Desktop speakers.

[Jazzer]

I have bought a Dell computer (recon). My existing speakers have only 1 jack, whereas the Dell seems to need each speaker to have it's own jack. Most of the speakers I have seen seem to work off a single jack. Any suggestions please.

[AnOther]

You say 'seems' can you elaborate ?

I've never come across a standard machine, PC or laptop, which had anything other than the usual 3.5mm stereo jack socket for speakers and it almost always light green.

[Jazzer]

Thanks.I have two sockets, one blue one green.My jack is orange!. Whichever socket I use I get no sound from the speaker only from the computer itself.

[tj]

Hi

Not quite sure, but do you mean each speaker has a jack? If so you need a 3 way connector, I bought a new jack to jack lead the other day, Intermarche had just about every jack connector, cable etc.

You need to go to a big store though!

[pachapapa]

The external speakers may be muted.

Presuming you have XP; then right click on the speaker ICON in your SysTray by the clock ,bottom right. Then left click on configuration option , you will get a dialogue window with vertical volume controls.

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

On the back of my Acer desktop PC there are 6 x 1/8"" jacks in pastel shades! One has a mic symbol on it and the others are for speakers. I've plugged a stereo cable between the green one and my monitor and it makes noises.

Looking at the Realtek HD Audio Manager that materialises when you double-click the speaker icon on the task bar it shows four configuration options ranging from simple stereo to 7.1. There are various options for digital output too, but as far as I'm concerned it's all a black art.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Are you sure that the balance is set to the middle on your volume control? Check, and plug your speakers into each hole until you get sound out of both.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Albert the InfoGipsy"]On the back of my Acer desktop PC there are 6 x 1/8"" jacks in pastel shades! One has a mic symbol on it and the others are for speakers. I've plugged a stereo cable between the green one and my monitor and it makes noises.[/quote]Perhaps I didn't express myself as clearly as I might.

Virtually every PC and Laptop produced in the past few years will present it's speaker output on a green 3.5mm jack socket and if this is not working on your machine then you have a problem which may well be one of those outlined by previous posters. There could be further sockets for other purposes such as surround sound or an optical output but the above will still hold true.

Good luck.

[Gyn_Paul]

Can you plug one speaker into the pale green socket? You should get something out of it.

In XP go to 'Control Panel' then 'sound and audio devices' and look at the settings. It's quite possible you don't have the soundcard installed yet.

Some younger soul will be along in a minute to help you through the Vista configuration: it's far to much like magic for me!

paul

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

If those last few posts were aimed at me, I didn't say I was having problems. Plug in cable -- noises come out -- result! I picked the green socket because that's the colour of the cable and its opposite number on the monitor.

I have a question for the more sound-oriented among you. What sort of sources benefit from the more complicated configurations like 7.1? DVDs? HD broadcasts? Games?

 

[Pierre ZFP]

There isn't much stuff around that can make the most of 7.1, some blu-ray DVDs and that's about it.  What there is, is a number of sound cards/software that can simulate 7.1 from say 5.1, rather like pro-logic from stereo.  To me, for a domestic situation, there's not much to be gained.  Fine if its a sooper dooper cinema but for my living room, 5.1 is very good and I don't have to run 2 more cables to two more quite expensive speakers, well at £100 a pop I thought they were expensive but you could pay a lot more.

I dare say 7.1 will be the norm soon though.  Then what? I saw an amp in a hi-fi mag capable of 10.1.  Why??

[Jazzer]

Just to round off my original query,The probelm seems to have been the speakers. They worked adequately with my old machine, but not this one. I have bought Dell speakers and evrything now OK. Many thansk for all who replied.