How can I test laptop speakers to make sure they work?

[jj1492]

I have a laptop that was working beautifully until just a moment ago. I used a mini to stereo cable to connect my tv speakers via the headphone jack. When I unplugged the cable, my speakers no longer work. Is there a way to test them or does anyone have any idea what went wrong? And no, they aren't muted and the volume is way up.

 

[corkyg]

You may have blown your laptops output audio amp by overloading it. Laptop speakers are tiny - and require very little power to drive them. On the other hand, external speakers may have imposed a much greater demand for power than the laptop was capable of delivering.

Headphone ports are not designed for external speakers.

You didn't mention plugging the cable back in - did they work then to drive the externals?

The only test I can think of off hand is to play a sound in Windows. They either work or they don't work. Check all your audio and sound settings and properties in Control Panel.

Rule of thumb - whenever connecting a laptop to external speakers, they should be powered or go through an external amplifier.

 

[jj1492]

i have headphones on right now and the left speaker works. the right does not.

Also, aren't TV speakers powered?

One more thing, this HP notebook has touch sensitive buttons for volume among other things. When I press these buttons, they beep just like always. Do laptops have those little pc speakers in them like desktops?

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: jj1492
i have headphones on right now and the left speaker works. the right does not. Also, aren't TV speakers powered? One more thing, this HP notebook has touch sensitive buttons for volume among other things. When I press these buttons, they beep just like always. Do laptops have those little pc speakers in them like desktops?

1. It is possible that the right output channel was damaged.

2. The loudness buttons don't beep at all in my HP laptop. There is also another button that turns the speakers OFF and ON completely.

3. TV speakers are not powered except by the TV set's audio amplifier. You need to clarify how you made the connection. When you say "connect to the speakers" - that tells me you connected directly to the TV's speaker poles. If you connected to audio in ports, then the TV speakers would be powered if the TV were ON.

4. HP laptops have tiny elliptical speakers in the front edge.

My HP dv1000 has three audio ports - a microphone port and two headphone ports. No line out port. The manual specifically says that headphone ports should be connected only to external powered speakers (those that have their own audio amplifier and volume control. If you have two headphone ports, are they both showing the same behavior?

 

[Jiggz]

Keep playing with the headphone port using a jack. Or better yet, reconnect powered speakers just like the one on your desktop. If you hear both R & L speakers working, it's obvious your output amp still works. What most likely happened is that the port connector is not closing back (when you plug in a jack a contact in the port opens up to disable the built in speakers, and closes back when uplugged to reconnect the built in spkrs), try playing with it by plugging in the jack, turning it around and pulling it quick. Do this a couple of times and see if it will fix the problem. But if you do not hear the R & L speakers after connecting powered speakers, then most likely the amp went bad.