*M17xR3/R4 & M18xR1/R2* Internal Speakers not working after using Optical/external audio out

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(6/8/2011) NOTE FROM BB -

This appears to be a motherboard issue with both the M17xR3 and the M18x. Please review the thread and be sure to post any info you have. If you contact support, let us know what the response is.

Thx.
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(3/1/2012) NOTE from Mr. Fox -

Growing evidence from reported user experience is that the S/PDIF (TOSLINK) adapter provided with the M17x R3 and M18x is not exactly the correct dimensions and it is causing the trigger pin to jamb in the S/PDIF port. This pin being jammed may necessitate motherboard replacement. Using ordinary headphones does not appear to jamb the trigger pin. It is recommended that you not attempt to use the adapter provided with your Alienware laptop.
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Anyone else find the onboard speakers dont work after using the SPDIF port? For some reason the IDT Control Panel thinks headphones are plugged in even after removing the SPDIF connection and I can only restore the onboard speakers by reconfiguring the port in it.
Is there a solution to this? Or is this another idiot design like Apples which gets stuck thinking something is plugged in when it isnt?

 

Tried the new 6330 drivers?

Drivers and Downloads

 

There is an issue with certain motherboards, I just had mine replaced for the same thing.

The audio jacks seem to be faulty, not sure how many people have attempted to use headphones.

If you roll back to A00 drivers R289922 and launch idtcpl64.cpl you can force the speakers as output.

They are really just badly designed jacks

 

This is the exact reason why I havent touched the new drivers as theres no way to force the speakers back otherwise! Sounds like i'll have to get Dell out to replace the board then! Wonder how common it is though - if this is a common problem then surely this should be stickied in a common issues thread or similar.

 

You can upgrade drivers just backup idtcpl64.cpl somewhere. You can launch it from your desktop if you would like

When you upgrade it overwrites the cpl's as long as you backup that ONE, upgrade!

Not many people use headsets and unfortunately I believe it was a lot more common with the launch units than now.

 

Yesterday I setup my M17xR3 to my TV using HDMI and Optical audio(through the little converter that came with the laptop.) I had to set SPDIF as default audio so all sound would come through. Now I have unplugged my laptop from the HDMI and optical cable, removed the little converter thing and set the normal audio as the default audio. However, now I have no audio coming out of my speakers. All 3 of the headphone jacks work fine. I have disabled the SPDIF option just in case but it still doesn't want to work.

 

Dunno, but maybe you might try raising the volume bar up a bit, and then clicking on that bar thingy so that it "pings". That restores the sound when I have issues with the HDMI-Input. The sound goes away after 24seconds, but that's another story for another day Try it and let us know if that gives you sound.

 

Issue is back, AGAIN.

I think their Optical Cable adapter thing is causing the issue. When you push it in it stops halfway in and then you push it slightly more harder to get it to go in all the way and when it's removed it still thinks it is plugged in. I believe this is a faulty design. Second motherboard this has happened to.

 

They flawed this from the factory. You can plug standard 3.5mm headphones into the optical port and get audio...I don't know how, but someone screwed up somewhere.

 

Molten - board will need to be replaced...Finally more and more people are actually using it so we are finding out now that the design is flawed.

Check this thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...rt-disables-onboard-speakers.html#post7545870

 

I think I figured out why it's acting so funky, unfortunately no resolution.

Each headphone jack allows 2 speakers,

2 fronts, 2 rears, 1 center + 1 sub

the spdif port acts as optical as well as a c/s channel but the damn grounding ring just won't reset itself...

 

Whaaat? My laptop is a month old! Good one Dell. Gonna try the software fix.

 

Ironically that stopped working for me, for no reason...Such a stupid little problem, other than this I am 100% happy with this.

 

hmmm... That's worrying.

 

Really sucks because I prefer to use optical for my Astro A40 headset =/

 

Well this might sound pretty darn stupid, BUT

ThinkGeek :: foxL v2 Bluetooth Soundbar

That device will kill 2 birds with one stone, I am unhappy with the audio quality of the speakers onboard anyway, it's portable, 8watt speakers, I assume 4watts/ea ?

.1% THD! Price point sucks but hey, if it works, I'm happy.


EDIT:

http://www.soundmatters.com/foxl/technology.html

I'll be making a new thread since this is going to go way offtopic, but holy crap! 97dB!?

 

The speakers on my M17xR3 just stopped working. Not sure what's going on. Any suggestions?

 

Did you happen to use any of the audio jacks?

 

Yup. I had my headphones plugged in before.

*Now after unplugging and plugging my headphones in and out they work.

?

 

That kind of thing happens its not uncommon. There's some complicated electrical explanation for it but in layman's terms it just simply "didn't realize your headphones were unplugged".

 

Actually it's becoming known as a defect. I talked to Alienware today and it's a known issue and they have NO solution for it right now other than continuously board swapping people out.

The audio jacks are manufactured poorly and have a grounding ring pin. When you plug the cable in the jack's pin gets stuck.

Alienware says IDT is working on a driver update to resolve this issue but that is not possible as this is a defect in the hardware, not software or drivers.

I have had my board swapped out a total of two times now because of this issue (tomorrow will be the second time).

