no sound in Dell Inspiron 3847

t wrote:

No external powered speakers came with the computer which made me think
the motherboard may have a built-in speaker for sound.

Most bundles don't include speakers. Some users are happy with a pair
of cheapie stereo units that can barely reproduce speech. Some want a
7.1 setup costing hundreds. For them to include speakers means
increasing the cost for what are likely throwaway parts.

There is a tiny piezoelectric speaker on the mobo but that is to make
those beeping noises you hear on bootup.

Does that mean I need to buy external speakers from Dell which will work
with Inspiron 3847?

You don't have any speakers. Yes, you'll have to buy some.

Or, can any low cost ones from ebay
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/laptop-external-speakers
work? The usage will be for watching training videos

You'll want a set of speakers that will reproduce well enough so you can
hear it and with enough quality to understand what the speaker is
saying.

That USB audio plug doesn't produce sound. It merely creates yet
another audio device (that you'll have to select in Windows sound
applet). You will have to plug a pair of headphones into that dongle's
jack to hear anything. Why pay for a USB audio device (to add yet
another audio device to Windows you have to select) and use a headphone
with it when you can just plug the headphones into the audio-out jack on
the system case (ya know, the front-panel connector you mentioned)?

So buy a set of headphones if you don't already have a pair. With
laptops and for privacy and also not to nuisance others nearby, you and
they would probably appreciate you using headphones so only you hear the
noise, er, sound that your computer generates. My aunt got something
like the following for an external speaker (I think it's just mono, not
stereo, since obviously there is only one point for the sound source):

http://www.walmart.com/ip/SDI-Techno...eaker/19340295

I've never heard it so cannot attest to its quality of audio output and
volume or lack thereof. I know when one broke she went to Walmart to
get another so it must've been good enough for her. Remember that
external speakers will be heard by and nuisance nearby people. For the
cost of that tiny external speaker, you can get a good pair of
headphones. In fact, if you ever plan to listen to sound from your
computer (assuming it is a laptop instead of the 3847 *desktop* you
specified), you might want to get a pair of headphones that have pads
that surround the ear. These dull the noise from the environment,
especially on an airplane (where ear buds actually accentuate the noise
and make it harder to hear the audio).

What laptop are you talking about? While laptops do have audio-out
jacks to connect external speakers or headphones, the brand, family, and
model you specified is a desktop PC.

Speakers are selected as audio output device, but the computer did not
come with any.

That means the speaker output (audio-out connector on backpanel) is
selected. Obviously you still have to connect something to that
connector to produce sound. Connectors don't make sounds.

No, I meant a music centre, the old name for a hi-fi system, or similar.

Kenny

"t" wrote in message ...

On 5/4/2014 4:38 PM, Kenny Cargill wrote:
If you have a hi-fi it may have an audio in which you can use.

Kenny


No, I don't have any hi-fi if you meant these
http://www.whathifi.com/reviews/hi-fi/hi-fi-speakers


"t" wrote in message
...

On 5/4/2014 6:18 AM, Paul wrote:
t wrote:
The computer is new and came with Windows 8.1.

I re-installed the Realtek audio card drivers, but there is no sound.
The CPU connects to the Dell 24 Monitor - S2440L monitor via VGA cable.

Checking in the sounds option in Control panel shows external speakers
are needed. I see there is a message in sound icon in bottom right
that no speakers or headphones are plugged in.

Glanced at the Dell manual at
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-produ...nual_en-us.pdf


and from page 11, it appears that they have a front panel audio
connector

Ran the Windows troubleshooter which also did not help.

In Device manager, I see Bluetooth Audio device, Intel Display audio,
Realtek High Definition Audio all of which have the right drivers.

Dell support thinks if I change the OS to Windows 7, I can get sound,
but I have to buy the Windows 7 OS

I thought most PCs today come with an integrated sound card and
external speakers are additional.

What could be causing the lack of audio? The volume is not set to mute.

You can change your output choice.

http://i57.tinypic.com/xn6zvr.jpg

Paul

Thanks, but I do not see the digital HD audio in my output choice.

It seems the computer needs external speakers and since it did not ship
with any, I need to get them from Dell or some low cost ones
from http://www.ebay.com/bhp/desktop-pc-speakers

I appreciate your advice and time.

t wrote:
On 5/4/2014 4:38 PM, Kenny Cargill wrote:
If you have a hi-fi it may have an audio in which you can use.

Kenny


No, I don't have any hi-fi if you meant these
http://www.whathifi.com/reviews/hi-fi/hi-fi-speakers

Will you be going on a shopping trip ?

You can get a pair of speakers for less than $20.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121013

And for $30, this one includes a bass box, so you
can have imaginary bass in music. The bass box is
driven with 4W of power in this case :-) Smokin.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121019

Paul

On 5/5/2014 2:03 AM, Paul wrote:
t wrote:
On 5/4/2014 4:38 PM, Kenny Cargill wrote:
If you have a hi-fi it may have an audio in which you can use.

Kenny


No, I don't have any hi-fi if you meant these
http://www.whathifi.com/reviews/hi-fi/hi-fi-speakers

Will you be going on a shopping trip ?

You can get a pair of speakers for less than $20.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121013

And for $30, this one includes a bass box, so you
can have imaginary bass in music. The bass box is
driven with 4W of power in this case :-) Smokin.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121019

Paul

Thanks Paul,

I got the one at
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-S120-...dp/B000R9AAJA/

Since usage is for listening to training videos for one person, I think
they should suffice.

On Sun, 04 May 2014 11:33:38 -0400, t wrote:

On 5/4/2014 5:39 AM, philo wrote:
On 05/04/2014 12:58 AM, t wrote:
The computer is new and came with Windows 8.1.

I re-installed the Realtek audio card drivers, but there is no sound.
The CPU connects to the Dell 24 Monitor - S2440L monitor via VGA cable.

Checking in the sounds option in Control panel shows external speakers
are needed. I see there is a message in sound icon in bottom right that
no speakers or headphones are plugged in.



Then assuming your speakers are plugged in, you've used the wrong jack

Thanks, but no external powered speakers

Just for the record, there are external non-powered speakers (that is
not powered externally but by the computer, via the sound output jack).
I was satisfied with them for a long time, and still would be except
they weren't loud enough some of the time.

came with the computer which
made me think the motherboard may have a built-in speaker for sound.