no sound + red light in headphone jack

Sounds to me like the output has been set to be digital and not analog. My Macbook is at the repair shop getting cracked casing replaced so I can't test my theory, but if you go into your sound preferences or into your "audio midi settings" in your Utilities folder you might be able to change it back to analog. The red light you see is an optical digital audio signal. Good Luck.

I don't mean to Hijack, but this **** board won't let me post a new topic!

I have NO audio what-so-ever, BUT no Red light... Headphones don't work, sound on sites don't work, but what's MORE odd, is that when I hit play in iTunes, the progress bar doesn't even move, it's as if the song is missing, but it isn't.

A little toggle has gotten stuck, and your MacBook thinks you have an optical digital sound device connected. To fix it, simple, use a toothpick, slide it in and out a few times, if that doesn't work, try optical sound cable, and then analog headphones.

Not sure if this information will help, but I had the problem of no sound through headphones but could hear sound through the built-in speakers with the headphones unplugged (only just, as I have a Mac Mini and the speakers aren't wonderful). I tried the suggestion of running Audio Midi Setup.app in Utilities. Selected Audio Devices, plugged in the headphones and under Audio Output found that Mute had been selected! I don't recall doing that, but I de-selected Mute and now all is well. Incidentally, the last app I was running was iTunes also. Coincidence?
Brian2008

I have the same problem no sound but no red light. I was in garage band and plugged in keyboard to record a track and lost all the sound. have same look in the volume symbol (grey with "no" symbol below) and system profiler say there is no built in audio. I also have no input

What I did was a bit "home made" I just put in a wood skewer - something smaller then a headphone connector, put it in the headphone jack and move it around, and lightly press on and around the red light and played with my volume keys at the same time. You could also slowly put in your headphone connecter and once you hear sound just move it in and out playing with the volume keys. Something's bound to work because it worked for me. I'm sure if you talk to Apple Care they'll make you replace a load of technical specs. Wish I had more of a A-B-C- help guide but that's honestly all I did.

i have same problem, but when i connect my headphones, music starts to sound on the blackbook speakers!!!! so should i unplug the earphones and play arround with a stick in the earphone hole? until i turn it off?
thnx guys

I have this same problem except I do have the red light SOMETIMES
and I know that the internal speakers work because I heard them when I restart
When I go into "sound" it acts like I only have an external output option
and that my internal speakers setting does not exist at all
is there a way to reset the settings in "sound"

PS I tried the toothpick thing and it didn't work for me, I also have no circle with a line through it. Just a grayed out slider and circle indicator
😟

I thought this was rather ridiculous...but I decided that I might as well share my experience with fixing this issue.

My Problem:

-Sound came through the headphones correctly
-No sound when headphones not connected - during which time there was a red light glowing from the port.
-attempting volume changes gave me the no-you-can't death circle

I had already turned the computer off hours before - due to frustration...so this time i just closed it and walked away.

Viola

I've just started having the exact same problem you described in your post. The red light was on at first, but now it's not, but still no internal speakers. Headphones work fine. Were you able to solve this issue?

I don't think it's the switch inside the headphone port, because the sound preference pane changes from headphones to digital out when I pull the plug.

Thanks for any insights,
Christopher

This isn't a good reply! We want to hear music and sounds or we need!

There's something suspect with the file +Mac HD/Library/Preferences/com.audio.DeviceSettings.plist+. I removed it to my Time Capsule (my Mac won't search it) and I restarted my MacBook. There was no boot sound! After, Mac OS X created a new file. I have both versions but they're not the same. And the problem persists…

Can someone check the differences by recreating the scenario?

Same problem:

- with headphones audio works
- without headphones, no sound, red light in headphone jack and "no" sign on volume indicator, system preferences says audio output is 'digital out'

The problem began after I disconnected my audio headphones (Nokia WH-700 headset with adapter) while listening to music on youtube. I think I closed my laptop lid pretty soon after that.

Any ideas? Have my audio speakers self-destructed or what?

Wiggle a moment in all turns. It will most work. But the problems repeats sometimes…