Vostro Headphone Jack Noise Solution

You're so glad, you glided over the fact you got it all wrong: this is not a hardware forum as you thought so there are no "similar reasons".

So, posting a solution for Vista (outside the Windows forum, but still In Topic) is helpful, it's not propagating anything.
Posting a solution for Linux (ouside the Linux forum, but still In Topic) is pretty much useless and is "propagating the OS".

Fascinating.

And still you don't get it.
Repeating the same flawed reasoning over and over won't make it right.
If your mental stiffness is such that you can't see that this is a DELL specific issue, that's your problem. You're probably so well accustomed to 'boxed' reasoning that you can't see why a post with the word "Linux" in it can be posted and be IT outside the forum with the word "Linux" in it.
Try to see how many posts in this very forum refer to windows, despite there be a specific forum for windows issues. Are they 'off topic' too?

Thank you for stating your intolerance with respect to minorities. That pretty much qualifies you.
Following your line of reasoning, we should all cut fundings to medical research for rare illnesses, because they'd be pretty much useless to most everyone.
And let's also forbid to write, in illness A medical reviews, that the drug used to cure illness B can be used to avoid surgery for the same problem: that would mean spamming that particular drug.

Good for you.
I hope you appreciate the fact that nobody is telling you to post this in the Accessories forum.

 

What is pretty stupid is not being able to realize that if the problem can be solved in software under Linux, then it could probably be solved in software under Windows.

Now try to focus to make the connection.

 

have anyone had any success of fixing it by sending it back to dell?

 

That's your opinion. I have mine and I have a right to object to it.

I haven't read anything concerning a Vista solution to all this. Do you have one? Then post it here. You'll be doing 95% of the users who have this problem a favor. Otherwise it's all useless, as far as I'm concerned.

We're just not going to see eye to eye on this, pal. This isn't a Linux forum. You know it and I know it. Had I not objected, the next 10+ posts would have been endless Linux information and more .jpgs that wouldn't have done the majority of users out there any good.

Oh I see it fully, but if you can't respect forum decorum, then I will speak out about it.

And I said before, I never believed Linux couldn't be mentioned in this thread, but post link to the Linux forum for it. Is that so difficult?

If you're so high and mighty about a Linux solution to all this, then why don't you start a thread over there concerning the issue and link it over here? Or are you afraid people won't see it? That there's not much traffic over there.

Now I can believe that as an excuse.

Not when 95% of the users out there use it, but once again the discussion was geared towards hardware solutions that that Dell has managed to ignore or blow off. I'm certainly not going to hold my breath waiting for a BIOS or driver solution from them, I can tell you that. That's a non-solution.

Oh please. We're talking about operating systems here, not affirmative action.

There was only one post that mentioned that dongle, and it was largely ignored (or not responded to) because I believe many out there would be too cheap to spend an additional $10 on a solution that works.

Or maybe some other people are in a box that if the answer is too simple, then they'll ignore it because the problem has to be complicated and take days and days to solve. I've found that to be the case with many geeks I've run into out there. They'll get so lost in the problem they'll say;

"That can't work! That's too simple a solution. It has to be difficult!"

I know I'm being a little snide & philosophical here, but some people just can't believe an answer that stares them in the face.

Well I for one am willing to listen to something that's workable, even if it means I may have to spend some extra money on it. Within reason, of course...

That's where I'm coming from. You don't agree with that? Oh well...

_

 

Well if that's the case, then what's the answer?

What? You don't have one?

The Vostro was released, when...?

 

Vista is shipped with most (if not all) of the new models and the majority of people who bought them are running it. Therefore posting a Vista solution in the regular Dell forum is fully justified and would potentially help heaps of people out.

It would be far more useful to either create a dedicated thread for the Linux solution (Linux or main Dell forum, doesn't matter) or to prefix all linux-oriented posts with "This only works under linux". Otherwise the solution is just noise that most people don't want to read nor can benefit from.

Anyway I suggest we just get back on topic and try to find a Windows-oriented fix. Perhaps there are some extra settings that can be unlocked for the sound card?

 

so what's the software solution for vostro1500...

 

omg just tested the headphone jack with some cheap sony earbuds and the noise is horrible!! its worst than something taped with a portable casette recorder!!

 

This worked for me.
It seems that the two jacks are associated with different gain controls. In fact, the volume is way too high when I plug the headphones in the headphones jack: I could use only the lower portion of the volume slider to get a non-deafening level.
Using the line-in jack I get a more sensible volume curve, albeit maybe with too much attenuation. At comparable levels I don't get the background noise, and that suffices me.

Thank you for the hints.

(I was not able to get the same sliders and switches as yours, though. Mysteries of the configuration )

 

funny, two out of seven headphones i have tested have high noise.. the others doesn't (i still have a little interference but its the cpu whine)

those two work perfectly in digital portable audio

 

The answer for the particular solution I found is that the closed source drivers included with Windows are not as flexible as those included with Linux. Maybe some programmer could come up with a hack.
But the point is that this sort of problem could also be "solved" in software by switching the headphones to the line-in jack. Probably because the two lines have different gain, and the line out smaller gain act the same way as the couple of resistors in the hardware "solution".

Now, let's try to recap: this is a forum about DELL issues. There is a post about a hardware solution to a dell issue (again: thanks to the OP). There is a reply pointing out a software solution to that issue. Since it was the third post of this sort in all the fora, it was said to be a post from a troll who wouldn't answer to further request of information. Doh, she answered and actually solved the problem for (at least) two linux users.

Someone said that the software solution should not be posted and/or discussed here because it did not apply to their system. In reply, someone else pointed out that knowing that there existed a software solution for one OS could be useful for the research of a software solution for another OS. At that point this has suddenly become a hardware only forum, but only if the software is not theirs. Then no, it's just that the alternative OS people are spamming, even worse: they're probably showing off!
Maybe they smoke pot or eat babies, who knows...

And now, the mainstream OS guy pretends a solution for his system, as if it was owed to him.

Too many mutatio controversiae for one thread.
But thanks for reminding me of my youth in the kindergarten.

 

software solutions, either Linux or windows are greatly appreciated...
The vista tip with using the microphone in as an output is great....

 

How do I enable the Mic/Line in as an output in Vista? As far as I've read this topic this is only possible with Linux and Kmix?

 

well if you have the correct audio driver installed, when you insert a jack into the line-in plug a little fenster pops up asking you what setting you want to use for the plug.
i.e. Line-in, mic-in ... and apparently you can also configure it as a headphone-out plug but with noticably less volume than the out-plug. Hence less distortion...

 

With ref to MrBigglesworth's method, I fixed the noise!(digital morse code, crackle sound), without a complete dismantle of my brand new Vostro 1500.

Yes, noise is being picked up by the base and also the metal shielding that covers the the underside of the lid, thats how this method worked for MrBigglesworth & myself, a small flap that touches the headphone jack socket from the lid:

I tried unscrewing that case screw several turns, the one just below the headphone jack socket, and when I pressed up on that screw the noise did go away. I then followed the rest of MrBigglesworth's instructions and lifted the lid a bit (10-15mm) and bent the small metal flap just above the headphone jack socket up 8-10mm with a small electrical screw driver with tape wrapped around it's shaft as to not damage the case lid, and it solved the problem completely. many thanks MrBigglesworth

This might not work for everyone but it worked perfectly for me. My headphone jack is not picking up any interference (digital morse code, crackles) noise anymore.

-JonnyReDHeD