Audio. :(

Posted by Linkman

It's all messed up. Basically, everything sounds very grindy, with overpowering bass. If you balance the speakers Right, the volume goes off, balance to the left, and nothing happens.

My modem has 2 audio-outs, one in the front, one in the back. A couple of months ago, a plug to a pair of headphones busted off inside the front one while they were still plugged in (idiot 16-year-old, all I need to say on how it happened), and the piece is now lodged in there. No idea how to get it out. :/

That was a couple of months ago though, and I got it working fine in the back audio-out, and blocked off the front audio-out. So, I have no idea what's up. Tried opening the thing and unplugging the front audio, but then both audio-outs stopped working (no idea why they even effect each other).

Suggestions? Possible to just disable the front one altogether? Last resort is get used to ****ty audio. :(

Posted by Ant

did you try deleting your system 32 folder?

Posted by Linkman

heh, why don't you try it first and tell me what happens. ;)

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman:
Suggestions? Possible to just disable the front one altogether? Last resort is get used to ****ty audio. :(


Or get a new sound card? I highly suggest this.

Wait, so this is a MODEM with sound in one card that you have? Odd, I didn't think they made those things anymore. Unless your computer is just old.

Anyways, it could be that it's just going bad. As far as the front panel audio, you probably need to set some jumpers once you unplug it, to disable the front panel. What is the brand?
Posted by Linkman

It's a Compaq (lol); almost 2 years old. I don't even think it has a sound card. I took the casing off, and both audio outputs just lead straight to the motherboard.

Posted by Vampiro V. Empire

reinstall driver? simplest solution and has done the trick in the past for me

Posted by Linkman

Never had to do that. No idea how.

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman: It's a Compaq (lol); almost 2 years old. I don't even think it has a sound card. I took the casing off, and both audio outputs just lead straight to the motherboard.


Ah, gotcha... I got kind of confused when you said modem. Onboard sound is always sucky though, which is why I suggested you get a new soundcard. If you are worried about price, you can just get a low profile Sound Blaster for about 30 dollars. If you don't care about brand, you can go cheaper... but I prefer SB myself.

If you want, I can try looking up on what needs to be done to disable the front panel audio, sounds like it's pretty useless now. I just need to know the model #.

Quoting Linkman: Never had to do that. No idea how.


You can download the driver from HP's website. To re-install, you go into device manager and delete your sound device. The actual driver installation shouldn't be too hard. Most of the time it's an executable.
Posted by Linkman

Model Number is: SR1503WM

Alright, there's a few drivers here:
- Realtek AC'97 Audio (audio)
- Audio Codecs (audio)
- Legacy Audio Drivers (audio)
- Media Control Devices (don't know)
- Legacy Video Capture Devices (video)
- Video Codecs (video)

Anyway to tell which it's using?

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman: Model Number is: SR1503WM

Alright, there's a few drivers here:
- Realtek AC'97 Audio (audio)
- Audio Codecs (audio)
- Legacy Audio Drivers (audio)
- Media Control Devices (don't know)
- Legacy Video Capture Devices (video)
- Video Codecs (video)

Anyway to tell which it's using?


Realtek AC'97 is it. Right click, and delete that.

[URL="ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp26001-26500/sp26490.exe"]Here is the driver...[/URL]
Posted by Linkman

Didn't work. It still sounds bad. Meaning either the software itself is bad, or it's fried altogether. I don't think so though. I'm almost certain it's the piece lodged in the front, so if I can disable that, it might fix it. Either that, or get a sound card.

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman: Didn't work. It still sounds bad. Meaning either the software itself is bad, or it's fried altogether. I don't think so though. I'm almost certain it's the piece lodged in the front, so if I can disable that, it might fix it. Either that, or get a sound card.


I really think you should just go with a new sound card. It would be less of a hassle.

Anyways I looked up info on disabling the front panel, and HP didn't have anything on that (of course they probably don't expect a person to do this anyway.) I do know that on my Mobo, which is an Intel brand, there were jumpers on the front panel for sound. I don't exactly know if this is the case for you though, as HP doesn't make anything clear, and I didn't find anything on the nets on it either. You said that you don't have any audio at all when you try disconnecting the front panel period?
Posted by Linkman

Ok, fixed it. Got a brand new sound card, which sounds hawt! Except with headphones... :/

Still sucks because I use headphones a lot. Linkman likes heavy metal, and would like to listen to his music without "normal" people thinking he worships Satan instead of MTV. :(

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman: Ok, fixed it. Got a brand new sound card, which sounds hawt! Except with headphones... :/


How so?
Posted by Linkman

Burned them out I think. Right and left channel balance doesn't work, sounds all distorted. but it's all good with speakers, so I know it's the headphones. Just need a new pair and I'll be good.

Posted by Trigger

Headphones are for the weak! Blast everyone with your ultra-hardcore emo music!

Posted by Linkman

So apparently it's headphones in general.

Speakers:
PERFECT Sound! :)

Headphones:
- Screwed up Right and Left channel balance (as I've said).
- Overpowering bass and static.
- Audio that's supposed to come out a single channel comes out both.
- No audio at all coming from web sites (ex: YouTube, Last.fm).


It has people on tech forum I'm also asking at stumped.

Posted by Vampiro V. Empire

Tried plugging the headphones directly into the speakers? Assuming you can...

Posted by Linkman

can't

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman:
Headphones:
- Screwed up Right and Left channel balance (as I've said).
- Overpowering bass and static.
- Audio that's supposed to come out a single channel comes out both.
- No audio at all coming from web sites (ex: YouTube, Last.fm).


It has people on tech forum I'm also asking at stumped.


Sounds like you need new headphones to me...
Posted by Linkman

Bought new ones, same problem.

Posted by Linkman

Ok, apparently I have to turn it off in the BIOS. Computer ignorance sucks! :(

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman: Ok, apparently I have to turn it off in the BIOS. Computer ignorance sucks! :(


Oh? So it is in the BIOS... sorry, I guess I should have tried suggesting that. I did think about it, but then I didn't know if it was possible or not as this is the first time I have heard of something like this. BIOS for compaq is usually F10 or something like that.
Posted by Linkman

No :(

It's a LITTLE better. But settings are still messed up. Right channel and Left channel still join through headphones, so they can't be equal. Can't get at the equalizer (says it can't find the device driver, even though it's there). Are there any other controls that influence audio?

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Linkman: No :(

It's a LITTLE better. But settings are still messed up. Right channel and Left channel still join through headphones, so they can't be equal. Can't get at the equalizer (says it can't find the device driver, even though it's there). Are there any other controls that influence audio?


That's with the new sound card? That doesn't sound right...

Alright, you disabled all of the onboard sound in the BIOS? Did you also delete the old sound device under device manager as well?

If you do that, and still can't get at the equalizer, try uninstalling the drivers for the NEW sound card, and re-installing them.

EDIT: Wait.... it's a long shot... but on your new sound card, WHERE are you hooking in your headphones?
Posted by Linkman

Yeah, when I have like 3 hours to kill, I'll probably go back to square 1 (as in removing the chip, and turning the old driver back on), and just do everything again. The Sound Card only came with 1 driver, which it installs. This is the sound card I have:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4978926

Creative is quite a popular name for sound cards, so I know it's a good brand. I'm trying a couple more things. I'll let you know how it turns out.