have just one monitor? You’re going to need a KVM switch. Depending on the type of monitor you have, and the type of PC you have, check to see if you need a VGA or HDMI port to connect. Some computers/monitors have both options. Others do not, so check the back of your PC towers before you buy!
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