How to connect a hard of hearing headphone device which uses 3.5mm jack socket to Sky Q mini box?

[DaveyMames]

My dad has a special set of headphones that let him listen to the audio at a different volume than everyone else who's watching TV without headphones. It connects to my Sky+ HD box via a 3.5mm socket to 2 phono cable. 

Do the most recent Sky Q mini boxes have a 3.5mm output on them? I've seen a picture on Google images just by typing in "sky q mini box" and I saw an av port which would do the job. Do the recent mini boxes still have that av 3.5mm output port and an Optical output port?

If not, what converter should I get? Should I get an HDMI splitter and HDMI to photo cable or should I just get an Optical to 2 phono cable?

[nigea99]

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@DaveyMames wrote:

My dad has a special set of headphones that let him listen to the audio at a different volume than everyone else who's watching TV without headphones. It connects to my Sky+ HD box via a 3.5mm socket to 2 phono cable. 

Do the most recent Sky Q mini boxes have a 3.5mm output on them? I've seen a picture on Google images just by typing in "sky q mini box" and I saw an av port which would do the job. Do the recent mini boxes still have that av 3.5mm output port and an Optical output port?

If not, what converter should I get? Should I get an HDMI splitter and HDMI to photo cable or should I just get an Optical to 2 phono cable?

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Hi @DaveyMames 

There is only one type of mini & yes they have an 3.5 mm AV socket as well as the optical out. 

We know that Nokia CA-75U cables work with the correct coloured RCA plugs

I have a couple of different cables - one doesn't work & one does work but the Yellow AV plug carries one of the sound channels & one of the red/white plugs carries the Composite video - hence we only recommend the cable above 

P.S. In case of doubt the main boxes do not have an AV socket only the HDMI & optical

[nigea99]

@DaveyMames 

P.P.S. If you still have SKY HD & only considering changing to Q then you may wish to read some notes I have made for people considering switching from SKY +/HD to SKY Q

SKY +/HD to SKY Q 

[TimmyBGood]

@DaveyMames 

As @nigea99 indicates, the minijack socket on a Q Mini carries composite video over an additional pole as well as stereo audio, so a standard audio minijack plug by itself (probably) won't function: sometimes they do by a coincidental fit, but that's glitchy. As far as we know, Mini boxes have never changed specification since release in early 2016.

CA-75U cables haven't been manufactured for years, but are still available for a few pounds on eBay.

[DaveyMames]

At the moment the audio device has a 3.5mm jack which is plugged into a 3.5mm socket to 2 phono. 

But for a Sky Q mini box why can't I just plug the 3.5mm jack from the audio device straight into the 3.5mm port on the mini box? 

If that doesn't work then do I just get that Nokia cable and plug the 3.5mm jack into the mini box and then the phono ends into a 2 phono to 3.5mm socket and the audio device's 3.5mm jack into the 3.5mm socket?

[TimmyBGood]

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@DaveyMames wrote:

But for a Sky Q mini box why can't I just plug the 3.5mm jack from the audio device straight into the 3.5mm port on the mini box? 

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Because, as I said, the port has an extra internal conductive ring to carry the video signal in addition to left and right audio, so it's hit and miss as to whether a standard audio jack will work partially or at all.

[TimmyBGood]

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@DaveyMames wrote:

If that doesn't work then do I just get that Nokia cable and plug the 3.5mm jack into the mini box and then the phono ends into a 2 phono to 3.5mm socket and the audio device's 3.5mm jack into the 3.5mm socket?

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That's preferable, yes.