U2720QM, AX510 Soundbar compatibility?

Do you think I could use the newer magnetically attached soundbars if I purchased some flat neodymium magnets to attach to the bottom of the monitor?   Attaching a soundbar to the monitor bottom seems more logical than attaching it to the stand.  But I'm not sure about the USB connection since those ports don't appear to be active unless I attach the monitor to the computer with a USB-C cable.  Right now I'm using the HDMI cable to my laptop since I use the USB-C port (only has one) for an external hard drive.

Mickey

Thanks so much for the detailed reply.  I didn't think it would work but I wasn't sure if there was a way to make it.  I agree that it seems much simpler to just buy the new soundbar.  I will take a look at the AC511M first though.

Mickey

Thanks again.  I feel the same way about the magnets and have always avoided them for the same reason but it was worth asking.

The monitor is brand new and did come with a USBC to USBA cable so that one might work.  It looks like it's supposed to go to a desktop without a C port.  I may try it and see if it works.

I haven't found that the monitor ports work when there is no USBC cable attached but I'll check again.

Seems like Dell has done away with using the audio port on the back for soundbar connections and has gone to USB.  I'm guessing because there have been so many complaints about that port not accepting headphones.  So USB may "futureproof" my soundbar.  Then again, my old monitor was 10 years old and the old soundbar only a little younger so it may not matter as I hope to have this one for a good long time.

@MickeyCT  In terms of the new soundbar, I would imagine that attaching a pair of magnets to the display would work, but I would probably hesitate out of concern over attaching magnets to a device or at least in an area that wasn't designed to have them there.  That concern might be outdated, but I've never wanted to experiment with my own equipment to find out.  In terms of the USB connection, the display's USB ports will always provide power when the display is active (and even while the display is on standby if you configure the display to do that), so you'd be ok there.  But newer soundbars can draw both power and audio over USB, so you might want to make that USB connection, which you can achieve with a USB-C to USB-A cable if you don't have an available USB-C port.  Just make sure you get a C to A cable actually rated for at least USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), since some cables save cost by implementing only the pins/wires necessary to support USB 2.0 and power because they're meant to be used primarily for charging devices, not for high speed data.

@MickeyCT  Yes, the C to A cable included with some Dell displays, apparently including that one, is designed for connecting to desktops that might lack a USB-C port.  You should be able to charge basic devices from the USB ports while the display is awake, although some "smarter" devices require an actual data interface to be active to negotiate things like fast charging, so that might be an issue.  But as a basic test, if you have any sort of basic device that lights up when it's powered, try plugging it in.  You won't be able to use it if it's a device like a flash drive, but the device should still register power.

In terms of the audio port, the U2720QM has an audio line-out jack, shown on Page 9 of its manual here.  But the lower-end P Series displays have indeed dropped that jack in favor of just using USB for power and audio.  The issue there is that USB audio requires a USB data path back to the source and a source that actually supports sending USB audio.  Displays can't accept audio over HDMI/DP and send it out via USB since they essentially just have a USB hub built into them.  They're not a "source device" for any sort of USB data.  This is an issue for people who connect game consoles and other media devices to their Dell displays and expect to use a soundbar, because those source devices typically don't support USB audio.  So if you want to be able to use a soundbar to play audio that is being sent to the display over HDMI/DP, you'll need a display with an actual audio output jack -- like yours -- AND you'll need a soundbar that can accept audio that way rather than only via USB.

Reopening this.  I purchased the AE515M soundbar and hooked it up today but no sound when used with my XPS 15 laptop.  I tried the HDMI connection to the U2720Q monitor and also the USB - C connection.

The soundbar has a USB connection rather than the 3.5mm connector I expected and I have that plugged into the back of the monitor.

Any suggestions before I return it?

Was just advised by someone at Dell through private message that the U2720Q monitor is not compatible with the AE515M soundbar.  Unfortunagely they haven't said what soundbar is compatible, so far anyway.  Very trustrating.

