This is frustrating....

[conuly]

I prefer to listen to things on the computer via headphones rather than speakers. Recently, the audio jack stopped working. It says it's unplugged.

It's not wobbly, so I think it's likely not a hardware issue. (Can't solve a hardware issue anyway - this laptop won't handle any more repair work!) The headphones work fine on other devices. I've tried rebooting. I've tried disabling and enabling the device. I've tried updating the driver. I've tried uninstalling the driver, reinstalling it, and rebooting. What is left to try?

If there's nothing else left, I suppose I could get a set of USB headphones. I'm reluctant to do this, though, because I'm out of ports (because the poor condition of my poor laptop means I'm using a plugged in keyboard and mouse), and all my USB ports *are* a bit wobbly, so I don't want to strain them with a lot of plugging and unplugging. I could get a USB hub, but... I mean, at this point, I know what the solution really is. The solution really is that I start saving my money and put it towards a new computer. But at least USB headphones would be a(nother) stopgap before I have to bite that bullet.

Comments

[archangelbeth]

Yes! I have glasses! I suspect they don't work quite as well, but the earpiece loop is half flexible. (This is the expensive Beats one from the Apple Store. I've gotten cheaper ones from, like, Staples, and IIRC, they were flexible all through. This one is stiff for the first, "front" part, then flexible at the "sits on top of ear" part till the tip.)

They're at least as comfy with my glasses as most padded, not-too-squeezy headphones are.

[conuly]

I'll think on it. Thanks :)

[archangelbeth]

If your computer has kind of dubious Bluetooth, the Apple/Beats ones appear to be more capable of holding a connection than the Philips headphones. If your computer has decent Bluetooth, I strongly suspect that even relatively cheap forms of the "over the ear + buds" might suffice, so you could see if you hate them or not. Might find cheaper ones in a Best Buy or Staples? Dunno.

Here's a no-longer-available version, Skullcandy brand:
http://www.pssl.com/Skullcandy-CHOPSBUD-Over-The-Ear-Buds-GreyRed -- apparently "over the ear buds" is the right term to get a lot of hits at duckduckgo, on a search...

[conuly]

I have no idea if it's dubious or not, to be honest. Like many people, I'm set in my ways and reluctant to change, and I'm pretty sure I've never used bluetooth anything with this computer!

[gatheringrivers]

Bluetooth isn't bad - my portable devices support bluetooth, so I use them with my watch. I think the range is *somewhere* in the neighborhood of 50-100 feet? So for most smaller houses you could likely go to the kitchen, the loo, and back to your desk without running out of connection.

I'll ping hubby and see if he knows whether there's a way to tell if it's a good or so-so bluetooth connection.

(That said, Anker makes a line of nice, useful and durable USB hubs and cables, so if you decide to go that route, I think I've seen one of theirs hold up to 10 ports?)

[conuly]

At this point, I'll see what's cheapest at Staples.

[archangelbeth]

The only way I know this computer has dubious bluetooth is because it has a really short range (20 feet?) and it won't sync up with those headphones properly. ^_^