Q: No headphones out option in sound panel. User solution or hardware repair?

I'm no longer able to use my headphones out jack for connecting my 2012 iMac to the input of an Onkyo receiver driving 2 external speakers. Of course I'm also unable to use the jack for headphone listening. The soundboard panel remains "stuck" on internal speakers.

I'm wondering if the problem is clearly related to hardware. (I don't have the problem on a 2013 Mac Air 11", which has Sound Flower in the Sound Panel.}

If the problem is hardware, I'm wondering if there's a workaround for the receiver connection (I don't use headphones). If not, it looks like I'll need to schedule a trip to Milwaukee.for installation of a new jack (hope it's not as fragile as the one that came with the iMac.)

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), Fusion, max speed and storage.

Posted on Jan 11, 2015 8:16 PM

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Q: No headphones out option in sound panel. User solution or hardware repair?

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by brenden dv,

brenden dv Jan 13, 2015 8:36 AM in response to samuelfromkenosha
Community Specialists

Jan 13, 2015 8:36 AM in response to samuelfromkenosha

Hi samuelfromkenosha,

I'm sorry to hear you are having this issue with your iMac. Before you take it in for a hardware evaluation, you may want to try some of the steps outlined in the following article for a similar, though opposite, issue (no audio through internal speakers, stuck on line-out):

Troubleshooting issues with no audio from built-in speakers on Macs - Apple Support

Regards,
- Brenden
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by LowLuster,

LowLuster Jan 13, 2015 8:48 AM in response to samuelfromkenosha
Level 6 (12,074 points)

Jan 13, 2015 8:48 AM in response to samuelfromkenosha

Yes it is more than likely a hardware problem and the only way to fix it is to replace the logic board, the main system board, as all components are soldered to that board and can not be replaced individually.
This is very expensive if you are out of warranty.
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by samuelfromkenosha,

samuelfromkenosha Jan 15, 2015 10:32 AM in response to LowLuster
Level 1 (0 points)

Mac OS X

Jan 15, 2015 10:32 AM in response to LowLuster

Thanks. Since I was using a heavier cable than the one with most headphones, it may have been just enough to place excessive pressure on the board. All I get now is the indicator for Internal Speaker,s not the Headphones Out indicator. So it appears the headphones out jack will be a non-factor until I've got a few hundred to spend.

I'm now curious to know whether a USB jack could be used for Audio Out--perhaps with help from some external software.
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by LowLuster,

LowLuster Jan 15, 2015 2:14 PM in response to samuelfromkenosha
Level 6 (12,074 points)

Jan 15, 2015 2:14 PM in response to samuelfromkenosha

Yes with both external hardware, some type of USB audio device, and the accompanying software.
Google USB audio device.
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Q: No headphones out option in sound panel. User solution or hardware repair?

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by brenden dv,

by LowLuster,

by samuelfromkenosha,

by LowLuster,

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