Head phone usage

Plug the headphones into the TV?

All you've mentioned thus far:
1/ headphones -- which are not a Sonos component
2/ TV -- which is not a Sonos component

Hey Kesharer, we're happy to help answer your questions but we'll need some more details here. What are you looking to do?

I want to listen to TV programs without disturbing the rest of the apartment. Wired or wireless headphones would be the best option, but seems as though they are not an option. We have a Sonos 5.1 with size 3 surround speakers hooked up to a Sony flat screen TV. Xfinity is the program provider.

Does the Sony TV have Bluetooth? BT headphones might be an option.

No BT.

Add a Bluetooth transmitter? Choose one which supports aptX Low Latency, such as Avantree, and you'll get virtually CD quality, without noticeable delay.

Thank you, I'll look into a BT transmitter.
Ryan S of Sonos staff, do you have any thoughts on this topic?

kesharer wrote:

Thank you, I'll look into a BT transmitter.
Ryan S of Sonos staff, do you have any thoughts on this topic?

The BT Transmitter might be a good way to go. You'll want to steer away from 2.4GHz or 5GHz headphones since your PLAYBAR is using both and they may interfere with each other. You could get one that'll plug into the TV and send the audio to your headphones along with the PLAYBAR. Then you can go into the Sonos app and mute, stop, or just turn down the volume for the PLAYBAR at the time.

Many TVs no longer have headphone outlets (as with PLAY:5 Gen2 in fact), and in any case their signal quality sometimes left a lot to be desired. An aptX Low Latency transmitter with an S/PDIF input is a good solution.

To use a cheaper S/PDIF-BT transmitter in parallel with a PLAYBAR would require an optical splitter. Passive splitters halve the light level in the fibre and by the time you've added the cost of an active splitter you might as well get a BT transmitter with S/PDIF bypass instead, such as this one, and daisy-chain the PLAYBAR through it. In my experience it works well.

Very good point ratty. Before you go looking for what will fit your situation best, you'll want to check what devices you're using here and what connections are available. There are a lot of options for ways to use headphones.

Thanks to both of you for the help. This will not be a quick purchase but should be able to get back with results in a couple of months.

One other minor complication to consider: a BT transmitter with an S/PDIF input will only accept PCM stereo.