@MickeyCT  Does the soundbar work if you connect its USB cable directly to the XPS?  You might have to change the default audio output device over to the soundbar in your Windows sound settings.  If that works, then it should also work when connected to the display as long as you have a USB data path back to the XPS using a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A cable.  HDMI audio will not work for a USB soundbar.  The display will only pass HDMI and DP audio out of its 3.5 mm jack.

As for Dell Support, if you can physically attach the AE515M, that's all you need for "display compatibility".  Dell Support unfortunately does not always give correct compatibility information out.

I did try connecting the soundbar to the laptop USB port and it still didn't work, but I've also been switching the laptop to monitor connections between HDMI and USB-C.  I did not change my default audio settings though.  I'll try again later today after a reboot of the laptop and we'll see.

I may need to return it anyway because when it's attached to the monitor I can't see the volume buttons on the center section.  I might try the AC511 instead.  Maybe I have a defective soundbar.

In 20 years of using Dell computers I've always found their tech support frustrating.  Much better support through the forums, so thank you for staying with me.

MickeyCT,

Let us know when you try it later today.

I've done more testing.  Soundbar does work when connected to the USB port on the laptop and the monitor is not connected.  It also works when connected to the laptop USB port and the monitor is connected as long as it is is not displaying the screen.  It does NOT work when connected to one of the monitor USB ports.  I have confirmed that the USB ports on the monitor do function.  I tried extending the desktop as well as using the monitor desktop only and having the screen duplicated to both.  End result is soundbar does not work at all if the monitor is in use regardless of where it is plugged in.

This tells me that I need a soundbar with the audio 3.5mm plug to work with this monitor and I don't see that Dell has any.  I will try a couple of other soundbars over the next couple of days to see.

My guess is the AC511 won't work either.

@MickeyCT  What are you using to confirm that the USB ports on the display are functioning?  If you connect a flash drive, hard drive, or keyboard/mouse to a USB port on the display, is it usable by your system?  If not, you have an issue with the upstream USB data path back to your system.  A USB soundbar requires a USB data path all the way back to the system, so if you use a USB port on the display, then the display needs USB data connectivity back to the system.  This is completely separate from any video signal that may be coming from your system and working fine on the display.  If the soundbar works when directly connected to your system AND the USB ports on the display work with other PC peripherals you plug into them, then there is absolutely no reason that soundbar should not work through a USB port on the display.

I don't understand it either, but I just tried it again and the soundbar is definitely not working when plugged into one of the USB ports on the monitor.

I confirmed the USB ports work by attaching an EHD and I was able to access the directory and open documents without any problem on any port.  I also have a small receiver for wireless mouse and keyboard in one of the USB ports with no problems.

When I first plug in the soundbar, the white lights in each corner light up then soon the left one goes out.  I also get a  Windows message that it sees the Dell soundbar and is ready for use.  I checked settings and it is set for the Dell soundbar.  I don't use Skype but I can turn the mike on and off, and when I turn the volume up all the way from the buttons in the center of the soundbar I get the beeps when it hits the max, but never get any sound.  I'm playing a video on YouTube to test the sound.  Remember that even with the soundbar attached to the USB on the laptop, there is no sound once I send the signal to the monitor.

I tried this again with a totally fresh start and it does seem to be working, so far at least.  Rebooted the computer, moved the USB attachment from the soundbar to one of the USB ports on the back because it never looked like it went in all the way when plugged into the port on the side; checked the Windows audio settings, then started a YouTube video playing on the laptop without sending the screen to the monitor.  Sound came through the laptop speakers.  Switched to the monitor and after a few seconds the sound came through the new soundbar.  Hooray.  

I've had a docking station on order since early June and I hope it will continue to work when the monitor is connected to the USB-C port on the docking station.  I'm planning on hooking the laptop to the docking station through the Thunderbolt port.

Thanks for the help.  I was ready to give up earlier.