Audio via headphone jack is really low

The sound from internal speakers is fine, but audio via the headphone jack is really low.

Hi Krich918,
Your computer can tell when you have something plugged into the headphone port, and it remembers a separate volume profile for each (internal speakers vs. headphones). You may want to double check that the volume is up on the Sound preference pane in System Preferences when you have your headphones plugged in, as outlined in the following article (apologies if you have already done so):
Mac Basics: Set your preferences
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2490
Regards,
- Brenden

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Cannot output audio via headphone jacks with Mac Mini (2012) and Boot Camp

Hi all,
I have a brand new (2012) Mac Mini with a Boot Camp partition running Windows 7. It's connected directly to an HDTV via HDMI cable. I have external speakers hooked through the headphone jack on the back. The speakers work fine if I'm in the Mac environment, but I cannot get the audio output to go through the headphone jack while in Boot Camp/Windows- it will only go through the speakers on the TV. Any suggestions? I think I've downloaded every driver I can think of, and the installation of Windows on the Boot Camp partition went well otherwise. Thanks.
John

Nevermind, I was missing one driver. Installed it, fixed.

Does the built-in DAC on my 2007 mid yr iMac support 96/24 audio as it supplies signal to the headphone jack? (is there a reason to export audio via optical jack then to an external DAC?

does the built-in DAC on my 2007 mid yr iMac support 96/24 audio as it supplies signal to the headphone jack? If so, is there a reason to export audio via optical jack then to an external DAC then to stereo?

My suggestion to work around this problem would be to hook up an Airport Express. The AE also has an optical out the same as your iMac. As long as your wireless connection is robust enough you should be able to stream from your iMac to your AE and then have the optical cable connect between your AE and your DAC, which then connects to your Integrated Amp/Receiver/Pre-Amp (depending on your system configuration).
I assume because you are using the optical out and connecting to an external DAC that you are looking for a high level of Audio quality ?

My iPad can play only 1 speaker via headphone jack after iOS7

My iPad 4 can used headphone or speaker via headphone jack in very good condition until I upgrade iOS7.
Now the sound come out only 1 side, another is nothing.
I test it with my earpod and speaker, both are the same.

Same. I belive you posted about this in my thread. This is really frustrating!

The audio out (headphone jack) stereo just stopped working.

The audio out (headphone jack) stereo just stopped working. On all my head phones (which work fine on other devices), macbbok pro sound is only coming through the left speaker. Anything I can do about this, aside just bringing it in to the shop? btw: audio output is set to middle.

Before taking to the shop, try Reset PRAM.
Some sound settings are stored in PRAM.
Even though the article title says 10.7 it is applicable to 10.4.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh26871.html

MBP audio out from headphone jack is extremely low in volume

i just sent my macbook pro 13in (mid 2009 model) to the apple store (out of warranty). my problem was that the audio out from the headphone jack was very very low and staticky. the problem arose about 2-3wks ago. i've owned the laptop since june 2009. i've never dropped or damaged it (no water damage, etc)
my local apple store told me they had to replace logic board which seems extreme for what my problem is. i've read numerous forum posts saying that their computers came back with flickering "kernel panic"
has anyone else had a similar audio problem with their computer, and if so was it resolved in this manner?
thanks!

I think you may be mistaken. the static coming from macbooks audio output port is as old a story as the macbook itself. IMO, epic fail on apple's part. I am debating complaining in a few months when I decide I deserve a better sound quality from a ridiculously overpriced laptop.

GT 735 - audio via headphone is crap!

...let me start by saying that the sound capabilities of my GT735 are FREAKING AWESOME on it's own. The speaker system is totally unreal...I would never have imagined that a laptop could produce sound this good.
...but then yesterday, for the first time ever, I plugged in a set of headphones to listen to music in the office. And it was *shite*. Have to keep the volume very low to keep it from cracking like mad, and no bass is provided at all. It was the WORST sound I had ever heard from a laptop. And I was using really good headphones - tried 2 sets, actually, both of which are incredibly good with other laptops/PCs/whatever. The problem definitely is the GT735 itself.
...anybody else experience this? I'm running Vista 64-bit, using the drivers from the MSI website. I am shocked, shocked I say, at how abysmally bad the sound via headphone is. I am *this* close to having to either buy an expresscard sound card so I can use headphones, or just accept the fact that I can never use headphones.

Quote from: Bas on 28-February-09, 03:41:38
Did you tell Vista you where using headphones?
I selected headphones in WMP...not that it made any difference. I'm wondering if maybe the headphone jack is wonky itself...

T430 Headphone Jack Volume Very Low

Hi,
I recently got a T430 and it's pretty nice overall, but the extremely low volume coming from the headphone jack is a major thorn in the side for me. I've looked around at other solutions for people who have similar problems, and they all seem to point to either Conexant or SmartAudio and I can't find either of those anywhere on my machine.
So is there any way to remove the volume limiting on the T430? If so, what should I look for on my computer to adjust or remove that limit?
Running Windows 8 Pro, bought in May 2013. Let me know if you need any other information!
Thanks!

