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Question

Earphones and speakers are reversed?

Feb 24, 2016 2:51PM PST

This started the other day, where I'd plug my earphones into my Windows 7 headphone jack and find that no sound was coming out. I tried pulling it out and plugging it back in and notice sound comes out when it isn't plugged in all the way. Though, this causes it to be very easily disconnected. Another issue is a part of the times that I try (due to some random condition I haven't been bale to nail down), it simultaneously will play sound between the earphones and my speaker.

When I have it plugged in all the way, no sound comes out and it says in Playback devices that I have my speakers in. But, while I can clearly see a song is being played on my supposed "Speakers", nothing is happening whatsoever. My speculation was that my jack is damaged, but I got it to work a couple times through messing with playback devices and turning things on and off. Did a lot of enabling and disabling. It doesn't last though.
I tried uninstalling (Realtek High Definition Audio) drivers from the computer and re-installing them. No dough. Same results. Another thing I noticed is that both my Speakers and my Headphones are labeled under Realktek High Definition Audio, but no do not behave the same way. I'm on a Windows 7. Let me know if I missed any important information and I can include it.

Windows 7 64-Bit, HP-Pavillion, System model BK173AAR-ABA HPE-240f

Let me know if I have to include any other information. Would appreciate the assistance.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Most will not have that repaired. Too costly.
Feb 24, 2016 3:05PM PST
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I need to get it repaired to fix it?
Feb 24, 2016 3:14PM PST

I read about USB Sound Cards. People say the quality gets butchered more on the cheaper ones. I'm not some sound geek, but I usually like good quality and not medium quality. You really think my jack might be messed up? If so, how would one go about repairing that? If I couldn't do it, how costly would it be around to fix my jack?

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It's a common failure.
Feb 24, 2016 3:22PM PST

To fix it you replace the board the jack is on. For those that think it's software a factory restore will fix that.

I can't know what country or the board and labor price is but here it's 150USD for the shop and then 200 for the usual mainboard. You can see why most just get the dongle.

As to sound quality? 2 bucks is mentioned at this article.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html

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My jack is very bipolar.
Feb 24, 2016 4:07PM PST

While doing my own thing and not even touching it, I noticed that it fixed itself. I couldn't hear anything as I was sitting there with it only partially plugged in like I mentioned in the original post. I decided to push it in all the way to see what would happen and it began working (though noise came out of my speakers as well). And then after five minutes, it again went back to not working until I partially pulled it out. It's extremely random and I'm not sure why. One thing that's for sure is that it's possible to get it working by plugging it in all the way, but I honestly might just fork up $6 for that sound card because it will guarantee consistency. Thank you.

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Parting thought.
Feb 24, 2016 4:23PM PST

Most folk want it fixed. Some get upset when offered something to try. Given you own a PC you should own canned air (here I prescribe this once an month on the vents.)

When the power is off and the headphone unplugged give the jack a puff of air. Do not put the straw into the jack. Good luck.

Post was last edited on February 25, 2016 1:51 PM PST

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I tried, but nothing.
Feb 25, 2016 12:58PM PST

Instead, I noticed a new issue. I have absolutely EVERYTHING muted, but sound is still coming from my monitor? How is this even possible? Google had nothing for me. So so far my problems are:

1. The jack is very dysfunctional and behaves differently at random times
2. My monitor will play sound unconditionally. The only solutions are for nothing to be playing or for my monitor to be turned off.

I think I may have a grander issue here than I thought.

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Ahh, so here we don waterwings and go to the deep end
Feb 25, 2016 1:07PM PST

The current system works like this.

If the external is on HDMI then sound can be sent over HDMI.

The jack MAY OR MAY NOT SIGNAL THE OS to change the audio out to the jack. This is one of those areas I saw broken years ago OR when someone installs Windows without a guide by the machine's maker.

Head to the CONTROL PANEL and find where you select the audio output. Change to what you want to have the output go to.

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The conditions continue to waver.
Feb 25, 2016 1:23PM PST

It isn't plugged in by HDMI. It's plugged in through the back audio jacks.

Also, some more interesting thoughts after I took your advice. I went into the control panel and messed with sound and also my Realtek Audio Manager. Based on my Realtek Audio Manager, it believes I have something plugged into the audio jack when nothing is plugged in. It believes I have unplugged something from the audio jack when I plug the earphones in.

- The earphones when plugged in cause no sound from any source to be played.
- The earphones when plugged in half way cause for sound to be played from both the monitor and the earphones, shared.
- Nothing plugged in causes only the monitor to play sound.

These conditions are nearly definite, without the volume mixer mattering unless I take the volume controls on the Headphones option to 0. Muting does not work. Occasionally, the monitor will cease to play sound until I plug in my earpieces and remove them again, triggering it to go back to the state of playing noise indefinitely,

I'm unable to change my output, unless I'm not seeing where to go.

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Try the canned air puff
Feb 25, 2016 1:52PM PST

And given all the variables of some folk that change drivers or registry clean I continue to use USB sound cards as the cheap fix if the owner doesn't have the time for a factory restore.

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If this is the same earphone that works ok...
Feb 25, 2016 2:29PM PST

before but now it's erratic. It's obvious to me the jack is broken. If this is a desktop, I would just go and get another audio care (fast, simple, and inexpensive.