Switch With Reckless Abandon
Back in the day, most of the audio-related programming in schools was monaural and which type of headphone to use was pretty straight forward. But with the increasing use of classroom computers for reading and language learning programs, the choice of which headphone to use has grown more complicated. How do you decide?
While there are lots of concerns in play, one familiar audio issue this brings up is the theme of stereo vs mono. As a quick refresher, traditional equipment used with monaural headphones include cassette player/recorders, while multimedia players such as computers, boomboxes, and personal media players (CD & MP3) typically use stereo headphones, which provide a full surround sound experience through channels in both earcups.
If you have both types of equipment in your class or library, having a dedicated set of headphones for each application is not only redundant, but expensive. An alternative is the 3068AV headphone which can be used for both monaural and stereo uses. Unlike most headphones which are made for either mono or stereo uses exclusively, the 3068AV has a built-in switch on its left earcup which enables you to alternate the sound to match the audio source. Having this external switch is important to the overall performance of the headphone. The use of an internal processor to automatically attempt this function for you has been shown to create quality issues which can include but are not limited to: decreased frequency response, increased distortion and diminished volume levels for students.
For use with monaural sources, snap the included ¼” plug adapter onto the 3.5mm plug at the end of the reinforced coiled/straight cord, and then connect that into the ¼” headphone jack located on the cassette player/recorder. Then, simply flip the mono/stereo switch located on the headphone’s left earcup from stereo to mono.
For use with stereo media players, you can connect the 3.5mm plug directly to the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack located on the boombox, CD player or MP3 player. Then simply flip the same switch from mono to stereo.
The switch (shown left) on the 3068AV to tailor the sound and its reinforced cord (right) to help prevent accidental pull-out.
The 3068AV headphone can also be connected to both monaural or stereo jackboxes which then connect to a monaural or stereo media player. By using a connected jackbox, media players can be turned into learning centers for multiple headphone-wearing students at a given time for group learning.
The 3068AV is also available as a classroom pack with twelve headphones and a storage case.