I am having a similar issue after purchasing a T430. The price of the machine was great, but it doesn't warrant that something as simple as audio should be so poor.
I haven't yet tried this on windows (I am primarily on Ubuntu), but attempted multiple different types of headphones and situations to get it working.
Somehow, after testing out a sound connection via a pair of PC speakers plugged into the jack and my headphones (headphones meaning the small fit-in-ear ones), the sound seems to have improved when doing a direct connection into the jack with the headphones.
Here are some caveats though:
The headphones with an "okayish" sound have 3 black rings (otherwise known as 3-pin).
I did not plug the 3-pin in completely and left 1 pin slightly out (which improved the sound somehow)
The volume at which the sound is decent (compared to an older machine where 20% was quite high on Ubuntu), this one is now at 50%
I also tested out a pair of earphones (the big ones) and I managed to get some serious "bass" at a volume of 80+% and the same jack technique where it is not fully in.
I suspect (1 or more of) 3 things:
The actual soundcard provided with the T430 is low quality
The soundcard on some of the machines (like mines and the OP) is damaged
The soundcard requires a special jack or filtering device (as mentioned on some of the other search results)
I will be starting my own thread to finally resolve this sound issue that seems to plague the T4xx line. Hopefully we can (as a community) diagnose the real issue (which I suspect is a low-grade soundcard) and have users finally know what is wrong and what can/can't be done to fix it.

10.9.4 upgrade - Audio from headphone jack overdriven

I have a 24-inch, Early 2009 iMac. 3.06 Core 2 Duo.
Using it as a projection computer at my church, running iTunes and ProPresenter 5.
After upgrading to 10.9.4 last week, the audio coming out of the headphone jack is distorting really badly at about the 1-1.5khz range. I have to turn the system audio down well below half to get the signal to to come through weakly enough to not sound overdriven. I first discovered this problem in iTunes, but it is doing the same thing for any media (Spotify, ProPresenter, Quicktime, Youtube through a browser, etc.). I know way more about sound systems than I do about computers, but it sounds to me like the system is telling the preamp in the headphone jack to run at way higher gain than it can safely put out. The audio from this jack isn't any louder than it was with the previous OS, just distorted now.
After reading some other forum posts about audio ceasing to work after the upgrade, I downloaded the 10.9.4 combo install from Apple.com and reinstalled it that way. Before that I tried a recovery install. No luck either way.
Any ideas on how to resolve this issue?
Thanks!

Hi Jordan PH ,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
I know how frustrating sound issues can be. One troubleshooting step I would definitely recommend in this situation would be to reset the NVRAM / PRAM. Please use the following article as a reference and let me know if the issue continues after the reset.
About NVRAM and PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
Have a great day,
Joe

No audio via headphone socket - Mac Mini

2010 Mac Mini 10.6.8
No output via the headphone jack. Audio is working OK via internal speaker / HDMI / Bluetooth / Airplay.
There is a signal going through the socket and cable as noise can be heard (squeal, squeaks, etc, but not a distinguishable output)
1) Disconnected all USB's etc
2) Rebooted with different cables for audio and HDMI
3) Reset PRAM
4) Apple Hardware Test - all OK
5) Tech Tool Test - all OK
6) Checked all setting in Audio Midi/sound preferences
Any ideas? - Thanks

Trip to Apple store and Genius Bar (Genius my a**e!), where I had a 2 hour wait, 20 minutes with the Genius (I use the term lightly) to be told what I already knew, plus he thinks the headphone output is connected to main logic board and that will cost almost £300 for parts. Dream-on!
On the way home I purchased a £8 Toslink cable (same was £32 in Apple store) plugged it in and hey presto - perfect sound.
So it looks like the headphone socket is stuck in digital mode.
Well at least it's a marginal improvement. Now off to research & establish how many other folks report same issue.

Connect Imac to Stereo via Headphone Jack & 2nd Stereo via Airport Express

I have two whole-house stereo systems; one serving the lower level (basement) of my house and another serving the first and second floors. My iMac is on the lower level. The house was prewired with two coax cables (standard cable TV-type cables) from the area behind my stereo on the lower level to the room where my iMac is located. Using adapters from Radio Shack, I was able to directly connect my iMac to my home stereo on the lower level. I can currently play my iTunes on my lower level stereo by plugging the cable into the headphone jack on my iMac.
I am set up with a wireless network using a Linksys WRT54G. I would like to be able to also stream music from iTunes on my iMac to my home stereo on the first floor. I realize I can do this with the use of Airport Express.
My goal is to be able to play the same music from iTunes on my iMac on both stereos simultaneously. My question is; if I have my lower level stereo connected to my iMac via the headphone jack, will I still be able to stream the same music from iTunes to my upper level stereo via Airport Express? I'm concerned that by connecting the lower level stereo to the headphone jack, the music will not be able to be streamed wirelessly to the upper level stereo.
Thank you in advance for your time.
iMac 24 in. Mac OS X (10.4.8) Wireless keyboard & mouse, Linksys WRT-54G connected wirelessly

Hi.
Assuming your iMac is no more than 50 feet from where you intend to locate the express then:
You will need to configure your airport express to join your current wireless network in client mode (otherwise you won't be able to use the internet and the express at the same time).
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302153
In iTunes there is an option to select multiple speakers. Thus you select this and then check the desired options. Hence you can have music coming out of the speakers/hadphone jack on your iMac AND out of the speakers connected to the airport express.

