Despite some Googling I can't seem to answer this question. I hope this is the right sub-forum to post in.

On my somewhat small desk my ideal set-up is to (soon) have my laptop and a 21-24" HDTV/computer monitor hybrid for occasionally expanding the laptop screen or watching television/console gaming.

My question is, can I use my set of Logitech Z-2300 2.1 computer speakers for both things (one at a time)? The speaker set's one output can go into a PC headphone or speaker port to provide sound, and most HDTV monitors have a PC speaker input to use speakers like these as well.

So basically can I plug my speakers into some sort of headphone splitter and then use 2x male-to-male headphone cables, one for the laptop and the other the television monitor? Would there be any danger to the equipment doing this (i.e. I accidentally had the laptop and monitor using the speakers at the same time)? The TV will most likely have speakers on its own, but not ones I would want to enjoy a good game on.

Any input is appreciated.

Both of those devices are line level, so you won't have any problems with them blowing the speakers out or things like that. A collection of cables and splitters OR a switch of some kind (check radio shack) are all you need.

Should work fine, you can probably find a splitter with a breaker in it on the off chance you short something. I assume the Logitechs are powered speakers?

Thanks for the replies.

Yes the Logitech 2300 set is a powered 2.1 system, the 2 speakers and a volume/bass control each plug into the sub which in turn is plugged into a surge protector.

The controller also has a headphone out that I could potentially use, but I would rather find a nice switch. I'll keep looking online for something like it, but so far no luck.

Quite confident they would use the standard 3.55 mm TRS regardless of if they are powered or not, sending a line level signal. Its all very standard stuff.

Here's a forum thread very similar to yours:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1340060

Note the amazon link a few posts down:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=audio+switch&x=0&y=0

The reason I asked if it was powered is that those speaker inputs use voltage to control the frequency and current to determine the amplitude of the resulting sound waveform. The return line of that coax plug should be grounded, but it's conceivably possible and more likely the more power you're putting over that line, that you may short the sound card that is pushing lower voltage.

Headphone splitters work by having two leads in parallel that come back to the same retur, which gives you the same voltage but half current. If you reverse that, you have two potential returns, and particularly with unpowered speakers that get all the energy to make sound from the driving sound card, you're going to have a potentil cross at the splitter.

If you use a switch, which electrically isolates the input, that of course works fine. You may be able to get splitter with a breaker or an auto-sensing switch (it's a cent IC to only close the highest voltage circuit) on amazon, I'm not personally familiar with them though.