Hi JIm, well, you figured it out for me, although you may not realize it. When you explained how the set up is supposed to work I realized I had not tried it with the auxilliary jack pulled out of the speakers. I just had it dangling there, unattached to the computer and trying to figure out what was going on. After I re-read your explanation I realized it was the speakers looking for another input that was causing the problem, I pulled out that cord, and BOOM. SOUNDS AWESOME.
THANKS - I'm not a techie, but going into all that detail sure helped me out. You just never know. I'm glad you explained the principle, that's what led me to the solution - and as I said, it was something super simple.
Hello. Impossible to say without knowing the full model name. There have been 23 Precision series laptop models over a span of 12 or more years.
I don't think Goodwill would be putting the wrong OS on a system as part of a job training program.
When a laptop comes in. probably they wipe the hard drive and then install Windows 7 on all of them. XP is no longer supported so 7 is the most universal. I would be surprised if they research every model of computer.
(B) Regardless of the above, is there any way to update the driver?
Can't say without full model name.
(c) Is this even the problem?
Probably not. I am not familiar with those speakers but looking at them on Amazon they appear to be a usb audio device. Usb audio devices do not utilize the regular audio driver (for the laptop's integrated audio system). Usb devices are discrete and separate from the integrated audio, and use the Windows native usb audio driver.
When you plug a usb audio device into a usb port, normally Windows will detect it and make that device the default audio device. Connect the speakers to a usb port, then go to Control Panel>Sound and make sure the usb speakers appear in the list of devices and are select as the default device. If they are not the default device then make them so.
and the same audio jack.
If usb speakers are set as the default device then the laptop's audio jack will not work, because it is an extension of the integrated audio. You can only have one default device at a time, not both the usb device and the integrated audio.
I will have to get home and let you know the exact model number, but it seems as if that is not the problem, if usb speakers don't actually rely on the audio driver.
However, I am a little confused about your last paragraph. If I have the speakers plugged in to a usb port, and they are set as the default via control panel / sound and hardware (it identifies them as the jbl pebbles, so I know I have picked the right one), then to get sound out of them, don't I have to plug them into an audio jack on the computer? I have them plugged into the "headphone" jack, and the only other one I see is the "microphone" jack. [This is exactly how I set up my older speakers -- plugged in to a usb port & the headphone jack and they work as expected.]
One other piece of information that might help. When I plug in my old speakers: I plug in the usb, can still hear the computer internal speakers, and then plug in the audio jack and the sound is then transferred to the speakers. This does not happen with the Pebbles. As soon as I plug the Pebbles into the usb port the sound on the computer (the internal speakers) goes off. I originally expected the sound to come through the speakers as soon as I plugged in the audio jack, but that didn't happen (hence this discussion), but I do think its weird that plugging in the usb would cause me to stop hearing the internal speakers.
Kind of hard to explain, but hopefully that tiny clue will help you help me. :)
Haha, not long winded at all, very interesting actually. Perhaps you can imagine my next question -- if this is the case, how come they are not working? From what you are saying, when I plug in the speakers' usb sound should come out of the speakers, which is why I no longer hear it coming out of the computer itself. And it does recognize them. Will it only work with a certain type of usb port? Online people have said it will work with usb 2.0 and 3.0, and the Dell has to have those, right? What else should I check?
(BTW, my original speakers are really old, maybe 7 or 8 years, and are clearly not usb audio.)
Audio in a file inside the computer or on the internet is digital, but the electrical signal that the speakers convert into audible sound is analog. At some point before the speaker cones, the digital signal is converted to an analog electrical one.
A laptop has an integrated audio system on the motherboard. The heart of it is the audio chip known as the codec (from the words code & decode). The codec has the analog to digital converter (ADC) for recording, and the digital to analog converter (DAC) for playback.
Instead of using the integrated audio one can use usb audio. The signal that leaves the laptop through the usb port is still a digital signal, not having gone through the integrated DAC. But any usb audio device has its own DAC (and/or ADC, depending on the purpose of the device). Having a DAC and/or ADC is what makes it a usb audio device.
