Basic audio switch for one output and two inputs

Question

I have no experience with audio hardware so I'm asking here.

I'm looking for a device that allows me to connect one output device and two input devices with 3,5mm audio jacks. The goal is to connect a PC and a notebook with stereo speakers and selectively use one of the two source devices for the speakers.

After a while of searching, I've come across this "DeLOCK 2-Port Switch Stereo Jack 3.5mm" (German Amazon). It looks rather cheap and I'm afraid it may impact the sound quality.

What device am I looking for and would the mentioned switch suffice or rather distort the sound?

Answer 1

That device looks like it would work fine - yes, it's cheap, but there aren't any fancy electronics necessary to do what you need, it's just a handful of wires and a switch to change between them.

The reviews of the product seem OK, which is worth something (even though Fakespot doesn't work on German Amazon).

In a quick search I found a couple other options including a 3.5mm switch made by Sescom, but I doubt there will be any detectable difference in sound quality between them. Over the very long term, audio equipment that isn't gold-plated is more prone to corrosion and therefore reduced sound quality, but none of the switches I saw mentioned gold-plated contacts. So they will probably all be about the same in terms of longevity, and you'll probably still get quite a few years at least of good sound quality.