# Stereo speakers to computer



## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

I was just about to order a nice speaeker set for my newly built win x64 comp., then I just remembered that there was an "aux" function in my stereo. I also found this ( I really don't know how to describe it) device where you can plug in a yellow aux plug into it, and then plug the device into the motherboard, and then connect the aux wires.(there are three types red, yellow and white). So, I plugged the device in (which looks similar to a video card, or sound card, or any other PCI slot device from the outside) into the motherboard. Then, I plugged one end of a red-white-yellow wire to the device in the computer, and the other one in the stereo, turned it to AUX, no results. Is there a driver I need? I did look into device manager, and it was sort of complicating to exactly pin-point which one it was though, but I don't recall anything working improperly.

Not only this, but I tried using the headphone jack. ~I have a whole bottom of a closet filled with wires...I have no clue where they came from but there are wires, I;m pretty sure for anything you need in life~ This headphone jack was actually unique because it had 2 sides that you had to plug in. One went into the computer headphone jack, the other one into the stereo's headphone jack. So...just imagine a headphone, it has two ends, one end a plug-in, and the other end two headphones, this wire has two of the plug-ins. This wire came with my flat panel that included speakers. So, I plugged both ends in, and still no sound. How do I use my speakers that are hooked up to my stereo to my computer, in such a way that I can use the AUX feature...well any way that it would work, Idc if it is aux or cd or tuner, just need the speakers to work from my computer.

Thanks,
Twizzie


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

Does your new computer have any type of "line out" audio jack? It would probably look the same as a typical mini stereo headphone jack. The "Aux" inputs that I have seen on most stereo systems are a pair of RCA phono jacks on the back of the receiver. If so a cable like this one from Radio Shack should work for you. Similar cables should also be available from you local electronics or audio equipment store.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...apter&kw=stereo+rca+adapter&parentPage=search


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

It has an input jack, and also a aux input, which was the "device" I was talking about earlier. However I did try it with the wire you showed above, but the wire I tried had red, white, yellow plugs on both sides, and my computer has only room for one yellow wire, and my stereo has room for a red and yellow input.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

Did your newly built computer come with an installed sound card? If so, what is the exact brand and model number? If it did not come with an installed sound card, does the motherboard have a built-in sound controller? If so, what is the exact brand and model number of the mother board.

If you are trying to install a sound controller card, we will need a better description than it looks similar to a video, sound, or other type of PCI device.

As far as I know the headphone jack on a piece of stereo equipment is an output, not an input. Connecting the headphone output from the computer to the headphone output of your stereo will not get you a usable connection and could damage the sound controller in your computer.
*
EDIT:* I tried to follow some of your other threads and can not figure out if you are using audio from the mother board or if you purchased one of the sound cards from NewEgg.com. Are you home stereo system and PC sound controller simple 2 channel stereo or are they both some type of 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system?


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

My computer didn't infact come with a sound card, but my motherboard did, it is an Realteck or realtek AC97.

I'm pretty sure what I'm installing isn't a sound controller card. I'm going to make my best efforts to explain it to you though. Pretend that you just installed video card onto your motherboard's pci slot. Ok, you close your case up, and you plug your monitor into the video card, which is located parallel to the pci slot. I have the same thing, except it isn't something you can plug in to a pci slot. When you install it onto your case, it'll look from the outside, it will have a yellow input or output plug, like the one you may have on a PS2, xbox, or regualar stereo hooked up to your vcr. And then, next to it it'll have another plug that looks like a PS/2 slot, but it isn't, its just round and has space for needles. 

And yes you are right about the input/output thing.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

twizzie said:


> My computer didn't infact come with a sound card, but my motherboard did, it is an Realteck or realtek AC97.
> 
> I'm pretty sure what I'm installing isn't a sound controller card. I'm going to make my best efforts to explain it to you though. Pretend that you just installed video card onto your motherboard's pci slot. Ok, you close your case up, and you plug your monitor into the video card, which is located parallel to the pci slot. I have the same thing, except it isn't something you can plug in to a pci slot. When you install it onto your case, it'll look from the outside, it will have a yellow input or output plug, like the one you may have on a PS2, xbox, or regualar stereo hooked up to your vcr. And then, next to it it'll have another plug that looks like a PS/2 slot, but it isn't, its just round and has space for needles.
> 
> And yes you are right about the input/output thing.


Is there any reason you do not want to use the sound controller and outputs on your motherboard?

I still can not picture what you are trying to describe. You compare it to a video card that plugs into a PCI slot but yours doesn't plug into a PCI slot? Is it just a metal plate with connectors on it or does it also include some type of printed circuit board with electronics on it. If it does include a printed circuit board, I find it hard to believe that it does not have any type of manufacturer's name and part number on it.


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

Yes sir, it was a metal plate that you could plug into your motherboard, and had either input or output jacks on it, and what are you talking about when you said the sound controller and outputs on my motherboard??, I have a headhpone and mic jack, basically a input and output jack, the sound card is basic, however, I am planning on buying a 7.1 sound card.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

twizzie said:


> Yes sir, it was a metal plate that you could plug into your motherboard,


Did the metal plate specifically come packaged with the motherboard or is it something you found in the cable pile in your closet? Exactly how is it plugging into the motherboard.



twizzie said:


> what are you talking about when you said the sound controller and outputs on my motherboard??, I have a headhpone and mic jack, basically a input and output jack.


