How can I get a headset's microphone to work on a laptop's combo audio jack?

Question

I have an Asus laptop (K42JP to be more specific), running Windows 7, that has a combo audio/microphone 3.5mm jack. When I connect either the iPhone's headset or a Nokia headset, I get a pop-up asking the kind of "device" (headphone or microphone). However, no matter which option I pick the headset's microphone never seems to work. Also, in the "Recording" tab of the Sound properties (in the Control Panel) it only shows the laptop's internal microphone.

Both headsets work perfectly when I connect them to a MacBook Pro, so I think it's safe to assume that they are in working order.

Answer 1

Contacted Asus and turns out they had recently released a driver update for their sound card drivers to fix this issue. iPhone headset still doesn't work, but the Nokia one works fine.

Answer 2

You should Asus support this question. I bet the answer is that you can use it for a microphone or a headphone, but not both at the same time.

Answer 3

My understanding is that, unfortunately, there is no standard for combined microphone/speaker connectors.

I have a retro handset that works directly with my iPad and with some mobile phones, but not with others. The manufacturer sells adapters so you can use it with other devices (I haven't gotten around to getting the necessary adapter).

As @fstx says, you should talk to Asus support, or perhaps you can just find out the specifications of the connectors. It's likely you can get an adapter that will let you use your headset with your laptop.

Answer 4

your laptop has only three built in connections while the nokia & apple have four. so in reality your microphone is not even connected to the laptop.

you must use two seperate wires to connect each microphone and headset.