# How do i get the headphone jack to work on my PC's cd drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500 "2003-07-10T16:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/1 "2003-07-10T16:51:22Z")
My computer has two cd-drives, one a burner and one for dvd’s. They, as well as every other cd drive I have ever owned, have a headphone jack (1/8"?). I can vaguely remember using one of these jacks for my headphones back in the DOS days, but now I have the need to use them and can’t get a peep out of either one. What do I need to do? I’m running Windows XP. To avoid confusion, I want to make it clean I’m not trying to do anything stupid like expecting that audio from my sound card could come out of these jacks. I’m just trying to listen to the audio cd that is playing in that particular drive. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/2 "2003-07-10T16:58:22Z")
Usually the drives will have a volume control (usually a rotating control, but sometimes volume up/down buttons). Make sure it’s turned up. I assume you’ve tested your headphones in another device to see that they work? Other than that, I can’t think of anything it might be. ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/3 "2003-07-10T17:18:13Z")
There is also a volume and mute in the OS. If you go to system, sound and multimedia props, audio tab, then click on volume. Alternately, you could right click on the little speaker icon in your sys tray then select open volume controls. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/4 "2003-07-10T17:26:19Z")
I don’t think the OS volume control affects the headphone jack on the front of the drive. It doesn’t on mine, but maybe it does on some systems. I’ve never seen one that does that, though. Anyone have one like that? ---
**Author:** ![NormanConquest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@NormanConquest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NormanConquest)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/5 "2003-07-10T17:40:24Z")
Usually the headphone jack is independent of the OS’s volume setting. You can even use it without a PC attached. Get power to the drive and you can play an audio CD in most of them. Some have a track skip button that… skips tracks, but others rely on different presses of the eject button to control playback. The OS’s volume control will (generally) only work if you have an audio cable running from the back of the drive to the sound card. I’ve noticed that a lot of systems with multiple optical drives only have the audio cable hooked up to one, either due to the lack of another cable, or the lack of an extra input on the sound card. If they both have an audio cable, one might be hooked into the sound card’s “modem” slot, which usually makes no difference, just that it’s labeled oddly in the OS sound controls. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/6 "2003-07-10T19:25:24Z")
If you are using a commerically pressed (not burned) CD and neither output is giving you volume I would suggest checking your headphones. Also bear in mind that this audio passthrough mode _only_ works with CD music/audio CDA files (ie standard music CD tracks) . Not wav, wma, mp3 or any other digital music formats. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/7 "2003-07-10T22:02:36Z")
Do you get sound from the speakers? You know, is the audio wire connected properly? Did you read the cd makers manual? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/8 "2003-07-10T23:31:39Z")
Make sure that you are using a program that actually plays the CD. The windows media player doesn’t play the CD, it reads it as data and converts it to sound which it plays out the sound card (subtle difference). The good thing about this is that it works even if you don’t have the audio cable on your CD drive. The bad thing is the headphone doesnt work while it’s doing it. The old CD player from windows 98 does more like what you want. You might see if there’s something similar available for free. ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/9 "2003-07-10T23:48:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*I don’t think the OS volume control affects the headphone jack on the front of the drive. It doesn’t on mine, but maybe it does on some systems. I’ve never seen one that does that, though. Anyone have one like that? \*\* In win2k and XP there is direct control of the “CD Audio.” Did you even check my suggestion before questioning it? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/10 "2003-07-11T00:11:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by homercles \* > \*\*In win2k and XP there is direct control of the “CD Audio.” Did you even check my suggestion before questioning it? :rolleyes: \*\* Umm… you’re confusing yourself. The direct headphone output on the front of the CD bezel (if present) which the OP is inquiring about has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the CD audio slider in the OS volume control panel adjustment. That CD audio control panel adjustment is for the audio output of the CD audio through the sound card input. The bezel headphone output (which is being phased out on the latest models) is a holdover from the days when not every system had a sound card and is simply CD audio spooled directly off the CD and through a little DA convertor amp chip to the headphone jack with no intervention from the PC or the OS or the sound card. As another poster indicated you could listen to a CD using this jack just by applying power to the CD drive without it connected to the PC . ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/11 "2003-07-11T00:17:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by homercles \* > \*\*In win2k and XP there is direct control of the “CD Audio.” Did you even check my suggestion before questioning it? :rolleyes: \*\* Yes: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > **It doesn’t on mine…** That answer your question? ---
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/12 "2003-07-11T00:32:25Z")
