How to Hook Up Speakers to a Laptop

Although all laptops are equipped with speakers, you can hook up external ones to enjoy music, online videos, DVDs, video games and other types of digital media with better sound quality. You will also need to connect speakers to your laptop if you are going to play digital media to a group of people, such as in a presentation. This is because laptop speakers cannot project as much as sound as do separate computer speakers. Regardless of the type of speaker system you choose (two speakers, a 5.1 speaker system, or a 7.1 speaker system), there are basic steps you can follow to arrange and connect the speakers to your laptop.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1/8-inch speaker cable

1. Set up and arrange the speakers around your laptop or however you see fit to project the best sound. If your speaker system includes a subwoofer, you will need to plug each speaker into it following a color-coded system. On the bottom or back of each speaker, you will find an "R" or "L." An "R" on a speaker means that it is supposed to be placed on the right side, while an "L" indicates that the speaker should be placed on the left side for optimal performance. After you arrange the speakers and plug them into the subwoofer (if applicable), plug the speaker system's power adapter into a power outlet and turn them on.

2. Find the sound card on your laptop. Check the back, front and sides of your laptop for a group of audio jacks. This is your laptop's sound card. The audio jacks on your laptop may be marked with audio-related symbols, such as a microphone and a pair of headphones. Most laptops will only have these two audio jacks. The headphone jack is where you will connect the speakers to the laptop.

3. Plug the speaker cable into the headphone jack. The 1/8-inch headphone jack on a laptop is typically the only "audio out" jack available. If your computer speaker system includes a subwoofer, it will likely have a green-colored jack into which this cable will also need to be inserted.

4. Test each speaker. Load a sound or video file on your laptop, such as an mp3 in Windows Media Player or an online video, to make sure each speaker is transmitting sound. If one of the speakers is not working, check to see if it is plugged in securely, and that the volume on your laptop is not muted or turned down.

5. Adjust your laptop's audio settings. In Windows, double-click the speaker icon in the system tray to open the Volume control tool. When it loads, you will see several volume control panels that allow you to adjust the master volume, wave volume, CD volume and other audio-source volumes. To adjust the bass and treble, click the "Advanced" button at the bottom left of the tool. You can also adjust your laptop's volume via the volume wheel located near the headphone jack, or by simultaneously pressing the "Fn" key and the "Volume Up" or "Volume Down" keys on your laptop's keyboard.

Tips & Warnings

• If your speakers use a different type of audio cable (such as an RCA-type cable), you will need to purchase a 1/8-inch converter connector to plug them into the laptop's headphone jack.

Resources

• Geek.com--Laptop Buyer's Guide: Speakers
• CNet Reviews: Best Computer Speakers