No Sound from External Speakers

[schwine2]

The other day I stopped receiving sound from my external speakers that are connected to my computer (G5 PPC 10.4.11).

I only changed one thing yesterday. I unplugged the external speakers from a power bar and plugged it into a wall outlet. That's it. And now there's no sound from the external speakers. So I plugged the speaker's power cord back into the power bar the way it was before, but there is still no sound.

The input level in the Sound window "visually" illustrates an audio signal when connected to the soundflower (2ch) input.

After going through Apple's diagnostic checks for no system sound, I have found that my external speakers are not specifically listed in System Profiler. Under Audio (built in) there are two options listed but nothing about the external speakers.

The external speakers are a basic plug and play device. I have refreshed the System Profiler window but the refresh still doesn't acknowledge the presence of the external speakers.

I've also looked at more basic things like making sure the mute button is not checked in the Sound window, and ensuring that the external speakers are connected to the computer.

Maybe my focus should be on trying to get the System Profiler to acknowledge the external speakers. From what I can tell, the System Profiler automatically registers a new device when it gets connected to the computer.

Thanks for any tips on how I might restore sound to the external speakers.

[Anonymous Freak]

Originally Posted by schwine2

The other day I stopped receiving sound from my external speakers that are connected to my computer (G5 PPC 10.4.11).

I only changed one thing yesterday. I unplugged the external speakers from a power bar and plugged it into a wall outlet. That's it. And now there's no sound from the external speakers. So I plugged the speaker's power cord back into the power bar the way it was before, but there is still no sound.

The input level in the Sound window "visually" illustrates an audio signal when connected to the soundflower (2ch) input.

After going through Apple's diagnostic checks for no system sound, I have found that my external speakers are not specifically listed in System Profiler. Under Audio (built in) there are two options listed but nothing about the external speakers.

The external speakers are a basic plug and play device. I have refreshed the System Profiler window but the refresh still doesn't acknowledge the presence of the external speakers.

I've also looked at more basic things like making sure the mute button is not checked in the Sound window, and ensuring that the external speakers are connected to the computer.

Maybe my focus should be on trying to get the System Profiler to acknowledge the external speakers. From what I can tell, the System Profiler automatically registers a new device when it gets connected to the computer.

Thanks for any tips on how I might restore sound to the external speakers.

How do the external speakers connect?

If they're just plain "headphone jack", then they won't appear. Make sure that headphones work fine, if not, then you have a deeper problem.

If they're optical, make sure the optical port has its little red light shining, and make sure that your optical cable doesn't have a kink in it anywhere. (Optical cables are *VERY* sensitive to bending.)

If they're USB, then yeah; they should appear in System Profiler. Try another USB port, try another USB cable, try another computer if you can.

[schwine2]

Re: How do the external speakers connect?

With a headphone jack connection.

Re: Make sure that headphones work fine, if not, then you have a deeper problem.

No sound is coming through the headphones input from the external speakers or from the headphones input on the front of the G5 computer.

But again, the audio signal in the Sound window "visually" illustrates an audio signal when connected to the soundflower (2ch) input.

I tend to think that an audio setting needs to be adjusted somewhere since the speakers worked fine yesterday.

[Auszero]

Do you see red light coming from inside the audio out?

Sometimes the optical audio out is triggered and disables the analog audio.

[schwine2]

Yes, a red light is coming from the optical audio out (which I've never used).

In another Mac forum where they talk about this problem, they say that the optical out
is stuck in the on position. They tried and failed to solve the problem on that
forum thread by sticking things into the optical out like a toothpick and pen cap.

Now I'm looking for other ways to turn off the optical out. Any suggestions?

[Anonymous Freak]

I can give you a more detailed answer when I get home from work; sadly I don't have a Mac in front of me at work, so I can't walk through it.

Basically, go into the Sound control panel, and change the sound output device, then change it back to speakers.

If you unplug the speakers, do you get sound through the internal speaker? If you plug in a set of headphones directly into the Mac, do you get sound? (i.e. don't plug in to the speakers' headphone plug, plug directly in to the Mac.)

As to the 'sound meter', it's just showing what *SHOULD* be output. It might still show that even if you're muted.

[schwine2]

Thanks, ehurtley.
I've got the external speakers working now.
A couple of follow up points, though.

The red light in the optical audio out is still steadily turned on. In the Output section of the Sound window, the external speakers will only work with either the Line Out - Built In Audio Port, or the
Digital Out - Optical Digital Out Port. Note that the external speakers are connected to the back of the computer with an analog headphone jack connection. Before this problem happened, the external speakers
would only play through the Soundflower (ch2) output option. Now it still doesn't play through Soundflower. In the Input section of the Sound window, the Input Level is no longer visuallly illustrated with any input option.

I'm not sure how important those observations are, but for now the external speakers work.