Speaker problem

I have a dell optiplex 745, running Win XP SP2 and it has onboard sound (what kind i dont know). Since I couldn't find a way to make the onboard sound louder, I was advised to plug my speakers in to the headphone jack to bypass the onboard sound which worked great. The problem is when I plug my actual headphones into the headphone jack I get no sound out of the headphones at all (and yes the headphones work I use them with my MP3 player all the time).

Does anyone know why its not working? Do I need special headphones or something?

 

I don't know if this will help but on my computer when my KOSS TD/60 Headphones are hooked up i have to turn my sound almost all the way up to hear anything on them.. Have you tried that?

 

I always have the volume up to the max because one of my speakers decided to stop working rolleyes

But thanks for the suggestion.

 

Extract from the Dell manual. Do you have this? I suspect you need to disable digital audio to use he headphones.

Sound and Speaker Problems
Fill out the Diagnostics Checklist as you complete these checks.

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in the Product Information Guide.

No sound from speakers
NOTE: The volume control in some MP3 players overrides the Windows volume setting. If you have been listening to MP3 songs, ensure that you did not turn the player volume down or off.

Check the speaker cable connections — Ensure that the speakers are connected as shown on the setup diagram supplied with the speakers. If you purchased an audio card, ensure that the speakers are connected to the card.

Ensure that the subwoofer and the speakers are turned on — See the setup diagram supplied with the speakers. If your speakers have volume controls, adjust the volume, bass, or treble to eliminate distortion.

Adjust the Windows volume control — Click or double-click the speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen. Ensure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.

Disconnect headphones from the headphone connector — Sound from the speakers is automatically disabled when headphones are connected to the computer's front-panel headphone connector.

Test the electrical outlet — Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

Enable digital mode — Your speakers do not work if the CD drive is operating in analog mode.

Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and then click Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.
Click Sounds and Audio Devices.
Click the Hardware tab.
Double-click the name of your CD drive.
Click the Properties tab
Check the Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM device box.

Eliminate possible interference — Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent lights, or halogen lamps to check for interference.

Run the speaker diagnostics

Reinstall the audio driver — See Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities.

Check the device option setting — Enter system setup (see Entering System Setup) and ensure that the Audio Controller option is set to On. Exit system setup and restart your computer.

If you have installed an audio card:
Enter system setup and ensure that Integrated Audio is set to Off.
Ensure that your speaker is connected to the audio card inputs

Run the Dell Diagnostics — See Dell Diagnostics.

Run the Audio Card Driver Diagnostics, If Applicable —

If you have installed an audio card, check your audio card documentation for details.

Check for software and hardware conflicts — See Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities.



No sound from headphones
Check the headphone cable connection — Ensure that the headphone cable is securely inserted into the headphone connector.

Disable digital mode — Your headphones do not work if the CD drive is operating in digital mode.

Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and then click Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.
Click Sounds and Audio Devices.
Click the Hardware tab.
Double-click the name of your CD drive.
Click the Properties tab.
Uncheck the Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM device box.

Adjust the Windows volume control — Click or double-click the speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen. Ensure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.

 

Hi dyamond
I too have a Dell laptop and recently had the same issue. Here is how I solved it.
Control Panel - Sounds and Audio Devices. At the bottom of the Volume tab is speaker settings. Click Advanced. Click the dropdown menu on Speaker Setup and make sure Stereo Headphones is selected. Click apply. Good Luck!

 

Well, I got it to work again!! (i cant say what fixed it, I did alot of fiddlin 'round with the stupid thing LOL)

Thanks guys for your answers, they probably saved my skin..... again