Tina Norris Fields
tinanfields at torchlake.com
Fri Mar 14 15:02:11 CDT 2014
Here's my update: I contacted both Radio Shack and Best Buy in Traverse City, and learned that neither one has anything at all in-house with a 4-pole plug or jack. I found an adapter 3-pole male to 4-pole male on eBay and will have that in hand in another week or so. Meantime, I went into the Dell Community FAQ Laptop Audio forum and found this about the new combo jacks: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/t/19345854.aspx#six summary: ==== Dell is now putting "combo" jacks in many of the laptop models. A combo jack combines the function of a mic jack and a headphone jack into a single jack socket. Here is what you can and cannot use with a combo jack. > You can use a smart phone type of headset. > You can also use conventional headphones that have a 3.5mm 3 segment plug (a TRS plug). A 3 segmented plug looks like this: (followed by a picture just like mine) > You cannot use the combo jack for stereo line-in recording. It only is capable of mono input. > You cannot use a conventional computer mic that has a 3.5mm TRS (3 segmented) plug. You might be able to use a conventional mic with an adapter cable. ==== So, according to the Dell Community FAQ, my 3-pole headphone plug should work just fine in the 4-pole audio jack. I have sent this very same information to the tech handling my case. I'm waiting to see what her response will be to my findings. TNF Tina Norris Fields tinanfields-at-torchlake-dot-com 231-322-2787 On 3/14/2014 1:06 PM, Tina Norris Fields wrote: > Hi again, > > Okay, I got an email message from the tech supervising my case, asking > me to test external speakers on the jack, and to send a picture of the > headphone plug I am using. So, I tried. No joy with the external > speaker, either. Both the external speaker and the headphone are > using 3-ring stereo plugs. The tech has come back to me, saying that > I need a 4-ring plug for this audio card. Hello, this is news. I > called my friends at Radio Shack to see if I could get a 4-ring plug - > they answered that they didn't have anything in the shop with > 4-rings. The tech linked me to an article showing a picture of the > kind of plug she said I need. Interestingly enough, the article is > complaining that Windows 8.1 refused to recognize a 4-ring plug. Oh > dear, now things are not looking right to me. > > Well, we'll see how things work out. > > TNF > > Tina Norris Fields > tinanfields-at-torchlake-dot-com > 231-322-2787 > > On 3/14/2014 9:47 AM, Tina Norris Fields wrote: >> Hi All, >> >> I'm working with the Dell tech people to try to solve the problem, >> and I'm exploring the online discussions on the same topic, but I >> also want to ask this gang for help. >> >> I have a new Dell Inspiron 15R, came with Windows 8 (64-bit) - since >> upgraded to Windows 8.1. >> >> When I plug in headphones, nothing changes - the speakers continue to >> sound and no sound comes through the headphones. The mixer does not >> show headphones, only speakers. The Sound properties dialog does not >> show headphones, only speakers. All sound tests show the speakers >> working well, and do not recognize headphones at all. >> >> After a long online chat with a Dell tech, the decision was to >> replace the motherboard. That was done Wednesday evening. Upon >> completion of the replacement, the initial problem remained exactly >> the same. >> >> I have done all the driver updating I could find, both through the My >> Dell Drivers support and from the manufacturer Realtek Semiconductor >> website. Results continue to be exactly the same. >> >> So far, the online suggestions all point to setting the headphones >> option in the Sound properties dialog to be the default. My problem >> is that there is NO headphones option in the Sound properties dialog >> box - none at all. I do have the "Show disabled devices" and "Show >> disconnected devices" check boxes ticked. I have uninstalled and >> reinstalled several times to no avail. The first time I uninstalled, >> when I rebooted the system it did claim that no sound device was >> installed. The last time I uninstalled, when I rebooted the system >> the existing device had already been installed. >> >> The sound card is called Realtek High Definition Audio. I'm thinking >> the sound card is defective, or, if it's truly a motherboard problem, >> then the replacement motherboard has the same defect as the original >> mortherboard. >> >> Any ideas about a solution? Thanks. >> >> TNF >> > > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >