# subwoofer not working at all!help!



## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

i just got a male to male cord for my subwoofer and plugged it in with the sound all the way maxed out and nothing is playing, i plugged it into the correct port and channeled the sound to go there with the software my motherboard came with, i even tried it on the port that always worked with my regular speakers and nothing. what could be the problem?i doubt it's broken it's nevber been used and came new with my parents dell.


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## smz (Mar 12, 2007)

By chance, would you happen to have the sound card configured in 5.1 Dolby Digital Mode? I am assuming you are using the onboard MSI sound which I remember looking up the same board recently to find that it did support 5.1 via realtek software. The reason I mention Dolby Digital 5.1 is because if it is decoding true 5.1, the subwoofer is the .1 and unless you are running a movie or some audio specifically mixed for 5.1, the sub would be dormant. Now if it's a virtual setting like an emulation for 5.1 that may be different. But I bet if you change the config to 4 speakers that the sound starts to come out of the sub. By chance, is the configuration of your speaker system such where the sub has a jack of its own? my theory of 5.1 could be correct then. Though most speaker systems designed for computers all route through the sub and wouldn't be subject to this behavior. So I'd like to hear what kind of speaker system you got there and how it's hooked up. I've been working with home theater audio for over 10 years and just upgraded my own reciever to the latest technology where a lot of the surround sound decoders use discreet mixing for each channel.

Sorry for rambling. Not the place for going on and on about home audio.




adamb_135 said:


> i just got a male to male cord for my subwoofer and plugged it in with the sound all the way maxed out and nothing is playing, i plugged it into the correct port and channeled the sound to go there with the software my motherboard came with, i even tried it on the port that always worked with my regular speakers and nothing. what could be the problem?i doubt it's broken it's nevber been used and came new with my parents dell.


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

i tried all speaker configurations, but ill mess with it more later, is there some other software i could use? 
ps what do you reccomend for something to test my 5.1 audio( you said only some stuff is configured for 5.1)


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## smz (Mar 12, 2007)

It still sounds to me from looking at the description of your post that the subwoofer is not an integrated sound system but more of an add on. Meaning that your other jacks to not plug into it first, would that be a correct assessment? My theory on 5.1 would apply then. I will look around for a utility that does a speaker check like the one included with Soundblaster cards. It will ping each speaker with a voice "center" "front left", etc. There should be a boatload that does this. I will also download the latest Realtek driver set like you do and install it on my test box so I can view the utility from your perspective. It's possible that utility would have a tester built in.

I know any easy but what would seem as a jerry rig fix would be to get a Y adapter and plug it into one of the front speaker outputs. This would be a Y with 1 Male 1/4 to (2) female 1/4. Then plug the sub into one half and the original front speaker into the other. I only say this in case your subwoofer is NOT part of your speaker system as a one piece system.

Let me know exactly your speaker config and parts involved. This configuration may be considered slightly jerry rigged itself since most people will plug in an all-in-one solution and would never experience subwoofer sound issues.


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

Try plugging your subwoofer into another audio device like a boombox. 
Please list make and model of the speaker system.


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

ok ill try that, it says on the front "harmon/kardon" does not give any more info anywhere on make and model.


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## smz (Mar 12, 2007)

What everyone is referring to is your speaker system as a whole. Such as, if it's harmon karon, is that just the sub, or just the speakers???

The suggestion of finding out if the sub is defective is a good one. If it's a power sub, keep the volume on it pretty low when you do the test of sending a different output to it. Using just my instincts, I still think what you are explaining is adding a third party subwoofer to an existing setup. Were you just trying to make things easier or cost effective by making this addition? I only ask this because 2.1 integrated speaker systems made for the computer are very inexpensive now. Even a true 5.1 has come down to a reasonable level. I know with building my car stereo system and home theater system, it was never a great idea to mix and match several brands of speakers. Though this is merely a computer audio system we're talking about, but it's general principle. Try the sub test and get back to us about ALL parts of this speaker system you have.



adamb_135 said:


> ok ill try that, it says on the front "harmon/kardon" does not give any more info anywhere on make and model.


