Tina Norris Fields
tinanfields at torchlake.com
Sat Mar 15 09:19:32 CDT 2014
Hi Jim, Yes, according to the technician, my Inspiron 15R 5537 is equipped with the combo jack, combining both headphone/speaker output and mic input. There is no separate mic jack. The icons on the single combo jack are both the mic and the headphone icons. According to Dell's own online FAQ section on the combo jack, my ordinary 3-pole stereo plug should work just fine for my headphones. It is also supposed to support a full headset, with mic and earphones. Well, something is definitely wrong, since I have no headphone or external speaker output - and the device managing software clearly has those capabilities grayed out. The tech I'm working with at Dell tells me that the sound card and jack are integrated into the motherboard, so there is little likelihood of a physical disconnection. However, it occurs to me that the audio card component could still be faulty, and/or the soldering could be faulty, etc. If the problem truly is a motherboard problem, then perhaps the replacement motherboard has the same defect as the original board. TNF Tina Norris Fields tinanfields-at-torchlake-dot-com 231-322-2787 On 3/14/2014 10:22 PM, Jim Lawrence wrote: > Hi Tina: > > The plot thickens... > > Bryan stated that a four pole plug would be if a microphone was built into the single jack. If this was the case your documentation on the product should clearly state that and it would be unlikely that your laptop would have an additional microphone jack. Is this the case? > > What was you laptop model again? I would think that just checking the accessories associated with the listing of your product on the Dell website should give you a clue. > > Jim > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tina Norris Fields" <tinanfields at torchlake.com> > To: "DatabaseAdvisors-Tech" <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com> > Sent: Friday, 14 March, 2014 1:02:11 PM > Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] No Headphone Output > > 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 >> > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >