No sound on external speaker

[steve]

I have the same problem

Are you using an Acer Aspire One notebook computer running Windows 7?

[chriscarp]

.WAV files exported from Audacity do not play correctly through the speakers when played in WMP

[PGA]

If I have understood correctly, you are saying that all sound files play correctly through the internal speakers. Yes? When you plug some headphones into the headphone jack socket, these same sound files also play correctly through the headphones. Right? In this situation the internal speakers will have been automatically muted. Right?

If you now, whilst that sound file continues playing, unplug the headphones and plug in the external speakers, what happens? Exactly, precisely. Remember we can neither see nor hear what happens at your end.

What should happen is that sound reverts to the internal speakers whilst the headphone socket is empty and then these internal speakers will be muted again and the sound should come out of the external speakers. Does it? If not, then I am confused because the signal will still be getting presented to the headphone jack socket. If no sound is coming out of the speakers there is something screwy going on. Stupid questions: the batteries are new and fully charged, aren't they? They are inserted the correct way round, aren't they. You have pushed the jack plug all the way in, haven't you? The volume control on the external speaker is turned up, isn't it? The mute switch on the external speaker isn't set on, is it?

[chriscarp]

Thanks, Steve, and sorry for getting my knickers in a twist! The answer to your question is:
.WAV files exported from Audacity do not play correctly through the speakers when played in WMP.
I thought I'd sent this reply a couple of days ago, but it has not been logged so I must have slipped up again! If you have received it twice, I apologise. Chris

[chriscarp]

Seen your latest. Thanks. Got to dash. Will reply in about 3 hours. Chris

[chriscarp]

If I have understood correctly, you are saying that all sound files play correctly through the internal speakers. Yes? When you plug some headphones into the headphone jack socket, these same sound files also play correctly through the headphones. Right? In this situation the internal speakers will have been automatically muted. Right?

If you now, whilst that sound file continues playing, unplug the headphones and plug in the external speakers, what happens? Exactly, precisely. Remember we can neither see nor hear what happens at your end.

What should happen is that sound reverts to the internal speakers whilst the headphone socket is empty and then these internal speakers will be muted again and the sound should come out of the external speakers. Does it? If not, then I am confused because the signal will still be getting presented to the headphone jack socket. If no sound is coming out of the speakers there is something screwy going on. Stupid questions: the batteries are new and fully charged, aren't they? They are inserted the correct way round, aren't they. You have pushed the jack plug all the way in, haven't you? The volume control on the external speaker is turned up, isn't it? The mute switch on the external speaker isn't set on, is it?

Everything you say here is as you have asked:
Para 1: Yes; yes; yes.
Para 2: I've carried out this test, using a long Auidacity sample (to give time to make changes) direct from Audacity playback. Headphones work OK. When pulling out the jack plug, output through internal speaker comes on OK. When pushing in the external speaker jack plug (already switched on - power light showing), all goes silent. Internal speaker muted, but no sound from external speaker.
Straight away after that, whilst external speaker was connected and powered on, I went to WMP and played a piece of music: perfect sound through the external speaker!
Your "stupid questions " (not so stupid) in your final paragraph are all answered in a positive sense: Batteries are new and OK, power is on and indicator lit, batteries removed and polarity double-checked, (it was correct), jack plug properly inserted, no volume control on external speaker, no mute switch on external speaker. The evidence for all these checks being OK is that performance is perfect from WMP.

SOLVED IT! Doing a final check before submitting the above, I tried your first test again. Same result, but I thought I heard a brief sound from the external speaker when pushing in the jack plug. Pulling it in and out, I found I could get sound from the external speaker when the plug was partly withdrawn, but all went silent when fully inserted. The other end of the cable carries an identical (or so it appears) jack plug, which plugs into the speaker. so as an experiment I swapped the two ends around: total success! Full proper sound output from the external speaker.

Why it worked OK before with WMP, with the cable connected the other way round I have no idea. I emphasise that there is no difference whatsoever in appearance between the two plugs on the lead. But I will now mark one of them with Snopake!

Sorry to have been a pain. Mystery unsolved, but at least I have found a fully satisfactory work-around, thanks to your careful inquisition.

Many thanks. Chris

[PGA]

I'm glad we got there in the end! Perhaps a piece of electricians tape wrapped around the end of the cable might be more permanent than Snopake!

[steve]

Pulling it in and out, I found I could get sound from the external speaker when the plug was partly withdrawn, but all went silent when fully inserted. The other end of the cable carries an identical (or so it appears) jack plug, which plugs into the speaker. so as an experiment I swapped the two ends around: total success! Full proper sound output from the external speaker.

A possible explanation could be that there is a connection fault with either the lead, the plug or the socket and that by fiddling with it you have now got it into a position where it is making contact. I'd suggest that try to avoid touching or moving the lead/connection, but if the problem occurs again, check and if necessary replace the lead (and hope that it's not the socket that's faulty).