How to Hook Up Speaker Wires to a Computer

Connecting external speakers to a computer gives a richer, more detailed sound.

You can connect external speakers to your computer for a richer sound experience, compared to the computer's internal speakers. Typical computer speaker systems have at least two identical satellite units and a larger bass unit, known as the woofer. The power cord usually runs from one of the satellite speakers, which also has the power button, the audio cable and volume controls. The other speakers are connected by cables to the speaker that has the power cord. The audio cable from the speaker system connects to a port on the computer's sound card, at the back of the computer.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Computer speaker system

Instructions

1. Turn off your computer and unplug its electrical cord. Never attempt to connect electronic devices with an active power source.

2. Place the satellite speakers near the monitor so that the audio cable from the speakers reaches the back of the tower casing. Some satellite speakers are labeled "left" and "right," so place them accordingly. If the system has a woofer unit, place it on the ground, to a side and away from other cables. Untangle all cables after placing the individual units.

3. Connect the individual units to the main satellite speaker, if they are not already connected. Insert one end of the metal pin from the connecting cable to the back of the main satellite, and the other end to the back of the other speaker. Make sure the power button is switched off from the main satellite unit, and that the volume knob is turned all the way to "low."

4. Connect the audio cable to the sound card. After connecting all the units to the main satellite speaker, you should have two free cords--the power cord that plugs and the audio cord, which plugs into the computer's sound card. Identify the audio cable by its green rubber or plastic casing around a round, metal pin. Turn the computer case around so you can easily access the ports on the back. Locate several small circular connectors, grouped together on a metal plate attached to the sound card. You will plug in the speaker's audio cable to one of these connectors. Identify the correct connector by looking for a small icon depicting sound waves, or the label "Audio," or "Speaker," depending on manufacturer. Once you identify the connector, insert the audio cable's metal pin all the way in.

5. Get all cords out of the way as you turn the computer around again. Make sure the speaker's cables do not get pinched. Plug in the power cords for the speaker and the computer and turn on both devices. Once the operating system has loaded, play an audio file and turn up the volume to check whether the speaker system has been connected properly.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are getting new speakers, try to get a system that has all the individual units already connected. This will make hooking up the system with the computer easier, because you will not have to connect the speakers to the main unit yourself.

• Do not force metal pins into connectors. The pins should fit naturally into predefined holes--if they do not seem to fit, you may be trying the wrong port.

References

• Tutorials: Learn to attach speakers to your computer
• Vlerick: How can I connect a set of speakers?