My system currently has one CD-ROM drive that serves as CD-audio player, data reader, and CD-burner. I want to add a second CD-ROM drive.

If I do, how do I make the audio connections so that EITHER drive can serve as a CD player?

Thanks,
hoWard

Here are some options to look into:

Buy second sound card

For 2nd CDROM run audio cable from headphone output jack to Line Input jack on sound card see 1)

Variation of last one is to modify second CD cable by replacing sound card connector with 1/8-inch one. Plug this into Line In of sound card (see 4)

Make or buy CD audio splitter cable (see 2 and 3)

For Windows 2000/XP select "Digital CD Playback" option for each drive. (see 4)

References:

1. Sound from multiple CD drives
http://www.computeruser.com/articles/daily/8,8,1,0508,01.html

2. How to connect two CD-ROM drives to one soundcard
http://www.hut.fi/Misc/Electronics/circuits/cdrom_audiocombiner.html

3. "CD Audio-Adder" Allows you to connect two internal CD devices to one sound card!
http://www.trianglecables.com/dualcdromaud.html

4. two CD-ROM's 1 Sound Card
http://www.techsupportforum.com/computer/topic/8699-1.html

If you're talking about the small audio cable that connects to your sound card or to the motherboard (onboard sound), you don't need it...just install your 2nd drive & it should work thru the IDE cable

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.html?i=129

Just wanted to add that in all the systems I build with 2 optical devices, only one is connected to the soundcard with an audio cable, the other has only the IDE cable connected, & BOTH drives will play audio CDs thru the sound system. You don't need a splitter or any other special connection. Try it...

Just in case. There are `Y' audio cables that you can buy to connect two drives to one audio card. They are very inexpensive.

Many sound cards have 2 or even three inputs. The 2nd one is usually labeled Aux.