mic headphones problem

[Rick Knight]

Jon Grant wrote:
> Hi Karl,
>
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> On 19/03/2008, Karl Larsen <k5di at zianet.com> wrote:
>   
>> Jon Grant wrote:
>>  > I've got a very bizarre situation. Two pairs of headphones which work
>>  > perfectly in another PC do not work with my Dell Laptop Inspiron 1300
>>  > mic jack port. but bizarrely if i plug headphones into my laptop jack
>>  > I can speak into the headphone and be heard on voice chat etc..!
>>  >
>>  > so anyone know the real Mic not work with the port..? Maybe some
>>  > stereo configuration? although mic has stereo jack...
>>  >
>>  > Any tips appreciated.
>>  >
>>  > Kind regards, Jon
>>  >
>>  >
>>
>>     First, you talk about your Headphones working on one computer but
>>  not another. Then you talk about the Mike jack that has a 3 pin jack on it.
>>
>>     Please tell us what is not working. I assume the thing your using is
>>  a compination earphone-mike like I have, and it has two plugs, one for
>>  earphone one for mike.
>>
>>     Now what is wrong?
>>     
>
> yes, you are right, has two plus like you say.
>
> Mic in other PC works fine. Other Mic in other PC also works fine.
>
> Mic in Dell Laptop with Kubuntu does not work.
> Headphone plugged into Mic socket on Dell Laptop with Kubuntu does
> work as a mic.
>
> So I think there is a configuration of my Dell Laptop Mic port that
> has a problem.. as speaker can be used as Mic in the port..
>
> Thanks for your help
> Jon
>
>   
A speaker, of any kind, including the speaker in a set of headphones, 
can act as a microphone. The headphone speaker will have different 
impedance and voltage characteristics, so it could be just putting out a 
higher level signal than the mic plugged into the same mic connector. 
Check the mixer gain for Mic. If I recall, you can turn on 20db gain in 
the mixer.

Rick