Y-jack (2-in-1 headphone splitter)

A Y-jack for headphones is a small adapter that turns one 3.5mm headphone output into two 3.5mm inputs. Two listeners share one music source.

Common use cases

• Kids sharing a tablet on a road trip
• Watching in-flight entertainment with a partner
• Sharing a phone/laptop movie with headphones instead of speakers

Limitations

• Halves current available per headphone – very high-impedance headphones may not get enough drive
• No individual volume control (both listeners hear same level)

Better alternative for hi-fi

Use a proper headphone amp with dual outputs (some have 2x 3.5mm or 3.5mm + 6.35mm). The AIYIMA H4 and FiiO K11 both have proper headphone drive stages.