OK so I am a muppet. I just bought a new monitor with HDMI connection but not bloody speakers built into it. Consequently the Xbox picture looks amazing but I can’t hear anything!

What are the options for alternative audio outputs? I’d settle for a pair of headphones but it doesn’t look like there is anything other than an optical audio out.

Sure there’s only an optical out?

Does the monitor not have any audio output at all?

No audio out on the monitor.

Basiclly a pc monitor with hdmi. Mines the same. The monitor will have an audio out jack in the back. Either use headphones or pc speakera

You can use a normal xbox video and audio cable at the same time as hdmi.

If you use one of these you can connect to pc speakers, or an amp.

vga cable

You can use a normal xbox video and audio cable at the same time as hdmi.

Depends on the cable, some of them foul the connector. I’ve got a ‘full’ AV connector which blocks the HDMI, and an adapter whosit that allows the HDMI to fit and provides a breakout for audio etc, the latter of which is probably what you need.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-HDMI-Cable-Audio-Adapter/dp/B000VUVCK6

Headphones?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cables-Go-80134-Value-Stereo/dp/B0020MLAFA/

(EDIT – assuming the full fat Xbox anyway; dunno about the new unleaded version.)