If your computer has a sound card, you'll be able to experience great audio output from the PC.

The trouble is, sound cards are also one of the most frustrating items in the PC if they give problems. I used to have a ton of problems using an unknown (and cheap) sound card in my PC. It took me hours to get the drivers regonized. To troubleshoot sound computer sound problems, you need to understand some of the key consideration items. The following questions and answers will help guide you when you diagnose a typical computer sound problem.

Question 1: Why is it that I only hear sound coming out of one speaker?

Answer: Here' how I would troubleshoot this problem. First, you need to isolate the problem. The problem could lie with the sound card, speaker cable, or speakers.

Check if the cables connecting the sound card to the speakers are firm and intact. Also check that your speakers' sound balance setting is in the middle (not fully to the right or left). If it still doesn't work, then check if a separate sound source (e.g. a Hi-Fi set) produces proper sound out of the speakers. If it does, then you might have a problem with the speakers.
 

Question 2: Help! Why is it that the volume control on my speakers doesn't work?

Answer: This is straightforward. It is usually because you've not supplied power to the speakers. You need to insert batteries or connect the speakers to an external power supply.
 

Question 3: I see no red light on my speakers when I turn them on. Why is this?

Answer: Again, this is a power problem. Make sure you have new batteries or have hooked up a power supply to the speakers. Also make sure it is powered on at the wall outlet if you hooked up the power from there.
 

Question 4: Can I just use any subwoofer with the speakers?

Answer: Ok, this is not recommended. The reason is that some speaker/subwoofer combinations have different setups and non-standard connections.

However, what you can do is to use a 'Y' adapter to 'split out' sound from your sound card. In this way, you can have 2 speaker/subwoofer combinations coming out of the PC. This kind of setup is not used very often, but there could be some situations where it can be applied.
 

Question 5: I do a lot of videoconferencing - how do I avoid distracting others when doing a video call?

Answer: This one is quite obvious too. Simply invest in a good headset. You can get a headset that plugs straight into your sound card speaker jack and microphone jack. Headset units usually give you great audio quality and effectively keep out background noise.
 

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The basics of personal computer hardware
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Selecting and buying a good sound card for audio output