Can't get the external speakers to work!!! PLEASE HELP!

The external speakers attached to my Macbook Pro (plugged into the headphone jack) aren't working...the output is set properly and the mute is not checked off - it worked last night and then this morning suddenly it didn't - what do I do?? I can still hear the sound faintly from the speakers but I cannot control the volume from the speakers and it is very quiet. Sooo frustrated!!!

MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 11, 2011 12:55 PM

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5 replies

Sep 12, 2011 3:56 AM in response to AussieDJ

I have tried this - In the Audio Midi Setup: I have a surround sound system plugged in (there are 5 speakers total) and only 2 of them are showing up and it won't give me the option of switching to surround sound.

And then in the System Preferences it shows that the sound is going to come out of headphones (because that's where the speakers are plugged in...) This is sooo frustrating!!!!

Sep 12, 2011 6:58 AM in response to Stephanie015

Because your speakers need a 5.1-channel surround-sound signal input, they can't use a standard 2-channel analog stereo headphone plug to connect to the signal's source. I assume therefore that they must have a mini-TOSLink plug, which carries a 5.1-channel optical digital signal. When such a plug is connected to the MacBook Pro's headphone port, the volume coming from the speakers is not controlled by the computer — it's controlled by the amplifier that powers the speakers (and that amplifier is usually built into the subwoofer of the speaker system). So find the volume control knob or buttons for the speakers and you should be able to get a louder output from them — and presumably from all of them.


If in doubt, consult the instructions for the speaker system.

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Can't get the external speakers to work!!! PLEASE HELP!

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