Patent ID: 8477959

Claim:
A personal audio device comprising: a first earpiece comprising a first acoustic driver to acoustically output a first audio channel and a first connector; a second earpiece comprising a second acoustic driver to acoustically output a second audio channel and a second connector; a band coupling the first and second earpieces; a crossover audio conductor carried by the band between the first and second earpieces, and coupled to both the first and second connectors to: convey a signal representing the first audio channel from the second earpiece to the first earpiece to be acoustically output by the first acoustic driver at a time when a cable providing signals representing both the first channel audio and the second channel audio is coupled to the second connector; and convey the signal representing the second audio channel from the first earpiece to the second earpiece to be acoustically output by the second acoustic driver at a time when the cable is coupled to the first connector; a ground conductor carried by the band between the first and second earpieces, and coupled to both the first and second connectors and both the first and second acoustic drivers; a power conductor carried by the band between the first and second earpieces, and coupled to both the first and second connectors, wherein power is conveyed through the cable to the power conductor when the cable is coupled to either one of the first and second connectors; a first powered circuit coupled to the power and ground conductors, and coupled to the first acoustic driver; a first audio channel conductor coupling the first powered circuit to the first connector to convey the signal representing the first audio channel to the first powered circuit; a second powered circuit coupled to the power and ground conductors, and coupled to the second acoustic driver; a second audio channel conductor coupling the second powered circuit to the second connector to convey the signal representing the second audio channel to the second powered circuit; and a plug that couples the first audio channel conductor to the crossover audio conductor when the plug is coupled to the first connector, and that couples the second audio channel conductor to the crossover audio conductor when the plug is coupled to the second connector.