How to Get Audio Off of Monitor and in Headphones
Seriously, who decided monitors needed speakers in the first place? I swear, half of them sound like a dying kazoo trapped in a tin can. It’s one of those things you don’t think about until you’re stuck with it. For the longest time, I just lived with the tinny nonsense, figuring it was just part of the monitor experience.
Then I actually needed to hear something other than a notification ping. My wife was on a work call, and I was trying to watch a YouTube video without blasting the whole house. This whole ordeal got me thinking about how to get audio off of monitor and in headphones properly.
It’s not rocket science, but the official documentation? Useless. They act like everyone is an audiophile with a thousand-dollar setup.
It’s Usually Not the Monitor’s Fault
Let’s get this straight right off the bat: most of the time, your monitor *can* output audio. It’s just that the built-in speakers are usually an afterthought, a box-ticking exercise for manufacturers. They put them in because, well, some people might want them. But for anyone who actually cares about sound quality, or just wants a private listening experience, those speakers are practically decorative.
The real question isn’t whether your monitor *can* make noise, but how you can reroute that noise. Because if you’re trying to get audio off of monitor and in headphones, you’re probably dealing with a situation where the monitor’s audio output is, shall we say, lacking. I remember the first time I tried to use my monitor’s built-in speakers for anything more than a system alert. It was for a game, and it sounded like I was playing it through a walkie-talkie underwater. A complete waste of, I don’t know, maybe $5 worth of components that cost them pennies to include.
So, where does the audio actually come from? Usually, your computer. The monitor is just the messenger, often a very bad one. And that’s where the solution lies.
The Direct Connection: Your Computer’s Audio Output
This is the most common and, frankly, the best way to get audio off of monitor and in headphones. Your computer, whether it’s a desktop or a laptop, has its own sound card or integrated audio chipset. This is where the actual audio processing happens, and it’s almost always going to be significantly better than whatever meager audio components are crammed into your monitor. You’ll find these ports usually on the back of a desktop PC, often colored green for line-out, or on the side/bottom of a laptop. (See Also: How To Put 144hz Monitor At 144hz )
So, how do you actually do it? Simple. You plug your headphones directly into your computer’s audio jack. Yes, it’s that straightforward. No fancy adapters needed, no complex software. Just plug ’em in.
When you plug your headphones into the computer, Windows (or macOS, or Linux) usually detects them automatically and switches the audio output. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to go into your sound settings. On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select ‘Open Sound settings’. You’ll see a dropdown menu under ‘Output device’. Make sure your headphones are selected there. For macOS, it’s System Settings > Sound > Output.
This bypasses the monitor’s speakers and the monitor’s audio processing entirely. You’re getting a clean signal straight from the source. It’s like choosing to drink filtered water from the tap instead of drinking the water that’s been sitting in a dusty old jug for six months.
What If Your Monitor Has HDMI Audio?
This is where things get a little more nuanced, and frankly, where I’ve seen people waste a surprising amount of money on ‘solutions’. Many modern monitors receive audio over HDMI or DisplayPort. If your graphics card is sending audio through that cable, the monitor *can* theoretically output it. But again, the quality is usually abysmal. And the process of getting that audio *out* of the monitor and into your headphones can be a pain.
Some monitors have a headphone jack built right into them. If yours does, you’re in luck. Just plug your headphones into the monitor’s headphone port. This is the next best option if you can’t plug directly into your PC, perhaps because your PC is tucked away somewhere inconvenient or you’re using a docking station that doesn’t expose the audio ports easily. The audio signal is coming from your computer via HDMI, then routed to the headphone jack on the monitor. It’s still better than the built-in speakers, usually.
However, and this is a big ‘however’, not all monitors with HDMI audio have a headphone jack. This is where people get confused. They see the HDMI cable carrying audio, and they think there must be an easy way to get it out. If your monitor *doesn’t* have a headphone jack, but it *does* have HDMI audio, you might need an HDMI audio extractor. These little boxes plug into your HDMI cable, grab the audio signal, and spit it out via a separate audio port (like RCA or a 3.5mm jack) that you can then plug your headphones into. I bought one of these once, thinking it would be a magic bullet. It worked, sort of, but introduced a noticeable delay, which is a killer for gaming. For movies, it was just… meh. Cost me about $40, and I ended up tossing it after two weeks. (See Also: How To Switch An Acer Monitor To Hdmi )
The ‘people Also Ask’ Questions (and My Blunt Answers)
Can I Get Audio From My Monitor Without Speakers?
Yes, absolutely. The monitor itself doesn’t need speakers to pass an audio signal to your computer or to headphones plugged into your computer. If your monitor has an audio output jack (which is rare, but some do), you could technically plug headphones there, but it’s generally better to use your computer’s audio ports for superior sound quality.
How Do I Connect Headphones to My Monitor?
If your monitor has a headphone jack, you simply plug your headphones into that port. The audio signal would then be coming from your computer to the monitor via HDMI or DisplayPort, and then routed to the headphone jack on the monitor. If your monitor lacks a headphone jack, you cannot directly connect headphones to it. You’ll need to connect them to your computer instead.
