Why can I listen but cannot talk with my headphones?

Question

I am facing a problem that I cannot solve for some weeks. It is the following:

I have a headphones with microphone and when I connect them to my computer (the headphones have 2 jack connectors separated and I bought an adapter because my laptop only have 1, but I do not think that it is the problem), I can hear if I play listen music on my computer but If I try to record something the microphone seems not to work.

I know that the microphone works because I used it in other computers and it works so what I think about it is that there is some problem with the drivers so I went to the right corner of my screen, right click on the volume icon and press "Recording devices...".

Here I can see a microphone symbol. My computer also has an integrated microphone and if I do not connect my headphones it works without problems. The problems comes when I connect the headphones because it seems that it does not recognise any voice, in the headphones or integrated microphone.

Related with the drivers what I tried it is to right click that microphone symbol and press "Properties". Here I press again to "Properties" and after "Change configuration". Now in the tab "Driver" I pressed "Update Driver..." and I had to reboot the computer when it finish.

After that, nothing changes. I can see that in the tab "Events" the following message stays: The device HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0233&SUBSYS_104319AD&REV_1000\4&20195f09&0&0001 require more installation.

Other features: I am using Windows 10 and using a laptop ASUS F555L.

What does it mean? How can I fix my problems?

P.S: In the other computers I cannot try the adapter because there I have both female jacks separated (one microphone and one the headphones) and I have to use the 3.5mm jacks mandatorily because I do not have any USB port free so please avoid answers telling to get another headphones or another adapter with USB port.

If I prove the headphones with microphone in the computers that have both jacks separated I can use both headphones and microphone without problems.

Thanks in advance!!

Solution

Comments to your actions...

Related with the drivers what I tried it is to right click that microphone symbol and press "Properties". Here I press again to "Properties" and after "Change configuration". Now in the tab "Driver" I pressed "Update Driver..." and I had to reboot the computer when it finish. After that, nothing changes.

You probably have updated driver for your laptop internal microphone there.

I can see that in the tab "Events" the following message stays: The device HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0233&SUBSYS_104319AD&REV_1000\4&20195f09&0&0001 require more installation.

I'm not quite familiar with Windows 10 and I don't know what you mean by Events tab, but:

• VEN_10EC is Realtek.
• DEV_0233 points to Realtek High Definition Audio(SST).

So you should look for latest audio driver for you laptop Realtek sound card directly on ASUS support site (select proper model and OS) not trough Windows Update.

It is absolutely crucial to update your laptop audio drivers to latest ones - it seems that ASUS have many issues with combined audio port, especially under Windows 10 and updated audio drivers few times recently.

---

Boring theory...

You can't mix more than one analog audio signal on single analog line, on single channel (audio frequency range) without interference. Every speaker or microphone use an audio channel to send/receive audio signal.

For a headset:

• Headphones uses two (left L and right R) stereo audio channels.
• Microphone uses single mono audio channel.

So a headset need 3+1 wires (three separate wires for audio channels and one common ground wire).

Analog audio cables are ended usually by jacks. Jacks have a different diameters: 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm, 6.5mm... Most common speaker/microphone jacks might be also classified by count of conductors/segments:

• TS (Tip/Sleeve) 2 conductor jacks. Pretty standardized:
  • T - M audio.
  • S - G ground.
• TRS (Tip/Ring/Sleeve) 3 conductor jacks. Also pretty standardized:
  • T - L left audio.
  • R - R right audio.
  • S - G ground wire.
• TRRS (Tip/Ring/Ring/Sleeve) 4 conductor jacks. Ugly unstandardized:
  • T - L left audio.
  • R - R right audio.
  • R - G ground wire (PC/Apple) or M microphone audio (Nokia).
  • S - M microphone audio (PC/Apple) or G ground wire (Nokia).

---

Resolution...

That's your laptop right side:

And manual says:

Headphone output/microphone input combo jack port

This port allows you to connect your Notebook PC to amplified speakers or headphones. You can also use this port to connect your Notebook PC to an external microphone.

It's not clear if the port is:

• Combined TRRS jack socket and is it (L - left, R - right, M - microphone, G - ground):
  • LRGM or
  • LRMG.
• Switched TRS jack socked with impedance detection.

Headset should have two TRS jacks.

IMO you should start from asking ASUS what is the port type - it can save your money and time and allow to just choose optimal solution.

Try to determine which type (LRGM or LRMG) TRRS - 2xTRS adapter you have - electrical multimeter (conductivity or resistance measurement). It is more probably that LRGM adapter will works on PC.

Don't forget about primary audio drivers update!

