External speaker problem

othersamo_ · 2020-12-27 19:32:56

Hello,
I use arch linux on my laptop and I have an external speaker connected through 3.5 millimitre jack. It works fine except one thing...

The speaker has its own turn on/off button and to successfully connect it to computer I have to:
- turn on the external speaker before the computer itself, otherwise it will not connect
- sometimes the external speaker disconnects itself shortly after the boot (usually in the LightDM menu or right after XFCE is loaded) - I have to restart the computer again to connect it.

This behaviour is really weird and I have not experienced it on Windows and Ubuntu, just here.

Is anyone here able to help me with this?

Last edited by othersamo_ (2020-12-27 19:33:59)

nd925a · 2021-01-03 00:32:59

There's nothing special or fancy about a 3.5 mm jack. It's job is to send a line level audio signal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level
If I remember right the computer knows something is plugged in when there's a short across one of the pins of the connector. It's possible the jack on your laptop is just worn out and your speaker has a similar detection method/a sleep function.

More details about the speaker itself might be helpful if you can't figure it out. As well as what kind of laptop and are you dual booting, or are you running windows/ubuntu on different machines, etc.

othersamo_ · 2021-01-03 08:57:00

nd925a wrote:

There's nothing special or fancy about a 3.5 mm jack. It's job is to send a line level audio signal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level
If I remember right the computer knows something is plugged in when there's a short across one of the pins of the connector. It's possible the jack on your laptop is just worn out and your speaker has a similar detection method/a sleep function.
More details about the speaker itself might be helpful if you can't figure it out. As well as what kind of laptop and are you dual booting, or are you running windows/ubuntu on different machines, etc.

Hi,
thank you. About the speaker, I cannot really get more information, sorry. However, the laptop is thinkpad p50. Let me quote what I have found on arch wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Le … inkPad_P50
At the bottom there is a section about that. Would it be possible to somehow deal with it?

Thanks (:

nd925a · 2021-01-03 20:32:01

So it sounds like there's a driver level issue then. You could try reloading the kernel modules for your sound card.
I'm not great with the low level stuff, if you don't get anybody else on here I'd suggest popping into irc.

aditya12398 · 2021-01-11 05:37:36

Hey, OtherSamo_

Can you see if the device appears after you boot by doing the following:

1. Connect your speaker after you boot
2. Turn it on.
3. Kill pulseaudio

pulseaudio -k

4. Start pulseaudio again

pulseaudio --start

Let me know if your speaker is recognized after this.

You would have to check your sinks after step 4. Use

pacmd list-sinks

othersamo_ · 2021-01-12 12:08:04

aditya12398 wrote:

Hey, OtherSamo_
Can you see if the device appears after you boot by doing the following:
1. Connect your speaker after you boot
2. Turn it on.
3. Kill pulseaudio
pulseaudio -k
4. Start pulseaudio again
pulseaudio --start
Let me know if your speaker is recognized after this.
You would have to check your sinks after step 4. Use
pacmd list-sinks

Hi,
I incredibly appreciate your help. I updated the system, the I did first 2 steps, then turned on the speaker, and it worked absolutely fine. Looks like update solved it. Thank you a lot anyways.

Arch Linux

#1 2020-12-27 19:32:56

External speaker problem

#2 2021-01-03 00:32:59

Re: External speaker problem

#3 2021-01-03 08:57:00

Re: External speaker problem

#4 2021-01-03 20:32:01

Re: External speaker problem

#5 2021-01-11 05:37:36

Re: External speaker problem

#6 2021-01-12 12:08:04

Re: External speaker problem

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