Another function of the usb port is that it supplies power. So ideally you connect your usb speakers to the usb port, the speakers receive power and are able to function. The speakers identify themselves to Windows as a usb audio device (something analog speakers cannot do), and the speakers codec converts the digital audio to analog, and the speaker cones converts the electrical impulses to sound waves.
Your speakers also have an auxiliary analog input jack. You can connect an mp3 player's headphone jack to it, for example, and hear those sounds. It does not have to be connected to the laptop for the AUX jack to work, but you would need a usb wall wart power adapter to power the speakers when not plugged into a usb port.
You can go here and get the Quick Start guide with diagrams of how to make the connections. Notice in the diagrams the only time the Aux jack is used is with a separate music player.
As to why your other speakers require a connection to the laptop's headphone jack, it's hard to say without knowing the model. However, not everything with a usb plug is a usb audio device, meaning that it might not have its own codec. Some devices with usb plugs just have it to draw power for the device from the usb port, but in all other respects are analog devices.
but I do think its weird that plugging in the usb would cause me to stop hearing the internal speakers.
That would happen because normally Windows will give priority to any usb audio device and set it as the default audio device, thereby disabling the integrated audio system.
I don't know. Try to test them with another computer. If they test out ok then it could be something wrong with the Precision's usb ports. Test the ports if you have any other usb devices -- a mouse or whatever.
Online people have said it will work with usb 2.0 and 3.0, and the Dell has to have those, right?
The specs on the speakers are usb 2.0. Sorry to be repetitious but it depends on the model. The old Precisions would have only had usb 1. But probably the speakers would work with usb 1 too, at least to a certain extent.
All I know to tell you is to try to narrow it down. Testing the speakers is the easiest thing to start with. Let me know when you get the laptop's model number and I'll see what tests are available for it.
CatsinQ
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8 Posts
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June 29th, 2015 19:00
Hi JIm, well, you figured it out for me, although you may not realize it. When you explained how the set up is supposed to work I realized I had not tried it with the auxilliary jack pulled out of the speakers. I just had it dangling there, unattached to the computer and trying to figure out what was going on. After I re-read your explanation I realized it was the speakers looking for another input that was causing the problem, I pulled out that cord, and BOOM. SOUNDS AWESOME.
THANKS - I'm not a techie, but going into all that detail sure helped me out. You just never know. I'm glad you explained the principle, that's what led me to the solution - and as I said, it was something super simple.
Adios Amigo!
Jim Coates
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13.6K Posts
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June 29th, 2015 07:00
Hello. Impossible to say without knowing the full model name. There have been 23 Precision series laptop models over a span of 12 or more years.
When a laptop comes in. probably they wipe the hard drive and then install Windows 7 on all of them. XP is no longer supported so 7 is the most universal. I would be surprised if they research every model of computer.
Can't say without full model name.
Probably not. I am not familiar with those speakers but looking at them on Amazon they appear to be a usb audio device. Usb audio devices do not utilize the regular audio driver (for the laptop's integrated audio system). Usb devices are discrete and separate from the integrated audio, and use the Windows native usb audio driver.
When you plug a usb audio device into a usb port, normally Windows will detect it and make that device the default audio device. Connect the speakers to a usb port, then go to Control Panel>Sound and make sure the usb speakers appear in the list of devices and are select as the default device. If they are not the default device then make them so.
If usb speakers are set as the default device then the laptop's audio jack will not work, because it is an extension of the integrated audio. You can only have one default device at a time, not both the usb device and the integrated audio.
CatsinQ
1 Rookie
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8 Posts
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June 29th, 2015 10:00
Hi Jimco, and thank you for your response.
I will have to get home and let you know the exact model number, but it seems as if that is not the problem, if usb speakers don't actually rely on the audio driver.
However, I am a little confused about your last paragraph. If I have the speakers plugged in to a usb port, and they are set as the default via control panel / sound and hardware (it identifies them as the jbl pebbles, so I know I have picked the right one), then to get sound out of them, don't I have to plug them into an audio jack on the computer? I have them plugged into the "headphone" jack, and the only other one I see is the "microphone" jack. [This is exactly how I set up my older speakers -- plugged in to a usb port & the headphone jack and they work as expected.]
