Audio Issues after Connecting Headphones to a Dell Monitor

Distorted, low volume, interference, or humming issues when connecting an audio peripheral directly to a Dell Monitor

You may experience an audio issue if you directly connect the 3.5 mm audio cable from your headphones or travel speakers to a Dell Monitor:

• Distorting the audio output
• Low volume output
• Interference to the audio output
• A humming noise coming through the audio

The Line-Out connector can cause interference and distortion with headphones or travel speakers due to:

• Impedance mismatch: Higher output impedance of the Line-Out against the low impedance of your headphones
• Voltage levels: Lower voltage output from the Line-Out may not drive audio devices like your headphones as good as it should
• Interference susceptibility: Higher impedance and lower signal strength makes the Line-Out prone to electromagnetic interference through your audio
• Ground loop issues: Multiple ground paths can introduce a hum or abnormal noise to your audio
• Signal-to-noise ratio: External outputs such as your headphones are designed for a better personal listening quality

Most Dell monitor Line-Out outputs do provide some form of amplification with volume control through the operating system. However, keep in mind that these ports are not tuned or intended for use with headphones or travel speakers.

Dell Technologies recommends the following methods of connection to improve the quality of your audio:

• Connect your headphones, headset, or travel speakers to the 3.5 mm audio jack on your desktop, laptop, or tablet device.
• Use a USB to 3.5 mm audio adapter to connect your headphones to a USB port on the monitor.
• Use a digital signal chain over either USB Type-C or Thunderbolt for maximum quality audio output.

Dell has Monitors that are designed for conferencing or gaming. They can contain audio ports that are intended for Headphones and headsets use. These are not Line-Out ports. You can identify in your monitors manual if this capability is integrated into your monitor. There is also a physical icon beside the ports on the monitor to help identify them:

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