How do I connect Speakers

If you are trying to connect the old Gateway digital speakers such as the BA735 you are out of luck.  The old standard digital speakers are not compatible with current sound cards. 

 

If you have analog speakers such as the BA745 they will work.  Just connect it to the Green Speaker/Line out jack. 

Thanks Fireberd.

 

My speakers are the BA735 - looks like I'll have to get some new ones.

 

Any idea where the green speaker/line out connection is on the Inspiron 530 desktop. Seems to me that the only one is on the front with a headphone symbol next to it. Can't see anything on the back unless it has a cover over it somewhere.

According to the Dell manual, it's on the motherboard's back panel.  There should be several jacks, including the green jack, a black jack, Pink  jack, blue jack, etc.  There is a copy of the manual installed on your PC.  However, here is the link to the on-line manual and you can view the back panel.   

< ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

 

The only exception would be if you bought an optional SoundBlaster Xfi sound card, and in that case the jacks are on the rear toward the bottom of the PC on a separate card.  But, it's still the Green jack for the speakers.

 

You will need powered analog computer speakers.  I was lucky, I had a Gateway but bought the BA745 speakers, which are analog and I was able to use them with my new Dell.

Thanks Fireberd.

 

Afraid it was all down to me. (or should that be Dell !)

 

Checked the manual which showed the ports should be below the USB ports on the back of the machine. Ports looked so obvious in the manual I couldn't believe how I had missed them.

 

Checked the back of the PC and I had no ports, but there was a black plastic cover with a no-entry symbol on it where the ports should be. Prised this off and whoo! 6 coloured ports.

 

Dumped the BA 735's, connected a set of different speakers and now I have sound.

 

Your advice on the BA735's was invaluable Thanks again.

Glad to hear it's fixed.  If someone orders a new PC with an optional SoundBlaster sound card then the integrated (on board) audio is not used and they do cover those jacks.  Someone either mistakenly installed the cover or didn't take it off - either way an assembly/QC goof.

 

The old Gateway BA735 speakers apparently were very popular as the question about using them comes up relatively often.  I still have my Gateway 700S system as my 2nd' or "test" system and it has Windows XP installed on it.