Question

Hello,

So this is a silly question from someone who's not all too familiar with the Audiobox but recently my headphone port on my PC has been going south, muting my left headphone consistently. So I attached the appropriate jack to my AKG K 240 MK II studio headphones and plugged it into the Audiobox USB.

Almost immediately I noticed an amount of static coming through, modifying the volume on it changed the amount of static when compared to sound coming through it, but with no sound coming through it there's still a steady amount of static.

I was wondering if I should be unplugging my headphones from the Audiobox when they're not in use to avoid any possible damage.

Thank you in advance for your time!

Answer 1

Please read this helpful knowledge base article about why your AudioBox USB may be producing noise. 

You won't hurt your headphones by leaving them plugged in. 

It's always a good idea to adopt a set of best practices with your studio gear. 

1. Turn down main volume on your interface and/or mixer
2. Turn off speakers / amp.
3. Turn down the headphone knob 
4. As long as you've done 1, 2 and 3. Unplugging headphones is not necessary but if you're extra concerned, unplug them too. 
5. Power down the rest of your system. 

When you turn the system back on do those items in reverse order. 

1. Power up system
2. Turn on your interface or plug it in to your system (if you've disconnected it)
3. With the levels down, plug in your headphones 
4. Turn your speakers on
5. Bring your main and headphone levels up. 

Get in the habit of doing this on any rig you use from your small setup and it will always ensure you to have protection for your sound system and your ears.