Guide to Connect External Speakers to a Windows PC
Do you want to enhance audio on the computer for tasks such as listening to music, gaming, or watching movies? Then, you can connect speakers to the PC for an immersive sound experience.
Connecting an external speaker to the computer offers deeper bass, better clarity, and a wider sound range than your PC or laptop’s basic internal speakers. Moreover, it gives you the freedom to listen to your favorite sound when you are sitting at a distance from your computer and cannot use headphones.
However, if how to connect speakers to the computer is a mystery for you, you can read this article to understand the step-by-step process to do it clearly. In this article, we guide you through connecting all kinds of speakers, such as wired speakers, USB speakers, and Bluetooth speakers, to your PC. Let’s begin right away to save valuable time.
You can effortlessly connect external speakers to your computer. If you have a wired speaker, connecting the speakers to the PC is simple using an audio jack, a USB speaker via the USB port, and a Bluetooth speaker by pairing it with your computer. Below is a detailed explanation of how to set up speakers on a PC in all these cases.
Connecting a wired speaker to the PC: Use a 3.5mm audio jack
A USB or headphone jack makes it easy to connect any wired speaker to a laptop or PC. Most of the computers come with a 3.5mm audio input connector, i.e., a plug that fits into a headphone jack. As for how to connect speakers to a laptop, below is a simple series of steps you can follow to set up your wired speaker on your system.
Begin by arranging the speakers. Mostly, the speakers have a clear Left (L) or Right (R) marking on the bottom or back of the speakers. Ensure that the connector cable reaches its corresponding input on your PC, and the power cable, if there is any, reaches an outlet, wherever you place the speakers.
After arranging the speakers, turn the speaker’s volume to the minimum using the volume dial.
Now, click on the sound icon in the bottom right corner of the taskbar and adjust the device’s volume to about 75%.
In this step, with your computer turned on, locate the 3.5mm audio output port (generally, it is a green colored port) and the microphone or audio input port (generally, pink colored).
Once you have identified the ports, plug the 3.5mm connector of your speaker into the audio output port and, if available, the microphone connector into the microphone or audio input port.
Next, make sure that the speaker is plugged in, charged, and powered on.
In this step, open Settings on your computer using the Win+I keyboard shortcut.
Once the Settings panel appears, choose System settings and then navigate to the Sound settings.
In the Sound settings, under the Output section, set your speakers as the default playback device.
In the Input section, choose your device as the default microphone device.
Lastly, play some audio to check if the speakers are functioning correctly. If you experience problems with the speakers, you can follow this guide to fix the computer speakers not working.
That was how to connect a speaker to the PC if the speaker is a wired one. Let’s now help you set up a USB speaker on your computer.
Connecting a USB speaker to the PC: Connect through the USB port
It is a whole lot easier to connect a USB speaker to the computer, as these speakers boast plug-and-play capabilities over USB. Below is a step-by-step process you can follow to set up USB speakers.
In the first step, locate your computer’s USB port.
After finding the USB port, plug in your speaker’s USB cable into the USB port on your PC.
Next, make sure that your speaker is plugged in, powered on, and charged, and make the required volume adjustments.
Now, download and install the necessary audio drivers on your computer to ensure your operating system recognizes your audio device and functions smoothly.
In this step, set the speakers as your default audio device by following the path Win+I shortcut>System>Sound.
Lastly, play something on your computer to check if the speaker is working. If the speaker is not working smoothly, try connecting it through another USB port on your computer, update or reinstall the audio driver, and ensure the speaker is set as your default device in sound settings.
After learning how to connect speakers to a computer, if you have USB speakers, let’s help you understand how to do the same for Bluetooth speakers.
Connecting a Bluetooth speaker to the PC: Pair the speakers
It is even easier to set up a Bluetooth speaker on the computer. All you need to do is turn on the Bluetooth and pair the two devices together. Here is how to do it.
First, ensure your computer has Bluetooth. You can do this by following the path Win+X shortcut>Device Manager>Double-click Bluetooth or Bluetooth Radios. If you find anything in this list, your computer has Bluetooth.
However, if Bluetooth is unavailable on your computer, you can use a Bluetooth dongle to get the Bluetooth functionality.
Now, place your Bluetooth speakers in a place close to your computer (ideally within 30 feet of your PC).
Next, turn on your Bluetooth speaker by following the instructions in the speaker’s instruction manual, as they may differ from one speaker to another. However, generally, the speakers have a button you need to hold down for a couple of seconds to make the speakers discoverable.
In this step, apply the Win+I shortcut on your computer to open Settings.
From the Settings panel, choose Devices and then Bluetooth & other devices (on Windows 10) or straightaway Bluetooth & devices (on Windows 11).
Next, if Bluetooth is off, toggle it on.
After turning on the Bluetooth, choose + Add Bluetooth or other device and then Bluetooth (on Windows 10) or + Add device and then Bluetooth (on Windows 11).
Now, click on your Bluetooth speaker and follow the on-screen instructions to pair it with your computer.
After completing the Bluetooth speaker pairing with your PC, follow the path Win+I shortcut>System>Sound>Choose where to play sound>Your Bluetooth speaker on your computer.
Lastly, play sound on your PC to check if the Bluetooth speaker is functioning. If it is not working as expected, you can follow this guide to fix connections to Bluetooth audio devices.
Speakers to PC Connection Successful
The above guide explained how to connect speakers to the laptop or PC. Hopefully, your speaker gets connected to your computer successfully for a memorable sound experience.
However, if you need help setting up your speakers, have any doubts, or have any suggestions/feedback to improve this article, you are welcome to contact us through the comments section.