No speaker sound inspiron 15-3542 ubuntu 12.04 but ...

Hi Filippos2,

Thanks for your post.

Something I'm not understanding is; are you unplugging the headphones and plugging the speakers into the same jack on the computer?

Regards,
Robert

Okay, Thanks for letting me know.  Please contact me privately if you need further assistance.

They came today, they changed the speakers, but no sound again from speakers.

They say that the problem is Ubuntu and I should reinstall.

But, who says that reinstalling today, the problem will not arise again in few days?

Is that a professional help?

The problem:

• Clean Ubuntu 14.04 & BIOS are working fine.
• Headphones on the jack are working fine.
• Build-in speakers are dead.

They came today, they changed the speakers

Hello. Earlier you wrote, "Speakers tested and working fine under dell tests". Did you use the ePSA audio test? The ePSA tests are on the motherboard (in the BIOS) and can be used regardless of operating system.

When speakers pass the ePSA test that proves that the speakers are working, so I am mystified as to why the technician decided to replace your speakers. If I was going to replace anything, it would have been the headphone jack (which could entail replacing the motherboard).

My reasoning is this: IF it is not a software problem then it is probably the headphone jack, because the audio signal is getting as far as the jack but then is not being switched from there to the speakers. The problem is that I don't know enough about Ubuntu to know how to diagnose whether it is the hardware or software.

In the Windows operating systems, if you get audio at the jack but not at the speakers, and if the speakers pass the tests, then it is almost always a failure of the headphone jack, because in Windows there is software switching that is triggered by impedance sensing in the headphone jack. When the sensor in the jack fails then there is no switching of the signal from the jack to the speakers. However for years I have believed that  Linux-based operating systems are immune from the failed sensor issue because they do not use the kind of switching software that Windows does.

So in other words it is hard to say. If you could temporarily install Windows and if the speakers were to not work with that OS then I would feel certain that it is the headphone jack. But with Ubuntu there might be some kind of software issue that I don't know about that could cause switching to fail. Have you been to our Linux board yet to ask if anyone there has heard of a software issue in Ubuntu that could cause your symptoms?

Hi Jim,

my thoughts are same as yours. I, too, believe that is a OS centric problem. But if we bypass it by reinstalling OS we probably will face it again and again.

Dell technical support sent me some probable solutions and I'll try them first.

Thanks for your time spent.

Meanwhile if anyone has the same issue, we will exchange thoughts.

Thanks for sharing. Maybe is a forerunner to fried capacitor issue.

This is a complex problem and my notebook is on warranty.

I want to believe that Dell will do what she must or else there is always a legal way to fix things.

Hi Philipos,

I have had that same issue with my Dell 17r 5720. The speakers stop, no sound at the earphone port but all the tests say they are good. Then I found one say that the sound was being used by another program. Bottom line, it's a software issue. I reinstalled win7 at one time and the sound magically reappeared for about 2 days.  I'm pretty sure it was gone after my next reboot. I never got to track it down because the motherboard died due to a fried capacitor that is somehow connected to the charging system, if I am reading the burnt motherboard right. In any case, you're on the right track with the OS being a culprit and reinstalling just be like the dog chasing his tail. You might want to look at replacing the main sound program so it bypasses the issue, unless Dell has a fix or updated drive for your system. Hope something helps

hey did you get any solution ? i have the same inspiron 3542 and speakers were fine at first but after updates and all thy are gone.. headphones are fine ..if you have the solution please help

HI ,

Am too having the same problem with my dell inspiron 15 3542 laptop. help me.

The solution is an Illusion, get rid of this laptop.

I am having the same problem with the same laptop. I solved it a year ago but forgot how. My speakers work with my Windows partition. I have yet to try my Mint partition. I can use the headphone jack fine with Ubuntu but not the onboard speakers. It is a software problem.

Of course it is and Dell don't care.

They told me to buy another because they support only window$

When did you see that? After two years?

Victorious Dell support!!!

Linux & variations are outside my area. You should post on the Linux section of this forum. The link is in one of my earlier posts.