External USB Speaker Not Working

raywood · 08-29-2018, 12:17 AM

I just started trying play songs on Linux Mint 19 Xfce on a Dell M1210 using Audacious. The songs play on the internal speakers. But when I connect an external speaker (Craig model CMA3581), it only gives a sort of crackling noise. The external speaker works OK with this Dell when dual-booting into Windows XP. The battery-powered external speaker seems to use a USB cable for optional power and a headphone-style cable for audio signal.

ondoho · 08-29-2018, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raywood

I just started trying play songs on Linux Mint 19 Xfce on a Dell M1210 using Audacious. The songs play on the internal speakers. But when I connect an external speaker (Craig model CMA3581), it only gives a sort of crackling noise. The external speaker works OK with this Dell when dual-booting into Windows XP. The battery-powered external speaker seems to use a USB cable for optional power and a headphone-style cable for audio signal.

in that case it's not really a USB speaker.

do you have some normal headphones to test if the headphone plug is working under linux?

open your mixer application and see if everything is UNmuted and the volume is high enough.

raywood · 08-29-2018, 04:50 AM

Right. A regular speaker, USB-powered.

I plugged in headphones. They work. Now the speaker does too. No idea why. All I did was let Audacious play for a couple hours and then try the headphones.

Problem solved, for now, I guess.

Thanks.