@OP Your issue will get worse as time goes on and eventually like my last board the slightest bump and your machine will start randomly detecting plugging/unplugging.

 

just dandy...... how is it that Dell is selling these laptops with blatant impunity .....when it is positively riddled with issues..... sheesh...and i just "accepted" their solution to "upgrade" me to the 6970 because of all the grief the 460M (which i wanted...lower pwr.profile+ NVIDIA ) put me through...and now i find out the audio jacks have these issues.

 

Look at the SXPS 16 line and you will see that they continued manufacturing poorly designed machines for a while.

 

I'm sure the problem is real, but I have been using my headphone jacks for both actual headphones and as a source to feed my integrated amp since day 1 and have had no issues.

I would not worry needlessly.

 

Well, if it is a known issue that doesn't sound too good. For what its worth though, my R3 doesn't have the issue so its feasible you'll eventually stumble upon a board that doesn't have the problem good luck!

 

Heh, we will see....hopefully

 

So I plugged headphones into my M18x, the IDT control panel popped up a window, I selected headphones (had choice of that or speakers) and had sound from my headphones, great right? Problem is ever since I did that I have not been able to get sound out of the laptop speakers......I would expect if something is playing and I have headphones in, unplugging them should send sound to laptop speakers....or if nothing was ever plugged sound should go to laptop speakers!

I have tried re-installing the IDT driver and the problem persists. Nothing I tried in Control Panel>Sound or the IDT control panel has solved this. Has anyone else had this happen and if so how was it fixed? This is thoroughly annoying me....

Thanks!

 

I can confirm I don't have that issue. I don't have that X-Fi MB software either. Haven't changed any settings either. I can post a screenshot of my sound control panel if you want.

 

I also do not have x-fi

I just want to use my laptop speakers lol

I am certain that I did not miss a cable or something....they had stopped working before I did the re-pasting

Any screenshots you can provide would help, thanks!

 

With regard to this issue, should I try to avoid using headphones as much as possible? Or do I have nothing to worry about?

 

here ya go

 

Those match mine

 

what about windows sound drivers?

 

Just verified for sure and the speakers ARE plugged in properly

Also made sure HD Audio was enabled in the BIOS

 

I'm not an M18x owner, but I would like to help. I don't know if you think it's worth trying but, I would like to suggest that you plug in the headphones that you used. Then set the default as the speakers of the laptop. I've had this problem before but on a different laptop, and this was my solution.

 

I have no way to specifically select the laptop speakers as my output

Trying the windows driver now but not hopeful.

 

I have also had the same problem on my MX18 scook, i find that if I plug the head phones in and remove them again it will sometimes help or I need to reboot. It is like the comp still thinks the headphones are attached after you take them out

 

Well I have made a little progress, with the windows driver there are 2 sets of speakers showing in Playback devices, one makes sound, other does not. The default was on the silent one. Just set it to the one making sound. Will try loading the IDT driver now and seeing if it behaves. Sounds like the IDT driver definitely needs some work.....like a way to switch your dam outputs! (Something realtek has always done well with in my experience)

 

Installing IDT driver sent me right back to same problem.....

Using Windows driver though:
-Output closest to front of laptop properly switches from laptop speakers to whatever is plugged in
-SPDIF still works when set as default device
-Output 2nd closest to front of laptops cuts off laptop speakers but does not get any signal from laptop (at least not to my headphones.....)

I really do not understand why they did not just stick to the layout that my M17x R1 had which made 110% sense and was very logical and simple

So while not a perfect solution, I am happy for now

 

Scook can you post exactly what you did bro, i think there is going to be alot of us having this issue, and maybe this can get added to the mx18 problems thread.

 

I am personally going to avoid it, for now.

 

I've never used the headphone jack in my R2 or M18x.

Bluetooth anyone?

 

This issue has me worried, and I was thinking that a bluetooth headset would be nice anyway (less wires the better with a laptop, in my opinion). Sounds like I need to look for some recommendations.

 

To cause it or fix it? I am a lot more certain of the fix haha

 

I had this issue as well and found that uninstalling the IDT driver and audio software (a suboptimal solution) and using the windows default driver allows me to plug and unplug headphones without losing my internal speakers. Seems like a driver issue to me, but definitely a PITA that the audio software doesn't work like it should.

 

But I have been using my headphones hear n there, and doesn't seem to give me any issues.

 

Try Right clicking the sound option, then clicking playbaclk devices. Once the menu pops up, right click in the output list, and click "Show Disabled Devices" That might pop up something useful. I found it yesterday when my uDac2 got mixed up when I was playing around.

I'm thinking it may help since the option was probably disabled when you enabled the headphones, and thats why you may not see it. Hopefully it works

Edit: Didn't even see a page two Came to this thread through your sig

 

Already was showing disabled devices. I am 100% confident it is a poorly designed driver causing the issue

Realtek drivers give an easy way to say what output gets used - IDT does not do this at all let alone make it easy

 

I will try the M17x R3 driver maybe. Same audio chipset but 5/25 date (4/20 for the M18x one)

Drivers and Downloads

 

I forgot about that, it worked for me temporarily... It could be a mix of driver + hardware issues still.