3 Posts
0
2364
P2419H, WD19, AC511M Soundbar, no sound
Hey everyone - I hope you can help me out.
I thought it would be fun to get a sound bar for my set-up, but when I plug the sound bar into my monitor's usb port -- I see "Real Tek audio" -- and no sound comes out. When I plug it directly into my Mac mini (but obviously not to my MacBook since it has no USB ports) -- it works just fine.
I want it to work for both computers when they are plugged into my C-dock (and I'm happy to move the cable from one to the other, I just want to avoid TWO cables).
Has anyone gotten an AC511M soundbar plugged into a P2419H monitor on a WD19 dock to output sound from any computer attached to the dock?
- Dell Stereo Soundbar AC511M
- Dell P2419H 24"
- Dell WD19 180W Docking Station
jphughan
9 Legend
9 Legend
•
14K Posts
1
October 3rd, 2021 06:00
@blackcatranch There’s only one upstream port since the display essentially offers a USB hub that just happens to be built into a display, and just like a regular hub, there are multiple peripheral ports and one connection back to the PC. The User Guide for that display, which you can find on the Dell Support site (or use this direct link to the PDF), has diagrams that nicely identify its various connections, including where to find that upstream port. And actually that display should have come with the necessary USB cable to make that connection. If you don’t have that anymore, you need a USB-B to USB-A cable, otherwise known as a “regular USB 3.0 cable” or sometimes a USB 3.0 printer cable, since USB-B is often found on printers.
jphughan
9 Legend
9 Legend
•
14K Posts
0
October 2nd, 2021 21:00
@blackcatranch Do you have a USB cable connected from the display’s upstream USB port to a USB port on the dock? In order to use USB Audio, you need a USB data path from the soundbar all the way back to the source, so if you connect the soundbar to a USB port on the display but don’t have a USB connection from the display to the dock (which has a USB data path to the source), then you won’t get USB Audio from the system all the way out to the soundbar. The display will not accept audio over HDMI/DP and pass it out via USB, so a video cable does not cover this.
Also make sure that the soundbar is selected as the audio output device.
blackcatranch
3 Posts
0
October 3rd, 2021 05:00
Thanks for your response
Tbere is an HDMI cable connecting monitor to Dell dock.
Which of the USB ports on the monitor are considered upstream and down stream? There are two on the left side and two on the back.
blackcatranch
3 Posts
0
October 3rd, 2021 09:00
That totally worked!
I have been in the process of decomissioning a 12 year old Lenovo laptop (which, of course has ALL possible ports and connections on it). I went through all my collection of cables and was wondering "What the heck are THESE?" and have a bag of 4 of USB B to USB A cables that I was about to donate with the laptop (prevented only by my late recollection of a giant cd wallet of CD R/W data discs that I wanted to review before sending my last reader off to a new life).
I guess this was a case of RTFM -- though, since I am also decomissioning a 15 year old monitor which only has VGA/DVI connectors (no USB ports) I guess I couldn't have known.
NOW I know why those USB ports on my monitors at work don't work - going to have to talk to the IT department about that.
Also, now I know why my Dell monitor (purchased in March) is sold out everywhere and doubled in cost on Amazon.
jphughan
9 Legend
9 Legend
•
14K Posts
0
October 3rd, 2021 13:00
@blackcatranch Glad I was able to help! Yeah, USB-B has become less common now that larger devices that historically used it have started to be used wirelessly (like printers) and other peripherals designed to be more portable will instead use microUSB-B. And now of course we have USB-C that's meant to replace all variations of the USB-B and USB-A connectors. Good luck getting your IT department to add the cabling necessary to make those USB ports at work usable!