What is wrong with my sound?

**JD80** · 11-25-2005, 10:20 PM

I am a newbie at this carputer thing, but very familiar with computers. I have been reading and searching this website for a few months now and got enough information to get my carpc together, but i have a problem. I installed my carpc a few nights ago and for the life of me i can't get sound to come out of all 4 speakers it would only come out of the front and no music to the back speeakers, UNLESS i fade most of the sound to the back speakers i can kind of hear it but VERY crappy. My speakers work fine when i just use the headunits cd or radio, so I am pretty sure it is the computer. Would you think getting a new sound card would help the problem? I am using the onboard sound off the ABIT VA-20 (see sig.) is there a setting somewhere i am missing?.........I have read it seems only bad things about FM transmiters but even it i believe would sound better then the crap I hearing now...PLEASE help!

**xdjxklusivex** · 11-25-2005, 10:56 PM

its gotta be something with ur soundcard maybe the cable that ur using try to plug in like a ipod or some **** and see if that works if it does then u can rule out the cable and hit the soundcard

**sfay93** · 11-25-2005, 11:09 PM

How are you currently getting sound from your computer to your stereo? I would go with xdj's suggestion and hook up another source like an mp3 player or cd player. If it does the same thing, replace the cable. If it doesn't, I'd check the sound card. It will be easier to diagnose once we know how you have it hooked up.

**JD80** · 11-25-2005, 11:14 PM

I have the computer hooked up with a 1/8" headphone like jack on one end and 2 RCA cable ends on the other end plugging up into the AUX in on the headunit

**Bugbyte** · 11-25-2005, 11:21 PM

Try a different source as suggested. If the aux input only has 2 RCA cables, then it ought to be okay. Maybe there's a problem with the cable itself?

**JD80** · 11-25-2005, 11:27 PM

i will try a different source tomorrow...but the cable is brand new (i guess there is still a chance it is bad though)...But the way i have it hooked up is the correct way? one headphone jack plug in the green sound card hole then 2 RCA ends for the 2 AUX in ports on the back of the headunit?

**jayearl** · 11-25-2005, 11:35 PM

Not sure if I am understanding the problem completely but...

Every time I have problems with sound only coming out of two speakers its because the windows sound configuration has been changed to 2.1 speaker setup rather than 4.1 or 5.1 speaker setting.

Could be sound card setup or windows setup.

**sfay93** · 11-25-2005, 11:45 PM

The way he is interfaced, it doesn't matter if it's 2.1 or 4.1. The cable and the input are only 2 channel stereo. The splitting to the speakers happens in the stereo after the sound gets there. I am leaning towards a bad cable or bad inputs on his stereo.

**JD80** · 11-25-2005, 11:53 PM

if it is my headunit i cant afford a new one right now....if that is the case would using a FM transmiter be that bad of an idea?

**sfay93** · 11-26-2005, 12:04 AM

I have used this one from Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=2603620 It works really well on any frequency from 88.0 to 107.0 in .1 increments. It makes it easier to find a station that is pretty open when you can select any within that range. It transmits so well it even worked in my friend's car parked 20 feet away from mine.