up until now my situation for playing bass at home has been kinda scuffed... i had it plugged into my USB audio interface (this box) and then sent the signal from the interface through my OS to the regular-sized headphone jack on my PC. i felt sooooo clever for doing it this way and it was so neat because i didn't need an amp or anything
when i went to my bro's i got the opportunity to play my bass with an actual amp though. and i learned what a horrid amount of input lag i had been subjecting myself to this entire time!! plato's cave moment!!
luckily my audio interface has a direct monitor output, and also luckily my headphones (which i chose based on the 3.5mm cable being detachable and replaceable) also have a 1/4-inch port.
ahh!! it took like 3 attempts to order the correct cable for this situation. it wasn't until i went to do some actual research on the standard and terminology that i learned the the terms TS (tip, sleeve) and TRS (tip ring sleeve) so I could make sure i was ordering a cable that carries stereo. also i learned this standard was invented as early as 1877! wow!! i became more of a luddite than i thought just from finding earbuds uncomfortable lol
the nice thing is, the USB interface combines the audio output from my PC with the direct monitor output from my bass so i can still listen to both at the same time just without the input lag from before ^O^
it feels weirdly cute having such a huge cord connected to my huge headphones. i don't feel professional i just feel like i'm using electronics designed for giants