Opinions wanted, please. :)

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

Dual ended cables are common enough when it comes to audio and data signals.

The two main issues I know of in regards to dual ended cables would be cross wiring, which is part of the reason there are accepted standards for cables and connector types. If you follow the standards, you should never set it up for a cross wiring situation.

The other issue involves power cords, specifically a cord with 2 male ends. Pretty dangerous. Easy to short out on something metal or to get shocked by grabbing the exposed conductors. There would also be the chance of energizing a circuit that was thought to be off. An example of this problem occurs yearly during storm season when people set up generators. You can power a house easily with a big enough generator, and they make what is called a disconnect switch to do so safely. The DS separates the house from the power lines while the generator is being used to power the house. The only safe way to do things. However, the same thing can be accomplished with a 2 ended cable that plugs into the 220v dryer outlet. I believe you're supposed to flip the main circuit breaker while doing this work-around. Not sure, I like doing things the right way. If the breaker isn't flipped the genset can send voltage back into the power grid, potentially killing a worker.


That tangent aside, lol, the cable for the headphones I mentioned is directional, IE one end is for the headset, one for the source. Still uses standard audio jacks, but the headset end has extended molding and a recessed socket on the headset. Other than my given reason for liking the removable cord, there's also the fact that some people prefer a coil cord and some prefer a straight cord. I kinda like the fact that it came with all 3. Coiled is nice for the iPod, short straight for the booth, and the 3 meter cord for listening to music on the home system.

[firecat88]

ditch the idea of a headset mic for anything other than voice chat. Do yourself and your listeners a favor and get a separate mic.

Duly noted and something I'm also considering. As of right now, I've been using the mic that's built into my webcam. The webcam is old as frell, though, and the audio quality of the mic isn't that great. :/ I would love to get a Blue Yeti one, but I cannot justify spending $130 for it.

[wolfie]

The other issue involves power cords, specifically a cord with 2 male ends. Pretty dangerous. Easy to short out on something metal or to get shocked by grabbing the exposed conductors. There would also be the chance of energizing a circuit that was thought to be off.

There are some very colourful slang terms for specialty cords - I believe the "double male" power cord is known as a "death cord". Normally, the male end of a power cord accepts power rather than delivering it, so a lot of people assume that it's safe to touch a male end that's not plugged into anything. With a "death cord", that assumption is not valid.

Another one, back when TV sets were repaired instead of replaced, was a universal cheater cord. For safety reasons, the "downstream" end of the cord terminates in a socket that's mechanically attached to the back of the cabinet, and plugs into a male connector on the chassis. When you remove the back panel, this connection unplugs, so you can't operate the TV with the cabinet open.

While this is a necessary safety feature for users, a technician needs to operate it with the cabinet open in order to diagnose problems. For this, they use a "cheater" cord that matches the one attached to the back panel. Since different sets used different connectors, a technician would need multiple "cheater" cords. Since Murphy likes sticking his nose into everyone's business (i.e. customer brings in a TV for which the shop has no "cheater" cord), most shops had a "universal" cheater cord that terminated in a pair of alligator clips instead of a socket - this cord was known as a "fool killer".

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

Wolfie, referring to the fool killer reminded me of a cord we had at the cash register place. Not as useful nowadays, everybody's using wifi.

The "Etherkiller" was a rj45 plug on the end of a power plug with an inline switch. Connect the ends to their respective sockets and flip the switch and BAM, dead computer. Emulates a lighting strike pretty well, especially if the computer is plugged in and powered on.

[firecat88]

Finally decided on what to get- Razer Kraken Neon. The purple ones, specifically. They're a bit above what I was planning on spending, but I figure it's a worthy investment.

EDIT: Houston, I have my headphones. I enjoy them so far. They're padded well enough that they don't aggravate my shunt, they don't feel overly tight anywhere. The sound is a bit muffled and bass-y, but overall I'm sooo glad I bought these.