Is it safe to use 3.5mm audio splitter for input and output?

Question

Is it safe to plug my headphones (3.5mm) into a audio splitter (1x male to 2x female), then one end of a male-to-male aux cable into the splitter and the other end into my computer headphone jack? a diagram of what I'm trying to say. This essentially extends the headphone cable.

I've tried this and the audio works (surprisingly). I want to know if it's safe for the computer/headphones if I use the female ports on the audio splitter one for input and the other for output. It's a standard splitter usually meant to split 1 output into 2 outputs.

Seeing as my scenario uses 1 input and 1 output I'd assume excessive voltage is not a problem? (I've read that 2 inputs to 1 output can cause electrical/voltage problems). Obviously an extension cable would be ideal but is this safe? My headphone cable is just too short to connect to my desktop computer under the table! Thanks.

Answer 1

It should work, as the 3.5mm analog audio splitters usually have literally no electronic parts inside – just the corresponding pins of each plug or socket directly soldered together. So there's no difference between "input" and "output" except for the shape of the connector.

In any other situation, the exposed male plug would be suspicious, but headphone audio is such low voltage that it becoming an "output" isn't going to become a safety problem.

(Though I'd still put tape around it, both to avoid noise and because the 3.5mm plug fits very nicely into a Schuko/Europlug 230V socket if there are kids nearby...)

Disclaimer: Not an audio engineer at any rate.