# Built It Speakers problem



## captain.joco (Apr 20, 2007)

I have a MacBook with OS X 10.4.9
Today I plugged in my headphones ( so I wont disturb others near by me while listening to music ), and all was fine. Later on, when I removed the headphones, the built in speakers were not working. When I try to change the volume i got this sign saying that the volume is set on max and another sign ( circle crossed out ). 
When I restarted the OS ( with headphones unplugged ), the intro sound of the OS X can be heard, but as soon as the system starts, the same problem appears. 
When I go to sound settings in system preferences, the sound output says Digital Output under name, and Built-in Output under Port , as well as the selected device has no output controls under " settings for the selected device ". This is when the headphones are out. When they are in, they work fine, and now I can read headphones under name and again built in output under name, but now under settings I can change the balance ( left right )

Any help would be highly appreciated as I need to work with audio / video editing tomorrow mourning ( and headphones are not an option   )

Thank You All


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## captain.joco (Apr 20, 2007)

Update:

Also, there is a red light coming out of the place where one plugs in the headphones


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## kseemann (May 16, 2008)

I recently had the same problem.  Including the red light in the headphone jack of my MacbookPro 15inch Intel. running MacOSX 10.4.11.

SOLUTION that worked for me.

with the red light showing in jack, plug in an ear phone set jack (eg, from the ipod or any mp3 ear phone set jack.  GO into sys prefs. select a different output sound, then back to head phone output.

Then shut the Mac down.

Remove the earphone jack and reboot.

That fixed it for me, but I don't know which of the above actions caused the fix. 

K


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## mvcube (May 17, 2008)

"Digital Output" together with the read light seems to indicate that the output is just in the wrong mode. Can it be, that there is a mechanical problem in the combined ear phone/digital output jacket of your MacBook so that the system assumes, an optical fibre is connected to the jack?


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## VirtualTracy (May 17, 2008)

Try this if the above solution doesn't work:


Using the butt end of a matchstick, very gently wiggle it around slowly inside the jack.

As you correctly noted, System Prefs confirms that _'Digital Out' _is enabled.  The matchstick should trigger the disabling of Digital Out and bring your speakers back to life.


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## kseemann (May 17, 2008)

mvcube said:


> "Digital Output" together with the read light seems to indicate that the output is just in the wrong mode. Can it be, that there is a mechanical problem in the combined ear phone/digital output jacket of your MacBook so that the system assumes, an optical fibre is connected to the jack?


that makes sense and would explain why the action I took to insert and remove a earphone audio jack somehow worked.


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## CharlieJ (May 17, 2008)

Tried running garageband?
Sometimes kicks my mac out of problems... Although.. My macs are ancient 

(im posting from a G3 [9 years old])0


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## kseemann (May 17, 2008)

...the that fact people can still do pretty much everything on 9 year old Macs is value for investment!  Possibly a bit slow, but still, try doing pretty much everything on 9 year old windows boxes!


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## bhndbrwneyes (Dec 28, 2008)

I have this problem and I tried shutting down my computer, the matchstick solution, and running garage band. Nothing is working.


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## captain.joco (Dec 28, 2008)

Hey dudes!

I once got the same problem. It's not software issue it's the hardware. It's a contact thingy. Thy plugging headphones ( or speakers ). See if those work. If those work, the unplug them very carefully, in a way that the contact sensor notices that you have nothing plugged in. 

I solved this by pressing on the area just over the place where you plug in the headphones, that moves the sensor a bit and the inbuilt speakers work. I know it;s not an actual solution, but it saved me.

Sorry for not giving any better help.


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## carobiner (Jul 9, 2009)

I had much success with the matchstick trick. Stuck it in, wiggled it around, and the speakers started working again. Thanks!


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## population10 (Feb 3, 2010)

Just wanted to anyone else know that if they are in this situation, the match stick actually works really well.

Thanks for the advice.



VirtualTracy said:


> Try this if the above solution doesn't work:
> 
> 
> Using the butt end of a matchstick, very gently wiggle it around slowly inside the jack.
> ...


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## JeffCGD (Feb 4, 2010)

The match stick works because there is a tiny door at the back of the headphone jack that  opens when you insert a longer optical digital audio (TOSLINK) fibre optic cable. This little door can get stuck open, and this trips the sensor that says to stay in optical digital audio mode even when the cable is removed. Inserting an analog audio cable triggers it to switch temporarily back to analog mode, until it's removed.


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## Agroking (Feb 4, 2010)

I have the same problem. It is because when you plug in a FO cable, a tab on the jack flips a switch, however, this switch has been bent over by brute force (knocked it perhaps?) I have not yet found a reliable fix apart from using an external usb sound card.


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