2 Audio Jacks but single connector on speaker

On my HP DV5-1015TX I notice that there are 2 audio out jacks in the front.
However my speakers have only connector that I plug into either one of these. This works but I am am wondering if there would be any loss of audio quality when used this way (maybe surrond sound or something)? OR is the second audio-out an extra connection to say headphones?

 

Look in your realtek config, or whatever utility is avaliable. I am not familiar with the DV5 per say but did have a HP Pavillion that had programmable ports. It could also be a digital audio out like on my current laptop.

For stereo sound your only going to be using the one port.

 

Oh.
Sorry am a little confused, are you saying both output ports are separate from each other? i.e. can be connected to different audio devices (speakers and headphones) at the same time?

 

On my current unit (The HP Pavillion desktop had 6 total outputs 3 front 3 back all programmable).

My current ASUS Laptop has three ports on it, One is the Mic, One is The Speaker Out and the other is the S/PDIF Digital Audio Jack. If yours is the same then only one is for your headphones and speakers. If yours is programmable then it would give way to setting up 4 speakers.

You where worried about sound quality, plug it into the jack that causes sound to come out of them, your good to go.

 

Thanks for the info.
Yes mine does have 3 ports in the front. 1 for mic and 2 audio-out's.

However I get sound from either one I plug into. Maybe one is S/PDIF as you mentioned, will try disabling them one by one and see what happens.

 

Thats actually interesting. One could be line out and then one speaker out. In this case the Line out is usually not amplified and has a flat equalization. This is optimal for something about to go through a stereo system which has its own amplifier and equalizer.

If you cant find any settings specific to each port, try playing some music with the equalizer set to something for rock or hip hop or jazz anything to make it sound better. Then see if one sounds flat and the other sounds better.

 

Thanks for the info.

BTW could any other DV5T owners check or share some info regarding this?

 

Going through the description here http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01491628.pdf
I think these are left and right audio? Could someone who knows this stereo stuff please confirm?
TIA

 

You're right and you only use one jack. On my 1 year old DV9774 I have 3 jacks/ports, one for mic and two for headphones. There is one headphone icon printed between the two right hand side ports, and I can use either one for my headphones.

Reading your manual from your link you do not have S/PDIF, you have a HDMI port, same as me, the "digital" audio goes via the HDMI to compatible stereo (needs HDMI) if you want to get any surreound from movies, then to TV from stereo. I just go direct from laptop to TV (2 speakers, stereo only), can't be bothered with a new stereo with HDMI to play surround!

You have to go to Realteks panel to manually set the digital output as default, before starting to play a movie or show via the HDMI cable....then back again to use laptop speakers. (If anyone has ever figured out a way to get this do work automatic, please advise.)

And the way I decipher the two headphone jacks in that manual is you use either one for one headphone or to a stereo (2 channel), etc. Its not one port for left and one for right channel.


Maybe this helps?

 

it's just so two headphones can be plugged in to say watch a movie together instead of sharing one headphone

 

Thanks for the info.

Mine too has the same 2 ports with a headphone pic in between them.
And both ports carry sound (connected speakers and headphones together and was able to hear both).
Will try checking the quality of each sometime soon (sounds ok to me so far )

 

There are 3 different audio output jacks possible.

1. line level
2. headphone
3. digital

All 3 as a standard use 1/8" jacks, and should be labelled as to what they are.

If you see a headphone symbol, this is for the headphone jack, and is different from the others in that it has amplification on the signal. If you see an "arrow coming out" symbol desktop motherboards and cards, this refers to line out, and will be just non-amplified signal, which is designed to go into a stereo input, or speaker input. The difference is minimal, and I have run headphone rated jacks into stereo's many times, just know what the differences are and you will be able to make the best choice. For the record I don't know of any current HP laptops with line out jacks, they should all be headphone jacks and you can use either one.

The digital out jack does not produce any usable analog signal, and it is usually disabled by default. Only digital signal, and only functional going specifically into a digital input on a higher grade receiver.

As far as the microphone jack, it should be labeled appropriately, and will be a 2 conductor, non-stereo input, so recording stereo into it will give poor results.

EDIT - to have a functional mono signal you must have 2 conductors (+ & -). To have stereo you must have 3 (they are left +, right +, and shared -)