# Audio Cable Problem: anyone wanna troubleshoot this for me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-cable-problem-anyone-wanna-troubleshoot-this-for-me/673680 "2013-11-11T22:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-cable-problem-anyone-wanna-troubleshoot-this-for-me/673680/1 "2013-11-11T22:12:58Z")
I don’t really use my computer as an entertainment center, so I just have two very simple little speakers. [THIS is the cable that runs from a single output from my computer then splits to plug into a left speaker input and a right speaker input.](http://blog.arcsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/stereo-mini-rca-y-splitter.jpg) I had to move everything, and unplugged everything from the tower . . . or so I thought. I had not yet unplugged the speakers. When I moved the tower, the cable got pulled out violently. When I set it up again the audio was no longer working (well it was _kinda_ working). If I plug fully in for the Left speaker, then I _gently rest the metal prong against the outer metal casing_ of the Right speaker . . . then the Left Speaker works (and _only_ the Left speaker). If I plug fully in for the Right speaker, then I _gently rest the metal prong against the outer metal casing_ of the Left speaker . . . then the RIght Speaker works (and _only_ the Right speaker). So, I chose to hope that I I had just damaged the easily replaceable cable. Nope. I just came home with a new cable and the problem remains the same. So, did I damage the input jacks for the speakers? Or did I damage the output jack from the tower? I’d rather the speakers be damaged, since I’d just replace them with another cheapo set. When the cable got “yanked” though, it got yanked from the tower. Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-cable-problem-anyone-wanna-troubleshoot-this-for-me/673680/2 "2013-11-11T22:15:41Z")
You probably broke the jack on the computer end. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-cable-problem-anyone-wanna-troubleshoot-this-for-me/673680/3 "2013-11-11T22:22:45Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > You probably broke the jack on the computer end. Damn. Of course that makes the most sense, that’s where the violence occurred. Well, I ain’t buying another computer because of it. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-cable-problem-anyone-wanna-troubleshoot-this-for-me/673680/4 "2013-11-11T22:28:31Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Damn. Of course that makes the most sense, that’s where the violence occurred. Well, I ain’t buying another computer because of it. Get a USB-to-audio device to replace the busted audio output. They are around $3 on ebay, and work fine. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-cable-problem-anyone-wanna-troubleshoot-this-for-me/673680/5 "2013-11-11T22:32:07Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Get a USB-to-audio device to replace the busted audio output. > They are around $3 on ebay, and work fine. Hmmm, didn’t know anything about USB-to-audio devices. Will have to check it out. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-cable-problem-anyone-wanna-troubleshoot-this-for-me/673680/6 "2013-11-11T22:34:30Z")
Do you have a soldering iron? Open the case, find the jack, and reflow any solder that’s near the jack. Look for anything broken near there as well. Or just go with the USB solution.