So ive done a ton of reading about this and have not yet solved the problem.
sound works but the headphone jack doesnt defeat the speakers.
"jack sense" is not available in the mixer.
here is a ton of info about my system and alsa:

!!################################
!!ALSA Information Script v 0.4.34
!!################################

!!Script ran on: Tue Nov 13 18:52:37 EST 2007


!!Linux Distribution
!!------------------

Gentoo Base System release 1.12.9


!!Kernel Information
!!------------------

Kernel release: 2.6.23.1-flx3
Operating System: GNU/Linux
Architecture: x86_64
Processor: AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 TL-58
SMP Enabled: Yes


!!ALSA Version
!!------------

Driver version: 1.0.14
Library version: 1.0.15
Utilities version: 1.0.15


!!Loaded ALSA modules
!!-------------------

snd_hda_intel


!!Soundcards recognised by ALSA
!!-----------------------------

0 [NVidia ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
HDA NVidia at 0xfc480000 irq 19


!!PCI Soundcards installed in the system
!!--------------------------------------

00:07.0 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP67 High Definition Audio (rev a1)


!!Advanced information - PCI Vendor/Device/Susbsystem ID's
!!--------------------------------------------------------

00:07.0 0403: 10de:055c (rev a1)
Subsystem: 103c:30d6


!!Modprobe options (Sound related)
!!--------------------------------

snd-hda-intel: model=laptop-hp


!!Loaded sound module options
!!--------------------------

!!Module: snd_hda_intel
enable : N
id : <NULL>
index : -1
model : laptop-hp
position_fix : 0
probe_mask : -1
single_cmd : N


!!HDA-Intel Codec information
!!---------------------------

Codec: Conexant CX20549 (Venice)
Address: 0
Vendor Id: 0x14f15045
Subsystem Id: 0x103c30d6
Revision Id: 0x100100
Modem Function Group: 0x2
Default PCM:
rates [0x140]: 48000 96000
bits [0xe]: 16 20 24
formats [0x1]: PCM
Default Amp-In caps: N/A
Default Amp-Out caps: N/A
Node 0x10 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40058d: Stereo Amp-Out
Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x2b, nsteps=0x2b, stepsize=0x05, mute=1
Amp-Out vals: [0x2b 0x2b]
Pincap 0x0810014: OUT EAPD Detect
Pin Default 0x95170110: [Fixed] Speaker at Int Top
Conn = Analog, Color = Unknown
Pin-ctls: 0x40: OUT
Power: 0x0
Connection: 2
0x19* 0x17
Node 0x11 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40058d: Stereo Amp-Out
Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x2b, nsteps=0x2b, stepsize=0x05, mute=1
Amp-Out vals: [0x2b 0x2b]
Pincap 0x08113c: IN OUT HP Detect
Pin Default 0x0221401f: [Jack] HP Out at Ext Front
Conn = 1/8, Color = Green
Pin-ctls: 0xc0: OUT HP
Power: 0x0
Connection: 2
0x19* 0x17
Node 0x12 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40058d: Stereo Amp-Out
Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x2b, nsteps=0x2b, stepsize=0x05, mute=1
Amp-Out vals: [0xab 0xab]
Pincap 0x08113c: IN OUT HP Detect
Pin Default 0x62a1902e: [N/A] Mic at Sep Front
Conn = 1/8, Color = Pink
Pin-ctls: 0x20: IN
Power: 0x0
Connection: 2
0x19* 0x17
Node 0x13 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x400301: Stereo Digital
Pincap 0x0810: OUT
Pin Default 0x21451130: [Jack] SPDIF Out at Sep Rear
Conn = Optical, Color = Black
Pin-ctls: 0x00:
Connection: 1
0x18
Node 0x14 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x400081: Stereo
Pincap 0x081124: IN Detect
Pin Default 0x97a701f0: [Fixed] Mic at Int Riser
Conn = Analog, Color = Unknown
Pin-ctls: 0x24: IN
Node 0x15 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x400001: Stereo
Pincap 0x0820: IN
Pin Default 0x54330121: [N/A] CD at Int Right
Conn = ATAPI, Color = Unknown
Pin-ctls: 0x00:
Node 0x16 [Beep Generator Widget] wcaps 0x70000c: Mono Amp-Out
Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x07, nsteps=0x07, stepsize=0x0b, mute=1
Amp-Out vals: [0x06]
Node 0x17 [Audio Mixer] wcaps 0x20050b: Stereo Amp-In
Amp-In caps: ofs=0x14, nsteps=0x2b, stepsize=0x05, mute=1
Amp-In vals: [0x94 0x94] [0x94 0x94] [0x94 0x94] [0x94 0x94] [0x94 0x94]
Power: 0x0
Connection: 5
0x19 0x14 0x12 0x11 0x15
Node 0x18 [Audio Output] wcaps 0x211: Stereo Digital
PCM:
rates [0x40]: 48000
bits [0x6]: 16 20
formats [0x5]: PCM AC3
Node 0x19 [Audio Output] wcaps 0xc11: Stereo
PCM:
rates [0x540]: 48000 96000 192000
bits [0xe]: 16 20 24
formats [0x1]: PCM
Power: 0x0
Node 0x1a [Audio Input] wcaps 0x100d0b: Stereo Amp-In
Amp-In caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x17, stepsize=0x05, mute=1
Amp-In vals: [0x17 0x17] [0x00 0x00] [0x00 0x00] [0x00 0x00] [0x00 0x00]
Power: 0x0
Connection: 5
0x17 0x14* 0x12 0x11 0x15
Node 0x1b [Vendor Defined Widget] wcaps 0xf00000: Mono


