Dell Studio XPS 16 headphone jack troubles

Question

Hello, i own a dell studio xps 16. Recently when i tried to listen to a movie with a friend using both headphone jacks only one worked. The first one you plug in would work and then the second one would not get any sound. If you kept the second one plugged in and unplugged the first one the second one would then get sound. Then you you plug the first one back in the second one would keep getting sound and the first one not until you unplugged the second one. Odd i know. I tried going under audio device manager in the control panel and I could do the sound test(the ping in the left and right ear) with out problem on both headphone jack. Not only that but it showed which jack was being used(in other word it would show which of the headphone jacks would be getting sounds). In that window if you change the 'default' audio jack to the one that was not receiving the sound then the audio would switch(equivalent to unplugging then replugging the jacks). Its probably something stupidly simple im missing here but any help would be wonderful.

Davet50 · Answer

I believe you need to go into control panel >sounds and select the independent RTC Headphones as the output device

aebeeson · Answer

I have a similar problem.  I am not sure I understand what the 'independent RTC Headphones as the output device' means.  When I go into 'sounds' under the control panel, I get 3 tabs: 1) Playback 2) Recording 3) Sounds.  Niether of them have that option.  Please help me find what I am missing.  Thanks!

aebeeson · Answer

Thanks Jim! But, I don't have the same options that you are showing.

My "Controller Information" (the middle screen shot you show above) shows "High Definition Audio Device" not the "IDT High Definition Audio CODEC". I the "HdAudio.sys" driver installed and Windows Vista has confirmed that it is the latest driver available. Is there another driver I should be using?

Thanks again for any help available!!!

Jim Coates · Answer

Vista has its own generic HD audio driver and that might be the one that is currently installed on your computer. This is the IDT HD driver for these models:

Studio Laptop 1555
Studio Laptop 1557
Studio Laptop 1558
Studio XPS Laptop 1640
Studio XPS Laptop 1645
Studio XPS Laptop 1647

If you are installing an audio driver after an operating system re-installation, see section 7 of the Audio Drivers Facts FAQ.

aebeeson · Answer

Worked perfectly.  Thanks for the help!

XPS-1645 user · Answer

Screenshots FYI:1st screenshot shows no earphones plugged in or earphone plugged in the 1st jack.2nd screenshot shows when earphone is plugged in the 2nd jack/middle one between 1st earphone jack and microphone.

XPS-1645 user · Answer

Hi, above post helped me months back when my hard disk crashed and had to reinstall drivers except for the audio driver missed to install. Was able to get the 2 earphone jacks work last time but now it's not working anymore and it's according to above setup.  Any idea how to fix this?

Davet50 · Answer

mine does  the same thing not sure what your issue is.

XPS-1645 user · Answer

Both earphone jacks used to work but one doesn't anymore, the one near the mic jack.

Davet50 · Answer

are there any bangs next to devices in device manager. It sounds like a driver is missing.

XPS-1645 user · Answer

Where do I see that?  Is this the one?

Davet50 · Answer

Also go into control panel and open up the IDT applet. Check the setting there too

Davet50 · Answer

Yes that is the same as I am showing. Did you go through the configuration settings on the sound settings?

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