If the headphone and mic jacks you mention are part of the motherboard, then the headphone jack would be the outputs I was referring to.



twizzie said:


> however, I am planning on buying a 7.1 sound card.


Does the stereo with the speakers you mention in the first post have two speakers or does it have seven speakers attached to it? If it only has two speakers, you will not be using most of the outputs of the sound card when you do get it.



twizzie said:


> And then, next to it it'll have another plug that looks like a PS/2 slot, but it isn't, its just round and has space for needles.


In working with all kinds of PC hardware over the years, I have yet to see any connector on a PC that used "needles".

EDIT: Fixed broken quote tag.


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

Well to me the Yellow plug sounds like a standard TV out plug on a video card. The other plug you described that looks similar to a PS2 Plug sounds more like an S-Video plug. If this is so, niether of them provide sound out.


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

For cwwozniak:

It just appeared from no where, and then thats how I remembered that I could use the speaekrs from my stereo. I plugged in the wire from the metal plate into the middle of the motherboard where...forget this, I will try to post a picture in a few min.


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

Just imagine this, after taking a look at the picture. See how the headph. jack goes into a metal plate, near where other pci devices can be installed? I hvae the same thing except it is a yellow jack for eithervideo or sound. The metal plate's wire goes into the motherbrd. with a plug that is a rectangle that has 4 needles or whatever you like to cal them, on the top row, and 3 on the bottom. If this is too frustrating, can we pretend I never mentioned a metal plate or wires? Is there an alternative route?? Or should I just give up and go for the seperate sound card and speakers.

http://www.voidedwarranty.com/articles_nuke/labrat/Watermarked Pics/pci_plug.jpg


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

twizzie said:


> If this is too frustrating, can we pretend I never mentioned a metal plate or wires? Is there an alternative route??


Works for Me :up: :up: :up: :up:

If your home stereo system only uses two speakers and uses two RCA phono jacks for the inputs like these red and white ones and your motherboard has a headphone jack that looks similar to green jack in this picture, then you should use a cable that is similar to the Radio Shack cable I showed in an earlier post. It has a stereo headphone plug on one end to plug into your PC and has two RCA plaugs on the other end to plug into the Auxiliary Input jacks on your stereo.

You can probably hold off getting the 7.1 sound card until you are also ready to buy a 7.1 speaker system or upgrade your home stereo system to 7.1 surround sound.


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

I don't have the red and white ones on my speaker system, and my motherboard does have something like that, in the back, but in the front there is a red one and green one for easy access, but yes my motherboard does have a set of those plugs as pictured in your second link. 

My home speaker system is amazing, so I don't want to change that at all, its like 4 years old or so, and still crystal clear sound.

But, the thing is, my speakers don't have plugs, they have copper wires that you insert into the main stereo and you fasten a red and black tab in to make it tight.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

twizzie said:


> IBut, the thing is, my speakers don't have plugs, they have copper wires that you insert into the main stereo and you fasten a red and black tab in to make it tight.


You need to feed the stereo audio from your PC through the amplifiers that are in your stereo system. You do not connect the speakers from your stereo system directly to the PC.

You said in your first post that your stereo had some type of "Aux Function". Can you please see if there is a web site anywhere that has the technical description of your stereo system hardware and then post a link to it. I am not looking for pictures or descriptions of hardware that sorta-kinda looks like what you have.


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

I've been searching for a while, and I guess it's just an old model, because I couldn't find much, here is a site with a bunch of descriptions.
The model name is a Philips MC-110

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-MC110-Home-Audio-System/dp/B00007EDRO


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

I found the user manual for the MC-110 on the Philips support web site. There should be a pair of left and right "AUX IN" jacks on the back of the MC-100 directly below the connections for the speaker wires. The manual does not say what type of jacks they are but I suspect that they are RCA Phono Jacks.

If you want to playback your PC sounds through the MC-110, you will need an adapter cable that has the correct plug on one end to go into the line out or headphone jack on the back of your computer. The other end of the adapter cable will need to have a pair of plugs to match the "AUX IN" jacks on the back of the MC-110.

Once you select AUX as the source on the MC-110 you will need to experiment with the volume settings on the PC and MC-110 to get the least amount of hum and distortion.


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

thank you, would the link to radio shack be the right wire?


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

twizzie said:


> thank you, would the link to radio shack be the right wire?


I am 95% sure the Radio Shack cable would be the correct one to use just because I am only 95% sure you have the matching RCA jacks on the back of your MC-100 system. If you do mot have a Radio Shack store handy, most any store that sells any type of stereo equipment would probably have the same type of cable.


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## twizzie (Dec 28, 2006)

Thanks for all the help, you probably will aviod me from now on since I made you take two pages of responses to figure out I need a simple wire! Anyway, your help did help alot, I'll drop by radio shack sometime this week and I'll let you know what goes down.

Thanks,
Twizzie


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## TRS-80 vet (Jun 18, 2005)

A few tips...

Turn on power to the speakers *LAST!!!* You'll blow the tweeter voice coils otherwise.

Make sure amplifier volume is near zero volume output, when you power up.

Set your pc's volume output at about 70% first!!! If there's an LED/meter for pc volume output, you want only occasional jumps into the red (distortion). Too low will give a hiss, or hum, like cwwoz was saying...


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