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

i tried it in a boombox and nothing, i looked at the male male audio cord i bought at radioshack and noticed it has a black ring around the metal pin, while i compared it to a pair of headphones i have, the headphone one has 2 green ones, could it be the wrong cord?


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

also some people suggested me a cord for it on another thread, so i went to radioshack and found this one which i thought was the exact same thing for 2 dollars cheaper.


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## smz (Mar 12, 2007)

As far as the rings go. 1 ring is one channel or typically mono, and 2 rings is stereo found on headphones for instance.

Since if this is just a sub and nothing else, I would figure the output on the sound card is mono only so the one ring would be the correct plug.

You still haven't advised us on all the audio speakers connected unless when you said boom box you are trying to use a boom box and a sub? I maybe a little lost at this point.



adamb_135 said:


> also some people suggested me a cord for it on another thread, so i went to radioshack and found this one which i thought was the exact same thing for 2 dollars cheaper.


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

no, "terrister" told me to plug it into a boombox and test it, im using right now a set of "CREATIVE"(thats the company) speakers, and want to use the sub and speakers at the same time. get it now? i have 3 audio ports onboard, i want one to be used for my speakers and the other to be used by my subwoofer.


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

Do you have any empty sockets on the sub. I have seen these speakers that come with the Dells and there should be a sub and two other smaller speakers. I do not think you can just plug in the sub woofer with out the other speakers. 
The cable I told you about in the other thread was a stereo cable with 2 rings. 1 for each audio channel.


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

i think the dell speakers the dell came wth failed after a year or so so we bought new ones, the dell is not mine, it's my parents, i have a custom built PC i built. so what do you suggest i do? i hope it's not broken, and cant imageine why it would be, its brand new never been used, just sat in a closet for 2 years.


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

on the back of the sub theres a satellite out, and do i HAVE to buy a 2 channel audio cord? instead of the single black ring one i have now?


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## smz (Mar 12, 2007)

From the sound of it, this subwoofer wasn't made for the speaker system you are using if in fact it was made to do anything be be an add-on to a system. I have a powered JBL subwoofer that has either has 2 rca's, or speaker inputs. it's been a while since I built the system, but it was for my home theatre and unlike a bose system, is not reliant on any other speaker in the system. Only the amplifier supplying the audio (in your case the sound card) now that I think of it, I have a sub pre-out on my receiver, that is a mono rca cord that goes into the back of the sub.

So under the assumption that nothing is tied together you probably need to run a certain configuration in the audio card configuration that emulates an environment to output sound to the sub even if the audio source wasn't decoded as such.

This sounds sort of like piecing half computer and half home audio speakers together in that case you're looking at doing things in a non standard way and possibly not having optimum sound as if you would with a 2.1 system from Creative, Logitech, Altec Lansing, etc. I am simply going to throw this at you because with the money you are spending on audio cables and perhaps adapters, you might be better off with an inexpensive 2.1 system. Here are a couple recommendations on a brand name computer only speaker system.
Note there are generic 2.1 systems for under $10. I am pointing you to brands known for quality even on an entry level.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=121I-DT&cat=SPK
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=970123-0403-DT&cat=SPK

I am not sure what else we can advise you on?



adamb_135 said:


> on the back of the sub theres a satellite out, and do i HAVE to buy a 2 channel audio cord? instead of the single black ring one i have now?


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## adamb_135 (Feb 17, 2007)

Thanks, not worth 30 dollars for me, just wanted to use this one but i guess ill just have to stick to old fasion speakers thanks for all your help!


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

I think I have the same speakers on my work machine. The sub woofer is not that great. I have already blown the woofer on one set. 
The right hand speaker has volume,bass and treble controls on it. Without it plugged in, no sound comes out of the woofer.


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## smz (Mar 12, 2007)

Looks as if this isn't a major issue for him which is cool. But many people have priorities in different areas. In my case, I need above average sound or it will drive me nuts.



Terrister said:


> I think I have the same speakers on my work machine. The sub woofer is not that great. I have already blown the woofer on one set.
> The right hand speaker has volume,bass and treble controls on it. Without it plugged in, no sound comes out of the woofer.


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