Sound when playing films

[shrimply]

hi, I just got myself a cheap set of speakers and an external sound card for my laptop, for a number of reasons really.

 

I've been playing music through them and am really impressed with the quality, it sounds, at least to me pretty decent.

 

The problem is playing films, doesn't seem to matter what, the people especially sound really echoy, this is only a problem when using the new sound card, when plugged directly into the computer the speakers sound as I would expect them to.

 

I think one of the main problems is I have no idea what all the settings on the sound card software mean, but I've had a good play around and nothing seems to make much difference.

 

Thanks

[mike]

Hi Shrimply,

 

What sound card have you purchased?

 

Usually with any external sound card will be a bunch of software tweaks and enhancements you can play around with.

 

It sounds to me like either a Predefined Equalizer option has been set (E.g, Large Hall, or Echo or something) in the bundled software, or there is something similar in the DVD software you are playing your movies in?

[Plastic Nev]

Somewhere in the software controls, as Mike said, there should be a drop down type menu, see my screen shot, in my case set to "Living Room" which is probably what you want, but is maybe set for church, large hall, or similar echoy type environment.

[shrimply]

thanks, its this one, told you it was cheap

 

----A-CM106[uSB Sound Card]

 

the problem seems to have been resolved, I unticked the SPDIF output which I wasn't using and that seems to have solved it though I don't know if that should have or not. All the other setting seem to be right.

 

I do have another question but it doesn't seem worth starting a new thread for, I have my speaker the wrong way round i.e the left on the right as this makes more sense, Is there any harm in solving this by switching the audio cables round on the back, putting the white into the red and vice versa, I don't think there should be but am worried that it may confuse the one with the power supply. Think the speakers are going back anyway as they seem to occasionaly pop, so might as well get them replaced.

[Dalo Harkin]

SPDIF is for digital speakers they connect differently than analog (the red,blue and green ports) thats all - should not have made a difference

 

Red is Subwoofer

Blue is back speakers

Green is front speakers

 

There are variations of these:-

Yellow - Subwoofer

Black - Back

Blue - front

 

If you are getting popping then they are not seated right in the ports and the popping is static

[shrimply]

Thanks, just further confuse me, lol.

 

I do not understand sound set-ups.

 

Umm I only have the two speakers and they connect using a 3.5mm jack to phono audio cable. I had the 3.5mm jack plugged into the HP-out (headphones) on the sound card, should it be plugged into F-out (front)?

 

And the other question is is it OK to reverse the phono audio cables (red and white) so that the sound comes out the right speakers, so the red is plugged into the white port on the back of the speakers.

 

And thankyou I know how frustrating it must be that I have no idea what I'm on about.

Edited October 27, 2008 by shrimply

[Dalo Harkin]

Thanks, just further confuse me, lol.

 

I do not understand sound set-ups.

 

Umm I only have the two speakers and they connect using a 3.5mm jack to phono audio cable. I had the 3.5mm jack plugged into the HP-out (headphones) on the sound card, should it be plugged into F-out (front)?

Yes into the F out

 

And the other question is is it OK to reverse the phono audio cables (red and white) so that the sound comes out the right speakers, so the red is plugged into the white port on the back of the speakers.

 

And thankyou I know how frustrating it must be that I have no idea what I'm on about.

 

Ok - so you have a red and a whilte cable from the speakers?

There are 2 speakers or 2 speakers and a sub?

[shrimply]

Just two speakers, probably easier just to link them,lol

 

LandSound Elegant 2.0 Speakers 15W RMS Black/Silver Front With Dark Wood Surround - Ebuyer

 

cheers

[Dalo Harkin]

there are no photos of the back/cables

I would say that the white cable is the front cable and from the looks of them they have built in subs - so that will be the red cable.

 

Hope this helps.

[shrimply]

Thanks, there are photos on the link

 

http://image.ebuyer.com/UK/R0126822-04.jpg

 

http://image.ebuyer.com/UK/R0126822-05.jpg

 

This is the back, the Red has an R next to it and the white an L, which I presume stands for left and right, the yellow connects the second speaker.

 

Thanks, they still seem to be popping its infrequent and irregular and I only seem to notice when I'm playing quieter music but I'm I wrong to think it would be best just to get them replaced, I know you mentioned something about static but everything is plugged in properly and as securely as possible.

[Dalo Harkin]

Shrimply,

 

The Red and White are for dvd players and amps etc -

the black one is for PC's - the black one should go in the front audio port and the other 2 are for if you used them as entertainment speakers for say your TV or DVD etc, and as such - do not try and plug them into the soundcard

[shrimply]

hi, the 3.5mm jack goes to the red and white, they're the only ports on the speaker and thats the only cable I was supplied with.

 

The only port on the front is for heaphones, does that mean they are not suitable for use with a computer, cause it said they were,lol. How on earth do I manage to create these situations.

[Dalo Harkin]

hi, the 3.5mm jack goes to the red and white, they're the only ports on the speaker and thats the only cable I was supplied with.

 

The only port on the front is for heaphones, does that mean they are not suitable for use with a computer, cause it said they were,lol. How on earth do I manage to create these situations.

 

 

Shrimps -

I have no idea what you mean the 3 cables sometimes are all linked to one - but you should not need to use all 3.

just the black one is for PC -

[shrimply]

Sorry, the cable in the picture shows the two ends and and that is the whole cable the black 3.5mm jack splits to the red and White RCA, like this.

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/shrimply/Audio.jpg

[Dalo Harkin]

I cannot see that pic at my current location Shrimps

[shrimply]

I'm sorry, really can't think of any other way to explain.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Don't be sorry Shrimps, Dave is on a blackberry when he is otherwise engaged and therefore cannot see images or urls.

 

He will see this when he gets home.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, if I can but in without treading on a few toes, sorry if I have, but any way the lead you have there is perfectly OK, the black plug goes into any socket of that type on your computer or sound card, marked with a speaker symbol or "Loud speaker", the red and white each go to left or right speakers, if as you think the left and right are wrong way round it is quite all right to swap them round, doing so will not confuse any thing.

Hope that helps.

Edited October 28, 2008 by devo357

[shrimply]

Thanks, that's sort of what I thought but I think I managed to confuse everyone, still concerned about the popping, would like to send them back but if its is a problem at my end caused by static then could end up costing me quite a bit.

[Dalo Harkin]

Hi, if I can but in without treading on a few toes, sorry if I have, but any way the lead you have there is perfectly OK, the black plug goes into any socket of that type on your computer or sound card, marked with a speaker symbol or "Loud speaker", the red and white each go to left or right speakers, if as you think the left and right are wrong way round it is quite all right to swap them round, doing so will not confuse any thing.

Hope that helps.

 

 

Nev - do not worry about offering advice - we encourage it - as long as the advice you are offering is good. :)

[shrimply]

Well I think I found my static, testing still in process, lol as in I'm waiting for pops.

 

But it seems to be one USB port, if I turn the volume up full on the speakers and the PC I get a good deal of static noise if the sound card is plugged into this one USB port but relativity little if plugged into any of the other 3 on the laptop. I can't understand it. They are all built into the laptop and supplied with the same power, however one causes a large amount of static whereas the rest, one of which is right next to it doesn't.