Front Panel Audio Broken???

[Cs342]

Hello,
I use an ASUS P8P67 PRO B3 motherboard with onboard HD audio and I have the Realtek Audio Manager installed. My rear speakers work fine and sound quality is great but when I plug headphones into the front audio jack (green), the sound sounds very distorted with lots of static, squeaking and absolutely no bass at all (the headphones work well with other computers and MP3 players). I tried switching to AC97 but that made the front panel audio have no sound at all. However, I found that by bending the motherboard HD audio connector slightly, the front audio sound became perfect. Once I let go though, the sound always returns back to its very ugly and low quality state. My system is less than a month old. Is there any way to fix this? Is it a software or hardware based problem? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[COLGeek]

Honestly, it sounds like your front panel connector is the problem and not making a good connection. That would be a problem with the case. If under warranty, return/exchange it.

If not under warranty, look closely at the connector to verify that each wire if firmly connector to the pins inside the connector itself.

Or....get a new case.

Good luck!

 

[Cs342]

Could it be the actual audio pins on the motherboard? As I mentioned, the audio is fixed when I bend the case audio connector (which is dirrectly plugged into the pins on the motherboard) downwards slightly.

 

[COLGeek]

It is possible, but not likely. If that was true, the mobo would be defective as those are soldered into place and would likely just fall off.

 

[Cs342]

The case is brand new though...could there be a software solution? If not, how could I fix this without getting a new case? I just built a water cooled system and I really don't want to take anything out.

 

[COLGeek]

You can try to tighten the FP connector to make sure the pins make a solid connection. This may take a bit of trial and error to address.

You could also remove the FP connector (disconnect) and only use the ports on the motherboard (back of system) and your speakers (many speakers have a headphone jack(.

 

[Cs342]

Would buying a USB headset solve this?

 

[COLGeek]

Would buying a USB headset solve this?

Yes, that would by-pass the problem. Also (I thought of this while driving t work this morning), you could contact the case vendor and explain your situation. They might send you a new FP connector or front bezel (depends on how you case is made). Worth a shot.

 

[Cs342]

Okay thanks a lot for the help!!

 

[Cs342]

Best answer selected by Cs342.