boston digital BA735 speakers

dmiest,

Thank you for using Dell's Community Forum.

What happens when you try to connect them?
Also, where are you trying to connect these speakers?

I tried to plug them into the computer in the headphone jack and also I have a port replicator that has a headphone jack and they don't work there either.  I have a different set of speakers that work in both jacks.  Is it possible I need a different driver and if so where do I get one?

Try hooking up headphones or other speakers; do they work?

Also, are the built-in speakers functioning?

I have the same problem with ba735 speakers I bought on Ebay. I checked around, and have not been able to find an answer. In other forums, I found that the speakers require a driver that allows for digital output. Responses from the other forums suggested downloading drivers for other soundcards, such as Soundmax, and SOundblaster. I don't know if my SigmaTel sound card will allow for the digital output. I have emailed Dell to see if the sigmatel card is compatible with these speakers, but have not heard back. I am afraid that the my sigmatel soundcard will not support the speakers. You might have the same problem if you have sigmatel in your computer.

I'm having the same problem with my Inspiron 8600/sigmatel. I can just hear the Bostons if I hold them to my ear. Just tried to download the latest driver, and recieved an error message. Come on Dell, how about an answer, do we need to upgrade our cards, and if so, to what? (signatel is supposedly Soundblaster compatible, and Bostons work with Soundblaster cards apparently)

 

Max

Summary of the answer I have gathered thus far from other threads:

The headphone jack on the inspiron 5150 (and others) is ANALOG... but the spiffy Boston BA735 speakers take only a DIGITAL signal.

You'll notice that the green plug that looks like a normal headphone plug on the end of your BA735 cable only has one black divider on the end, while a real (stereo) headphone jack has two black dividers...

Anyway, what you all need to do is get an Soundblaster Audigy 2 nx external sound card - it connects to your USB, and has a great variety of "out" connections, and does DIGITAL OUT. It has a remote, and also amplifies the siglan (not that you need this for teh BA735's) i have read other postings and this seems to be the only way to do it, unless you have a higher end inspiron which may have a S/PDIF digital output jack, whatever that is...

In summary:
I am still torn as to whether to keep my excellent Boston speakers and pay up for the Audigy device, or just buy some other speakers which would work in the existing analog headphones jack (most do)..., but it will take time to find some that match these in terms of sound quality, size, nostalgia....

over to you.

Alan Le Map.

There was a posting on a forum on neoseeker about this issue and one person wrote

[originator=Gregory T. Dobson]These speakers are great, however since they were developed for the Gateway systems alot of things have been disabled. If you open your sub, you will see a circuit card, towards the end where everything plugs into there is a section "Analog In", there is nothing in this, simply go to radio shack and purchase the 5 footprinted minidim for the circuit card and 2M it in.....drill a hole into the rear so you can plug in....and boom....no more worries and it will work with any analog system and/or sound card........

I saw that the 735 had a hole drilled for the analog stereo plug in the black pad so it looked like the BA745 which has both digital and analog inputs. I reasoned that the 735 just left off the analog plug. As you can see the instructions for the change are vague. I can see the footprint for the pins for the plug but I haven't been able to determine which post of the plug goes where. Anyone who has done this successfully, please advise. I wrote Boston Acoustics and they declined to be of assistance.

Thanks - this makes perfect sense. Are you able to email this guy or post to find out what he means in lay terms? Sounds $200 cheaper than buying a USB soundcard with digital out.

I will also try my friend who at least OWNS a soldering iron and may have a clue ... also, its always fun to crack opne the case and look inside

cheers,

Alan

He was a visitor to the neoseeker forum and so far I haven't been able to locate him. I've posted his suggestion elsewhere but so far no response. Boston Acoustics' response to me indicated this strategy was possible but they would not specify how to do it. I'll post here if I learn anything more specific.

I must confess, i got lazy/impatient and just went out and bought a creative soundblaster audigy 2 nx USB (external) sound card. I now use a standard RCA plug form the SPDIF out to the digital in on the Bostons... hopefully thats not heinous. Well of coruse i am delighted to hear these speakers again (great with Kate Ceberano's new album "19 days in new york" BTW), and i am impressed by the software controls available from the remote control for this sound card. Its been around a while now, so you shoudl be able to find it cheap. In Sydney, Australia, AU$187...