First of all - I know this is boring, but bear with me guys. DLO gave me a bunch of them and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I should bother "reviewing" a piece of wire. However, a lot of people aren't even aware such things exist or what they're for. So for the less technically inclined user - this review is for you!

Headphone Splitter
Ever wanted to share your music with someone else on your iPod so you can listen to it together on your own set of headphones? Well this cable does just that. It goes from the 3.5mm socket on your iPod and splits that into two more 3.5mm sockets that your headphones can plug into. This means that you can have two pairs of headphones plugged into the one iPod!

It doesn't only work on iPods - it works on anything that has a headphone socket. Your laptop, a TV, portable DVD players, a PSP - anything.



Y-Adapter Cable
These cables have been around for yonks - it goes from 3.5mm on your device to 2x RCA (red and white). This is idea if you want to plug your iPod into a hi-fi, or proper audio equipment. Again, the cable just doesn't work on iPods. The Y-Adapter cable will hook up anything with a headphone socket to anything with stereo RCA input.



Aux-In Cable
A simple 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable. Works the same as the Y-Adapter cable, but uses a 3.5mm (also known as Stereo Mini-Jack) connector instead. Good for plugging your iPod or other device into things that have a "line-in" or "aux-in" socket that's 3.5mm also. The good thing about this cable is that it's got the long 3-ring plug for the first-gen iPhone.



Headphone Adapter for iPhone
The new iPhone 3G doesn't need this, but those with 1st generation iPhones may find this little guy useful. It's no secret that the recessed 3.5mm socket has caused lots of pain. Many conventional headphones can't fit in the socket due to not being flush with the edge of the iPhone. To overcome this, this adapter is designed to fit perfectly into the iPhone's headphone socket and give you a flush socket for your fancy $500 headphones.



Overall, the DLO cables are pretty good. They're robust and look a little nicer than the generic $2 ones. Are they worth the extra money? Probably not - they work and sound the exact same as the ones from your local Asian junk store, unless you are plugging into a first gen iPhone, which has that annoying recessed socket!

So that concludes the most boring review ever on MacTalk - thanks for persevering. Thanks to DLO & iWorld Australia for the free cables that came in handy to hook up my MacBook Pro to the B&W Zeppelin (review coming soon I swear)!

Brilliant review decryption - a picture says it all. Cables are always a good sweetener to add to your case order, to justify the postage.

Good luck with the Zeppelin review. B&W speakers never sound as spectacular as the price would imply. They are good, but not showy, like other brands that sound awesome in the shop & too bright at home.

Parallel story - you know big screen televisions have a 'display' setting that is hyper-real for showing off in the shop? These days with Blu-ray discs looking so sharp, I find myself choosing that setting to see all the detail... sad??

But decryption, as we all know, not only do we all love our gear , making them interface with other users and gadgets means we have to have on hand a number of cables/adapters/splitters etc. Someone will look at this review and think " Wow , exactly what I need ". I seem to spend as much time finding the right cable/adapter as I do tracking down the original device , so any review that can point me in the right direction is appreciated.

Stewie

How come all of the splitters have 4-part segmented 3.5mm jacks?

Does that mean if you are using the Headphone Splitter and have 2 iPhone sets of headphones, either can click to answer, and both can hear & be part of the conversation?

Seems like a good place to throw in my question. Last weekend I bought a Y cable, not DLO but the same thing, small male jack to two hi-fi connectors. I plugged it into my Airport Express next to the hi-fi amp assuming I could then hear my iTunes streamed. I could just about hear the music but there was masses of buzzing/humming.

Sound like the wrong cable or maybe my hi-fi is too old to cope with this modern technology?

Any thoughts ....