One other piece of information that might help. When I plug in my old speakers: I plug in the usb, can still hear the computer internal speakers, and then plug in the audio jack and the sound is then transferred to the speakers. This does not happen with the Pebbles. As soon as I plug the Pebbles into the usb port the sound on the computer (the internal speakers) goes off. I originally expected the sound to come through the speakers as soon as I plugged in the audio jack, but that didn't happen (hence this discussion), but I do think its weird that plugging in the usb would cause me to stop hearing the internal speakers.
Kind of hard to explain, but hopefully that tiny clue will help you help me. :)
THANK YOU.
CatsinQ
1 Rookie
•
8 Posts
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June 29th, 2015 12:00
Haha, not long winded at all, very interesting actually. Perhaps you can imagine my next question -- if this is the case, how come they are not working? From what you are saying, when I plug in the speakers' usb sound should come out of the speakers, which is why I no longer hear it coming out of the computer itself. And it does recognize them. Will it only work with a certain type of usb port? Online people have said it will work with usb 2.0 and 3.0, and the Dell has to have those, right? What else should I check?
(BTW, my original speakers are really old, maybe 7 or 8 years, and are clearly not usb audio.)
Thank you again - so much!!
Jim Coates
4 Operator
•
13.6K Posts
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June 29th, 2015 12:00
Bear with me as this might be a bit long-winded.
Audio in a file inside the computer or on the internet is digital, but the electrical signal that the speakers convert into audible sound is analog. At some point before the speaker cones, the digital signal is converted to an analog electrical one.
A laptop has an integrated audio system on the motherboard. The heart of it is the audio chip known as the codec (from the words code & decode). The codec has the analog to digital converter (ADC) for recording, and the digital to analog converter (DAC) for playback.
Instead of using the integrated audio one can use usb audio. The signal that leaves the laptop through the usb port is still a digital signal, not having gone through the integrated DAC. But any usb audio device has its own DAC (and/or ADC, depending on the purpose of the device). Having a DAC and/or ADC is what makes it a usb audio device.
Another function of the usb port is that it supplies power. So ideally you connect your usb speakers to the usb port, the speakers receive power and are able to function. The speakers identify themselves to Windows as a usb audio device (something analog speakers cannot do), and the speakers codec converts the digital audio to analog, and the speaker cones converts the electrical impulses to sound waves.
Your speakers also have an auxiliary analog input jack. You can connect an mp3 player's headphone jack to it, for example, and hear those sounds. It does not have to be connected to the laptop for the AUX jack to work, but you would need a usb wall wart power adapter to power the speakers when not plugged into a usb port.
You can go here and get the Quick Start guide with diagrams of how to make the connections. Notice in the diagrams the only time the Aux jack is used is with a separate music player.
http://www.jbl.com/computer-speakers/JBL+PEBBLES.html
As to why your other speakers require a connection to the laptop's headphone jack, it's hard to say without knowing the model. However, not everything with a usb plug is a usb audio device, meaning that it might not have its own codec. Some devices with usb plugs just have it to draw power for the device from the usb port, but in all other respects are analog devices.
That would happen because normally Windows will give priority to any usb audio device and set it as the default audio device, thereby disabling the integrated audio system.
Jim Coates
4 Operator
•
13.6K Posts
0
June 29th, 2015 14:00
I don't know. Try to test them with another computer. If they test out ok then it could be something wrong with the Precision's usb ports. Test the ports if you have any other usb devices -- a mouse or whatever.
The specs on the speakers are usb 2.0. Sorry to be repetitious but it depends on the model. The old Precisions would have only had usb 1. But probably the speakers would work with usb 1 too, at least to a certain extent.
All I know to tell you is to try to narrow it down. Testing the speakers is the easiest thing to start with. Let me know when you get the laptop's model number and I'll see what tests are available for it.
Jim Coates
4 Operator
•
13.6K Posts
0
June 30th, 2015 05:00