Remarks:

• Headphones cable (TRS) connected to the port - as you noticed - will always work (it doesn't matter is the port is TRS or TRRS). If the port is TRRS it is shortcuts microphone wire to ground M-G, so maybe it is the reason why internal microphone don't work in this case.
• Try to connect only headphones cable through adapter to the port and check if internal microphone work this time. It's prevent M-G shortcut.
• Headset microphone connected to the TRS port should work.
• Headset microphone connected to the TRRS port won't work and will shortcut M-G.
• Connect only headset microphone through adapter to the port. Is internal or headset microphone work this time?

Resolutions:

• Buy analog TRRS to 2xTRS audio adapter of opposite type (TRRS-LRGM vs TRRS-LRMG) and check if it works.
• Buy USB to 2xTRS adapter.

IMO analog TRRS to 2xTRS audio adapters are better solution than USB to 2xTRS adapter:

• USB to 2xTRS adapter is basically a simplified sound card and might require additional drivers.
• It's more probable that PC internal sound card is better than USB to 2xTRS adapter sound card so sound quality might be better.
• Wires are more reliable than electronics.
• One of two complement TRRS (LRGM or LRMG) should always work.
• ;)

But finally a better solution is the working one.

Comments

[Steve Reeder]

When you connect the headphones to another computer do you connect both jacks or do you use the converter like you do on your laptop? Usually if a headphone jack has a mic and the end connector is two 1/8" male jacks, one is for the headphone, the other is a line level mic input for your microphone. The driver error is interesting. Are you sure the convertor does not require a driver?

[Error404]

@Richie086 In other computers I can connect both male jacks to my laptops, I do not need any adapter. The adapter are 2 female jacks of 3.5mm (I am not secure if it means the same as 1/8'') that ends in a single male jack (with 2 colours, green and pink, the same as in headphones). And in the package that were the adapter it does not say nothing about any driver (It doesn't has any instruction). If you need more info, please let me know.

[Steve Reeder]

My bad I meant 3.5 mm. See if you have the same issue on other computers if you use the convertor, or if it works. One solution for your laptop would be to go out and get a pair of headphones that use USB instead of 3.5mm jacks.

[Ecnerwal]

...and another (likely less costly) solution would be a USB to microphone in adapter (or a USB to mic in and headphone out adapter, but you only need the simpler option.)

[Error404]

@Richie086 I cannot try the adapter on other computers because in my other computers I have the both female jacks separated (one microphone and one the headphones) and I have to use the 3.5mm jacks mandatorily because I do not have any USB port free. But if I prove the headphones with microphone in the computers that have both jacks separated I can use both headphones and microphone without problems.

[g2mk]

Have you updated audio driver to the latest one directly? dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/nb/DriversForWin10/Audio/…

[g2mk]

Are you aware that best you can get (w/o buying a converter) is a working laptop microphone and headphones?

[Error404]

@g2mk Can you put the source in which you found it please? Thanks!

[Error404]

@g2mk I am sorry but I do not understand what you mean.

[g2mk]

@Error404 Source of which information? What part aren't you understand?

[Error404]

@g2mk both answers are for both posts that you put before. Source of the drivers. And the part of "working laptop microphone and headphones", also what "w/o" means.

[Error404]

Your answer clarify a lot of things related with that theme, thank you! But I still have some doutbs: why with USB adapter it will work? I suppose that the adapter converts analog signal to digital signal and that it can be mixed. That is?

[Error404]

and the adapter its like: amazon.es/StarTech-Adaptador-Divisor-Auriculares-Micr%C3%B3f‌​ono/…

[g2mk]

@Error404 It might be a good adapter - you need to check it. But first... Which ASUS F555L have you got - F555LF, F555LB or F555LN? Please update audio drivers to latest first asus.com/search/results.aspx?SearchKey=F555L

[Error404]

Do you mean the USB adapter or the adapter that I attach to your answer?

[g2mk]

@Error404 Adapter that you’re linked/have - it is have 4 conductors/segments an its jack? Please check it carefully and update audio drivers - ASUS laptops have issues with audio sockets which they solving in drivers updates.

[Error404]

It has 3 conductors (if you mean the black lines that are on the jack conector) as it can be seen on the image.

[g2mk]

@Error404 Insulators are black/plastic, conductors are metallic/shiny.

[Error404]

Yes, then it has 4 parts (conductors) separated by black lines (insulators).

[Error404]

And my laptop model seems to be only F555L, without any additional F, B or N.

[g2mk]

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

[Error404]

I cannot be secure of what version of drivers should I download. Also, I do not know if I can download specific drivers for the microphone and not for the full computer.