Thanks for the input everyone. For more details: yes I am using commercially purchased audio cds, yes i turned the volume wheel up, yes my headphones work, and yes my speakers work just fine playing cd’s, movies, games, and everything else, thank you very much. My computer is on the floor, and therefore my headphone’s cord isn’t long enough to reach from the back of the case where the soundcard is to my head. I have had in the past had either a set of speakers with a headphone passthrough jack on the front or a pair of headphones with a longer cord that would reach. I’d like to listen to cd’s at night with my headphones as to not disturb others while i’m on the internet, writing, etc. I suspect that **engineer\_comp\_geek** has got it right. I can remember back with windows 98 that at one point I didn’t have an audio cable running from my cd-drive to the sound card and while the windows cd player couldn’t play cds, the new at the time windows media player could. it seems as though xp doesn’t have a stand-alone cd program in its accessories/entertainment folder like windows 98 did. Could somebody recommend to me a (free) program that actually plays the cds as opposed to whatever media player does with them? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/13 "2003-07-11T00:44:39Z")
I know it’s not exactly what you were looking for, but you could purchase a headphone cable extension. They’re not that expensive, around $5US for 6-foot cable. The reason I bring it up is, I haven’t tried the front headphone jack on mine since I got this CD-RW drive and Win XP, until I read this thread. I get nothing out of it, even with a couple of CD-players I downloaded, like [this one](http://download.com.com/3001-2139-1572106.html). The audio always comes through the sound card only. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/14 "2003-07-11T00:47:31Z")
Here use this - [$ 8.00 at Radio Shack](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F007%5F002%5F003%5F010&product%5Fid=42%2D2562) > [@](#): > > 20’ Gold-Plated Stereo Extension Cord > > $7.99 Brand: RadioShack > Catalog #: 42-2562 Model: 42-2562 > > PRODUCT FEATURES: > • 24-karat gold-plated high-performance contacts > • Straight flexible cord > • Accepts 1/8" stereo phone plug > • Fits 1/8" stereo phone jack > • Length 20 feet ---
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/15 "2003-07-11T00:55:11Z")
Could a techie confirm that windows xp and the headphone jacks on cd drives don’t get along? ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/16 "2003-07-11T01:13:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Umm… you’re confusing yourself. The direct headphone output on the front of the CD bezel (if present) which the OP is inquiring about has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the CD audio slider in the OS volume control panel adjustment. That CD audio control panel adjustment is for the audio output of the CD audio through the sound card input. The bezel headphone output (which is being phased out on the latest models) is a holdover from the days when not every system had a sound card and is simply CD audio spooled directly off the CD and through a little DA convertor amp chip to the headphone jack with no intervention from the PC or the OS or the sound card. As another poster indicated you could listen to a CD using this jack just by applying power to the CD drive without it connected to the PC . \*\* Look man, i have used the _effing_ volume control in the OS to raise and lower the volume of the headphone jack on the cd player. I have done this on a win98 and 2k machine. This used to be my preferred method of listening to CDs in lab at grad school. I have DIRECT first hand experience with this–do you? :rolleyes: BTW, i used to use the endogeneous “CD player” in win to do this. So, i respectfully retract my previous mention of XP (but it still does have an explict control of CD Audio, just not the old style CD player). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/17 "2003-07-11T01:50:52Z")
**Homercles** , please link to an online manual for any CD or DVD drive with a front-panel headphone jack, that explicity states that the volume of said jack can be adjusted through the Windows Volume Control. I respectfully submit that you cannot. I’ve been building, repairing and using these machines for over 10 years and never once seen a CD-ROM drive where the _front-panel_ jack volume could be adjusted via software. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/18 "2003-07-11T02:26:25Z")
[Here is the answer (and the fix)](http://www.plextor.com/english/support/faqs/HW00020.htm) Apparently the XP OS _can_ kill the headphone direct outputs by setting the system into default digital output mode so I stand corrected that the system is entirely pass-through. If it can do this there must be some degree of OS interaction with the ability of the CDROM to output in analog mode. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/19 "2003-07-11T02:40:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*I respectfully submit that you cannot. I’ve been building, repairing and using these machines for over 10 years and never once seen a CD-ROM drive where the _front-panel_ jack volume could be adjusted via software. \*\* _The front panel headphone jack **is** controllable through software._ I am doing it right now with a Liteon DVD-ROM LTD163 in a stock Dell 4550. Astro has the fix nailed. The drive defaults to digital playback. You need to go to **Start\>Control Panel\>Sounds and Audio Devices** , Click the **hardware** tab, select your device from the list, hit **properties** , then select the **properties** tab, and uncheck the **“Enable Digital CD Audio for this CD-ROM Device”** button. Then, in Windows Media Player, go to **tools\>options\>** and select the **Devices** tab. Choose your device in the list, hit **Properties** , and choose the **Playback - Analog** button. Reboot and enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500/20 "2003-07-11T02:59:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joey G \* > \*\*_The front panel headphone jack **is** controllable through software._ I am doing it right now with a Liteon DVD-ROM LTD163 in a stock Dell 4550. \*\* And before people start to get all nitpicky, I am not saying that they are all this way. I have only tried it on the machines I use regularly. Your mileage and equipment may vary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-the-headphone-jack-to-work-on-my-pcs-cd-drive/187500.md?page=2)