Help: Using external speakers on mini-dock -> Problems

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ehsu · #1 Post by **ehsu** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:39 pm

Good day,

Thanks for reading.

I just got my mini-dock today and was playing around with it. I was planning to connect my logitech z-560 to the line out on the mini-dock. But soon I ran into two problems:

1) The internal speakers do not mute themselves when there is an external speakers connected to the line out on the mini-dock. How do I disable the internal speakers when an external speaker is connected to the mini-dock?

2) The sound quality is VERY POOR from the line out on the mini-dock. How can I improve the sound quality from the line out on the mini-dock? (Yes, I have thought of a PCMCIA sound card or external USB sound card, but would like to try to use the line-out from mini-dock first.)

Any mini-dock owners that use an external speaker? How do you get by the problems I encountered? Any comment or advice is appreciated.

TIA.

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 6:41 am

Do a search on these forums for your problem. Click on the search icon on the top of the screen, and enter in a few key words. I prefer to check the radio button "Search for all terms".

I remember reading posts here at forum.thinkpads.com that relate to your problem.

ehsu · #3 Post by **ehsu** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 7:26 am

I'd actually done it, and have read through 15+ pages on search result of similar threads. But none of those seemed to address to my problem though.

A pointer would be appreciated.

ehsu · #4 Post by **ehsu** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:58 am

Anybody has any ideas?

#5 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:13 am

OK, here is the thread I was referring to in my previous post. Reading it, the thread seems to cover the issues you are referring to. I had to do a search to find it again, and I thought you could do that as well. But I admit, doing effective searches is a learned art.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... vol+volume

ehsu · #6 Post by **ehsu** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:24 am

Thanks GomJabbar for helping out, and hopefully next time I can be much more effective in searching.

From all the readings so far I've come up with two conclusions.

1) Turn the volume control on the thinkpad all the way down. Plug the external speakers to the mini-dock's line-out jack. (I'm gonna keep the volume control down all the time, or I will have to remember to turn it down before I dock the TP.)

2) Don't use the mini-dock line-out jack at all, plug the external speakers plug into TP headphone jack. (It totally defeats the purpose of having all the cables organized and plugged into the dock.)

P.S. My sennheiser headset gives me very poor (lots of noise and no base) sound quality from the mini-dock line-out, but when I plugged the Logitech z-560 in the line-out of mini-dock, it sounds alright. It's very strange indeed. I guess the mini-dock line-out doesn't take headphones very well.

Thanks again.

I'm very satisfied with the mini-dock, but just one grudge, this stupid audio bug. =P

#7 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:21 am

ehsu wrote:P.S. My sennheiser headset gives me very poor (lots of noise and no base) sound quality from the mini-dock line-out, but when I plugged the Logitech z-560 in the line-out of mini-dock, it sounds alright. It's very strange indeed. I guess the mini-dock line-out doesn't take headphones very well.

I don't have a dock or a mini-dock, so I don't have any hands-on advice. But what I know about stereo systems is that a line-out jack is not the same as a headphone jack. A headphone jack has more amplification, and the impedance is different. Impedance is measured in ohms, and is a type of electrical resistance. For the best sound, the impedance of the jack should match the impedance of the plugged in device.

A line-out jack needs amplification to sound good, so amplified speakers or amplified headphones should sound good out of the line out jack.

muffd · #8 Post by **muffd** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:54 pm

Does anyone know what type of sound card is installed? I.e. 5.1, 4.1, etc...
I bought some Logitech Z5300E speakers and am wondering if they are a waste.

Thanks

KillaByte · #9 Post by **KillaByte** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:11 pm

As far as I know the used soundchip only supports 2.0 (which would make sense considering that Thinkpads are workhorses).

#10 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 7:19 pm

On my T42, (with the built-in SoundMAX chip) if you go into Control Panel > Sound and Audio Devices > Advanced, there are numerous choices available: stereo, quad, 5.1, and more. How you can use these out of a 2-channel stereo output jack, I am not quite sure. You would probably have to output via USB or some other method.

ehsu · #11 Post by **ehsu** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 7:30 pm

muffd wrote:Does anyone know what type of sound card is installed? I.e. 5.1, 4.1, etc...
I bought some Logitech Z5300E speakers and am wondering if they are a waste.

Thanks

I would assume so unless you get yourself one of those creative audigy 2 zs notebook or audigy 2 NX USB sound cards.

pphilipko · #12 Post by **pphilipko** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:09 pm

If you want to go on the cheap side, get an Audio Blaster External Sound Card. I use one for my X40 and it works VERY well. It's only $60.

Help: Using external speakers on mini-dock -> Problems

Help: Using external speakers on mini-dock -> Problems

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