Bypass usb speaker when headphones are plugged in.

[mwarner416]

Hello,

I have a 6 year old son that apparently has to have his computer speakers on full blast to enjoy computer time.  So instead of buying a new set of speakers with a 3.5mm jack I thought I would add one.  But my question is, I am not sure what kind of jack to get and honestly the only local electronic store near me would be radio shack.  I have been doing a little searching on their site and found some 3.5mm panel phone jacks, but I don't know if I need one that is open circuit or closed circuit. 

I am assuming I would need a closed circuit.  Could someone please enlighten me, also please note that I am new at this.

[klunkerbus]

Yes, a closed circuit jack is what you're looking for.  I'd personally look for jacks at an on-line source like Mouser or DigiKey, hoping for something with better quality than what you get at Radio Shack. These small jacks are easily damaged, especially with kids in the loop. 

It can be challenging to figure out the pinout on the jacks. The ones from the likes of Mouser and DigiKey would also likely have a datasheet available. Hopefully the one from Radio Shack has a pinout diagram on the package. If not, you may end up spending time with a multimeter figuring out the pinout by checking for contact connections with the plug inserted and the plug removed.