Using an old 5.1 sound setup with a new laptop (three connectors versus one)
Using an old 5.1 sound setup with a new laptop (three connectors versus one)
nephew is receiving an ASUS 17 TUF laptop for Christmas. I own a 20-year-old sound system that I really like and would enjoy giving him so his gaming setup sounds better. It's the Altec 3151, and I have the manual.
the site i found shows what it should look like. Instead of multiple green, black, and orange connectors being able to connect to a standard PC sound card all at once, there’s now just one hole for the speakers. The manual mentions that depending on the color you plug in, you get different setups—2.1 5.1, etc. There’s also a switch on the unit for 2/4 and 6 channels. Plugging in the orange gives muddy bass, while the other two channels only work with two of the four speakers (front or rear). I’m sure he’ll be happy with just two speakers and the sub working, even though the laptop speakers sound terrible. Is there any chance we can get all five speakers to work together? No matter what I do, the center channel never seems to function properly, so I’ve turned up the dials.
Additionally, the orange and black connectors have an extra connector—probably for headphones or a microphone.
Using an entirely analogue surround setup restricts you to audio jacks that most laptops lack. The only solution is installing a 5.1 usb sound card. For example, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro includes output jacks for connecting your sound system.