How to connect old stereo speakers to computer

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I have a set of stereo speakers (Creative Inspire T7900) that I would like to use with my laptop. I've connected all the smaller speakers to the main speaker (excuse my lack of speaker terminology) but now I can't connect the main one to my laptop. It has a 4 audio jacks! (Each jack is for a different set of speakers – front, rear, side, and center subwoofer.) How do I connect that with my laptop's 1 audio jack? Do I need an external sound card? Or will a splitter do?

Also, I've tried connecting just one of the jacks to my laptop, but the sound won't work. When I plug it in, any sound that was playing from my laptop speakers is muted, but I can't hear anything from the connected speakers.

Rolodophone

Posted 2018-12-28T13:51:28.860

Reputation: 13

Answers

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You have a 7.1 surround speakerset, but a stereo output on your laptop.

7.1 are 8 channels. In a pair of 2 channels, the pair is sent over a wire, that has a coloured jack plug.

Green is the front left and front right speaker. Orange is the rear left and rear right, black is the sub and center speaker, and the remaining plug (forgot what color it has, blue?) is the sides left and right.

You can always connect only the green speakercable, but obviously the other channels will not have any sound.

Ideally, you would want to purchase a USB 5.1 or 7.1 surround soundcard so you can fully utilize the speakerset, but some speakers have a button to upmix a stereo source to 5.1 or 7.1 surround. I am not entirely sure, but I do believe yours has this. If this is the case, you can just connect the green cable only, set it to upmix, and all speakers will work correctly.

EDIT: It seems this speakerset also has a stereo line-in connection. You can use a simple male to male minijack cable to connect the laptop. you may have to change the input selector to line in on the speakerset for this to work.

LPChip

Posted 2018-12-28T13:51:28.860

Reputation: 42 190

Connecting just the green cable makes no sound at all – Rolodophone – 2018-12-28T15:20:49.923

It should. Can you plug in headphones into that same plug and verify that you have sound on the headphones? – LPChip – 2018-12-28T15:30:44.907

Yep, the headphones worked fine, but connecting any of the speaker cables made no sound at all. However, the laptop did mute the inbuilt speakers so it must think something is connected. – Rolodophone – 2018-12-28T15:36:57.190

Yes, but it does that only due to a cable being plugged in. It has a sensor that knows a cable is being present regardless of whether it works or not. – LPChip – 2018-12-28T15:39:57.287

See my edit though, you should be able to use the line-in too. – LPChip – 2018-12-28T15:40:33.780

Do you mean the "auxillary line in" on the volume control unit? – Rolodophone – 2018-12-28T15:55:34.233

Yes, that one. :) – LPChip – 2018-12-28T16:00:33.163

What input selector? I can't find any. – Rolodophone – 2018-12-28T17:02:13.487

On another note, I've found out that the speaker cables are TRS connectors, whereas my headphones' connector is TRRS. Could that be the difference that makes the headphones work but the speakerset not work? – Rolodophone – 2018-12-28T17:17:07.163

Not unless the plug does not go in far enough. Normally TRS is what you need. And for input selector, not all speakers have them, but some do. If yours doesn't then you don't need to switch to set it for aux input. – LPChip – 2018-12-28T18:42:56.947

Should it work with the coloured speakercables? Because after connecting my laptop to the line-in using them, the sound still didn't work. – Rolodophone – 2018-12-28T20:31:29.183

Nevermind, the vol control cable wasn't in far enough :). It works! Many thanks – Rolodophone – 2018-12-29T12:52:22.983

Asked: 2018-12-28T13:51:28.860

Viewed: 341 times

Active: 2018-12-28T15:35:40.157