!!ALSA Device nodes
!!-----------------

crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 0 Nov 13 18:50 /dev/snd/controlC0
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 24 Nov 13 18:50 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0c
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 16 Nov 13 18:50 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 17 Nov 13 18:50 /dev/snd/pcmC0D1p
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 33 Nov 13 18:50 /dev/snd/timer


!!Aplay/Arecord output
!!------------

APLAY

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 1: Conexant Digital [Conexant Digital]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

ARECORD

**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

!!Amixer output
!!-------------

!!-------Mixer controls for card 0 [NVidia]

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 43
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 43 [100%] [on]
Front Right: Playback 43 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Capabilities: pvolume
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 255
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'LineIn',0
Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Capture channels: Mono
Mono: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
Capabilities: cvolume
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Capture 0 - 120
Front Left: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
Front Right: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Ext Mic',0
Capabilities: volume pswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: 0 - 23
Front Left: 0 [0%] [0.00dB] Playback [on]
Front Right: 0 [0%] [0.00dB] Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Int Mic',0
Capabilities: volume pswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: 0 - 23
Front Left: 0 [0%] [0.00dB] Playback [on]
Front Right: 0 [0%] [0.00dB] Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'IntMic',0
Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Capture channels: Mono
Mono: Capture [on]


!!All Loaded Modules
!!------------------

Module
snd_hda_intel
snd_pcm
snd_timer
snd
ipv6
rfcomm
l2cap
powernow_k8
ndiswrapper
hci_usb
bluetooth
uvcvideo
compat_ioctl32
videodev
v4l1_compat
v4l2_common
nvidia
battery
i2c_core
ac
ohci1394
ieee1394
sdhci
thermal
ehci_hcd
processor
mmc_core
ohci_hcd
usbcore
video
backlight
output
forcedeth
button
snd_page_alloc
joydev
k8temp
tsdev
pcspkr
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thanks in advance.

Hi ocularb0b, Welcome to lq. Do you have an "External Amplifier" option in your mixer? What model laptop do you have?
Good luck. ;-)

I have an HP dv2620us its an AMD64 machine with Nvidia HD audio. The only output channels are "Master" and "PCM".
Other things that seem not to work for others are working fine for me, like Built-in mic and line-in.
Thanks

Only two suggestions really, you could try upgrading the alsa drivers to the latest version, you can take a look here. There are some work-arounds or options you can add as mention in the link I posted.
Good luck. ;-)

Hey thanks for your replies. I've tried using the alsa drivers in portage instead of the ones in the kernel, and I even tried the dev-snapshot drivers from the alsa servers.
I think that the hda-intel driver is still a bit new and not detecting like it will be after more time.
I'm going to try using asoundrc to force things to be set up better, but chances are this will get fixed only with a future version of the driver.
If i have any success i'll post in the HCL.

Thanks again

You're welcome, sorry to be no more help. A .asoundrc might do the trick since everything else is working.
good luck. ;-)

for anybody that might read this in the future, i've solved the problem.
I think that this will work on most AMD based hp dv2xxx laptops.
If you have alsa installed you can run "alsamixer" to see what chipset your machine uses.
It will be listed in the upper left. Mine says "Conexant CX20549 (Venice)"
The snd-hda-intel driver does not automatically set the correct driver options, sound will work fine but the headphone jack will not disable the speakers when in use.
To solve the problem you must set the "model" to "laptop" when the driver is loaded:

on gentoo:
#echo "options snd-hda-intel model=laptop" >> /etc/modules.d/alsa

relpace "/etc/modules.d/alsa" as needed by your distro
If your machine is using a different chipset as reported by "alsamixer" you made need different/additional options.
hope this helps