IMac force select "Display Audio" when headphone jack is in use

I have a new 2012 iMac and Thunderbolt Display. I use the Display Audio from time to time, but also use a set of high quality speakers plugged in to the headphone jack.
Some applications, like Chrome (Google Hangout, Gmail phone calls) will default to using the Display Audio as the speaker. If I have the headphone jack in use (using the desk speakers), then the Audio System Preferences will NOT let me select the "Display Audio" device. It will immediately highlight "Headphone" again. The problem is if I want to change the "Display Audio" volume, I have to remove the cable from the headphone port, then change the audio, then plug it back in the headphone port.
It's quite annoying.
Is there any way to change this?
As a second request, is there an app that allows you to select which audio device applications will use? Like, if I wanted to change Chrome from using the Display Audio (not sure why thats the default anyway), or another application to only use the headphone port...

Hi,
The problem with the selection of the headphone port is something I reported to Apple back in October 2012. After some time, the reply came back that this was intended behaviour, and my bug report was subsequently marked as, "behaves correctly"! I agree with you that this is a pain in the backside and certainly appears to be bug-like behaviour. If you can take the time, I'd ask you to file your own bug report on this matter here. Perhaps it'll help cause a re-think. You should be able to log in with your Apple ID.
As for your second question: many people are asking this now. Rogue Amoeba made such a thing years ago, but it doesn't work on modern, Intel-based Macs. Maybe they'd consider updating it if enough people asked?
For Chrome, you can use ChromeLauncherWithExtraAudio - I've tried it and it works fine, though once you've changed the audio output on launch you have to quit and re-launch to change it again. If you want to choose where to send audio from movies, radio and so forth you could start using VLC, which completely ignores the system audio settings, and lets you choose from any connected audio outputs.
HTH
<Links Edited By Host>

5.1 audio with headphone jack

Hi guys:
I have a question...
I need to get 5.1 in iTunes.
I have a 2ghz intel core 2 duo mac mini and a LG FA-3000 that i love.
(this one http://www.productreview.com.au/p/lg-fa-3000awe.html)
The thing is that i've been reading that the TOSlink cable or something will do the trick, the problem is that the optical input on my home theather is being used by my PS3 and the Mini doesn't have a coaxial output so that doesn't work hehehhe.
Can i make it work with a headphone jack?
Thanks so much!!!
Greetings
PS: I'm using Lion

The Plex app can output 5.1 audio, but your mac will downmix back to 2-channel when you have headphones (or any other 2-channel device) connected. Open the Audio MIDI Setup app on your mac to see your current sound output config - this is probably also required once you get digital audio working.
One idea - you could take the Toslink and DVI connections from the back of your mac into a DVI/Digital-Audio to HDMI converter box, then take the HDMI cable into your A/V setup (TV, etc). You still need the mini-Toslink to Toslink cable to connect to your headphone/optical jack on the mini, of course.
Good luck! I ran an older mini with DVI and Toslink in my home theater for years with Plex, worked great once I got everything dialed in.

No Audio From HeadPhone Jacks !! ? !!

Product: dv2500tv CTO Notebook PC
Out of the blue, both the headphone jacks placed infront of the laptop WONT work !! This is utterly frustuating as the laptop speakers are working fine. I didnt change anything prior to the 2 headphone jacks stopped working.
I searched over internet and tried so many things but, unfortunately the issue has boosted my frustuating levels. Im sure there are so many people who face this problem and still not able to get the audio jacks working.
IS there ANY solution for this? HP should be in a position to look into the matter and resolve this ridiculous issue.
Sorry for my french. Credits to the Device: Conexant High Definition Smart Audio 221
Can someone show some light on this and let the problem wash out?
Thanks

do you have idt audio monitor? (if you do there will be an icon in your sys tray). if so go to run msconfig an administrator and disable idt from the startup programs. restart you unit and see if your jack is working. let me know what happens.

K7N2G-L no cd audio from headphone jack

Can someone please help me I have a K7N2G-L motherboard and I cant get it to play music cds through the cd roms headphone jack. When I play a music cd it plays through the external speakers but does not play in the cd roms headphone jack. This is a motherboard problem because when I replace the onboard sound with a separate sound card it plays like this. I would like to use the onboard sound any suggestions ive tried.
-swapping the cd rom the cd data and cd audio cables (they are in the right way)
-updated the audio drivers to nvida latest
-upgrading the bios
-gone through all the windows xp audio controls.
The only thing I can think of to do next is to rebuild the system as 98 to rule out a any possible software cause

if you use xp music cd are played by drawing the sound from the ide cable and not the sound cable.
its digital and analog playback.
what you need is analog playback
somewhere in window is a box you need to tick.
i dont know right now where it is but if i find it i will post it

Audio via headphone jack is really low

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