Question Wired headphones static/missing audio

[Velorien]

I've had this problem with two different sets of cables for my headphones. I plug them into my laptop to use for gaming, and if I push the jack in all the way, I get normal audio, but also constant static. On the other hand, if I pull them out slightly, the static vanishes, but so does some of the audio. Notably, when I play visual novels, the BGM carries on fine, but the character voices vanish. It's really weird.

Any idea what this is and how to fix it?

Edit: I don't get any static when plugging the headphones into my phone, so I guess it must be a laptop problem? Unfortunately, I don't know how to diagnose/fix it beyond that.

 

[dwd999]

I've had this problem with two different sets of cables for my headphones. I plug them into my laptop to use for gaming, and if I push the jack in all the way, I get normal audio, but also constant static. On the other hand, if I pull them out slightly, the static vanishes, but so does some of the audio. Notably, when I play visual novels, the BGM carries on fine, but the character voices vanish. It's really weird.

Any idea what this is and how to fix it?

Edit: I don't get any static when plugging the headphones into my phone, so I guess it must be a laptop problem? Unfortunately, I don't know how to diagnose/fix it beyond that.

What model headphones and cables are you using, and what model laptop? Headphone jacks used in phones usually have a TRRS jack layout which is meant to carry stereo sound and a microphone. Headphone jacks used in laptops usually use a TRS jack and there is a separate jack for the mic. If you have 2 jacks on your laptop then the headphone jack is TRS and its not the same as a phone TRRS jack. You would need an adapter to use TRRS phone headphones with a TRS laptop headphone jack. You can google TRRS and TRS to see pictures of the difference.

 

[Velorien]

I have TX-70 headphones (the manufacturer's website just says "3.5 mm jack"), an HP 250 G6 i5 laptop (with a headphone/microphone combo jack), and what I now know to be a TRS cable. It seems like all of those should be compatible, right?

 

[dwd999]

I have TX-70 headphones (the manufacturer's website just says "3.5 mm jack"), an HP 250 G6 i5 laptop (with a headphone/microphone combo jack), and what I now know to be a TRS cable. It seems like all of those should be compatible, right?

No, the combined headphone/microphone jack on the laptop implies that it is a TRRS jack similar to what is found on phones. I have been unable to find a picture of the cable and plug provided with the TX-70 so I don't know what that plug is. Various internet comments imply that the cable provided with the headphones is TRRS. This would explain why the headphones work fine if you use the manufacturer supplied cable to connect it to the phone TRRS to TRRS. You originally mentioned "two different sets of cables for my headphones"; what are those cables and where did you get them from? Do the headphones work if you plug the manufacturer supplied cable into the laptop? Does the cable look like this:

https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Auxiliary-Shielded-Compatible-Headphones/dp/B08RB17ZY1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=19987BN7UEG6D&keywords=trrs+cable&qid=1687994575&sprefix=trrs+%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3

 

[Velorien]

I've found a TRRS cable (not sure if it was the originally-supplied one or not) and that seems to work fine. Thanks for your help!