My Monitor Has HDMI, but No Sound. What’s Wrong?
There are a few common culprits. First, ensure that audio is actually being sent over HDMI from your computer. Check your computer’s sound settings to make sure the HDMI audio output is enabled and selected as the default playback device. Second, check your monitor’s settings menu to see if audio input is enabled for the HDMI port you’re using. Some monitors have separate settings for audio sources. Lastly, it could be a driver issue with your graphics card or sound card. Updating those can often resolve hidden problems.
The Contrarian Take: Don’t Rely on Monitor Audio
Everyone online, especially in the tech support forums, will tell you to check your monitor’s settings, update drivers, and fiddle with cables when you’re having trouble getting audio through an HDMI connection to your monitor. They’ll suggest everything from checking the monitor’s OSD (On-Screen Display) to ensuring the correct audio format is selected.
I disagree, and here is why: For 95% of people looking to get audio off of monitor and in headphones, the monitor’s audio capabilities are a red herring. It’s a distraction. Your computer’s dedicated audio outputs are designed for this exact purpose. They are built with better components, and the software drivers are typically more mature and reliable for audio playback. Chasing after monitor audio through HDMI or DisplayPort is often a rabbit hole that leads to frustration and wasted time. It’s like trying to bake a cake using a hairdryer and a toaster oven when you have a perfectly good oven sitting right there.
When All Else Fails: USB Audio Adapters
If you’ve found yourself in a situation where your computer’s audio ports are all occupied (rare, but I’ve seen it with people who have tons of peripherals) or your onboard audio is genuinely broken, a USB audio adapter is your friend. These are small dongles that plug into a USB port and provide a new, dedicated audio output. They range from super cheap, no-name brands to more reputable ones like Creative or FiiO. I’ve used a cheap one I snagged for $10 that lasted me about three years before the plastic housing started to crack. Not ideal, but it did the job. (See Also: How To Monitor My Sleep With Apple Watch )
For most people, though, this is overkill. The direct headphone jack on your PC or laptop is the go-to solution for getting audio off of monitor and in headphones. It’s reliable, it’s simple, and it doesn’t cost you extra money beyond the headphones themselves.
Monitor Audio Solutions Compared
| Method | Pros | Cons | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headphones directly into PC/Laptop | Easiest, best quality, free (if you have headphones) | Requires PC access, might need to change sound settings | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (The obvious, best choice) |
| Headphones into monitor headphone jack | Convenient if PC is far, simpler than PC settings sometimes | Relies on monitor having a jack, sound quality can be inferior | ⭐⭐⭐ (Good if direct PC connection isn’t feasible) |
| HDMI Audio Extractor | Can extract audio from HDMI if monitor has no jack | Adds cost, can introduce latency, complexity, sound quality varies wildly | ⭐ (Only if other options are impossible, and even then, be wary) |
| USB Audio Adapter | Bypasses onboard audio, can offer better quality than basic onboard | Adds cost, occupies USB port, requires installation/drivers | ⭐⭐ (A fallback when direct PC connection is blocked or broken) |
Seriously, I’ve seen people spend more than $100 trying to get audio out of a monitor’s HDMI port when the answer was literally right there on the back of their computer, costing them nothing but a few seconds to plug in. It’s like trying to catch a fish with a net when you already have a perfectly good fishing rod in your hand.
A Note on Displayport and Audio
Just like HDMI, DisplayPort can also carry audio signals. The principle is the same: if your graphics card supports it, and your monitor supports it, audio can travel through the DisplayPort cable. If your monitor has a headphone jack and audio is enabled over DisplayPort, you can use that. Otherwise, the same advice applies – plug your headphones into your computer’s audio port. The complexity and potential quality issues are just as present with DisplayPort as they are with HDMI when trying to extract audio from the monitor itself.
I spent hours once trying to get audio through a DisplayPort connection because I really wanted to tidy up my desk and avoid running another cable. Turns out, my monitor’s audio processing was so bad it made my game sound like it was being played through a tin can filled with marbles. The direct PC connection was, by far, the clear winner. My sanity, and my ears, thanked me.
Conclusion
So, that’s the lowdown on how to get audio off of monitor and in headphones. For most people, the answer is refreshingly simple: plug your headphones directly into your computer. It bypasses the often-mediocre audio components of your monitor and gives you a much cleaner, more direct signal. Don’t get bogged down in trying to extract audio from your monitor if it’s not explicitly designed for it with a dedicated headphone jack.
The temptation to use every single port or feature a device has is strong, but sometimes, the simplest path is the best. Relying on your computer’s built-in audio output is the most reliable and highest-quality method for private listening.
If your computer’s audio ports are inaccessible or you suspect they’re faulty, then look into a USB audio adapter. It’s a solid, albeit slightly more involved, alternative for getting that audio off of monitor and in headphones when the primary method isn’t an option.
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