How to Project Laptop Speakers

Add real sound quality to your laptop.

All laptops are built with internal speakers, but these cannot project sound the way external speakers can. When you want to listen to music, watch videos, or play games you may want to hook the laptop up to either external computer speakers or to your stereo for better sound quality. However, if you are using external computer speakers, choose speaker systems with sub woofers to get better sound quality. You can also connect the laptop to a stereo system to project the sound even more.

Things You'll Need

• 3.5 Auxiliary speaker cable
• 3.5 Auxiliary to RCA cable
• USB cable
• External computer speakers

Instructions

1. Open the computer speaker package and connect the system sub woofer and speakers as instructed in the manual.

2. Locate the headphones jack on the laptop. This is usually on the side, front or back of the computer.

3. Connect the audio cable from the computer speakers to the headphones jack on the laptop. The better quality computer speakers you have, the better the sound will be. Use computer speakers with a sub woofer for better surround sound quality.

4. Connect the USB cable on the speakers to the USB port on the laptop, if you have speakers that use the PC power source. Connect the speaker power cable to the power outlet if you have standard power speakers.

Stereo Speakers

1. Look for an aux jack on your home audio or surround-sound stereo system.

2. Connect one end of the 3.5 auxiliary cable to the aux jack on the stereo and connect the other end to the laptop's headphones jack. Use a 3.5 auxiliary cable to RCA connection if you don't have an aux connection on the stereo. Connect the aux connector into the headphone jack on the laptop, and connect the red RCA connector to the red input port, and the white RCA cable to the white input port on the stereo. Wait for the laptop to detect the new sound automatically.

3. Look for USB ports on the home audio equipment. Most home, car and surround-sound speakers now have USB ports. Check to see if the stereo has the small square USB connector or the flat rectangular connector. Some speaker systems use the standard USB cable, while others require two flat rectangular connectors.

4. Connect the appropriate end to the speaker system and the other end to the USB port on the laptop. Wait for the laptop to automatically detect the new speakers and for the sound to project out of the new speaker system.

References

• PC PRO: How to Connect your PC to your Hi-Fi
• USA Today: Tech Products
• Slippery Brick: Home Stereo with HDD, Ethernet, USB and AnyMusic