Clip on speakers, mono into stereo speakers?

Victoria Green

I have purchased a JARVIS JAR101 "commercial Android tablet" running an application for me ol' mum, who can't hear well. A cheap pair of clip-on speakers was also purchased, which has a 3.5mm jack plug and separate USB power connection.

These speakers work (both) when plugged into my Android 'phone. However, when plugged into the tablet, only one works. I suspect this is because the feed from the tablet is mono. The jack plug itself has 3 contact areas; the tip, middle and section nearest the wire (i.e. two plastic rings separating them). A search for "TiooDre Portable Mini Clip-On USB Powered Stereo Speaker Mini Soundbar for Notebook Laptop PC Desktop Tablet" shows the speakers.

Is there a way of making both speakers work, either by software or soldering? I'm "handy", but don't understand these speakers.

JayCee

A Google search for the tablet specs and user manual shows the 10” version has a stereo output of 2x1W so it is stereo.
Plug in headphones to confirm.

Victoria Green

OK, thank you for that. I could not find a reference to stereo, only "2 x 1W O/P".


So.


I plugged in some headphones to the JAR101 tablet, and tested by touching the screen, which causes what's on it to be read out. Both headphone speakers worked at the same volume.

Plugging the clip-on speakers in to the JAR101 tablet resulted in one working fine, the other producing a tiny volume, but still "working".

Plugging the clip-on speakers audio into my Android 7.0 phone and testing the ringtone has both speakers working at the same volume each side.

Plugging the clip-on speakers speakers into my W10 laptop, going to "system sounds" and testing has both speakers working at t the same volume each side.

I am confused. Any ideas, please?

JayCee

That's the standard description of a stereo output, 2 X 1W O/P means 1 watt output to the left channel and 1 watt output to the right channel.

Are you testing them powered with the USB connection?

qwakuk

Would a Bluetooth speaker not be easier

Victoria Green

OK I did not know about the standard description, I know very little about this sort of stuff, as you can tell... thanks for that.

I am testing the speakers by plugging the 3.5mm jack into the audio socket of the tablet, and the USB plug into a USB socket of the tablet.

When I test them elsewhere, I am plugging the 3.5mm jack into either my 'phone or my laptop, and the USB plug into one of the laptop's powered USB sockets in both cases.

Hm. I have a portable (mains) USB power supply I could try....

Victoria Green

Unsure, but thank you for your consideratoin. The tablet is permanently on, but does not regularly output audio, so I suspect that a Bluetooth speaker would power itself down, and that would be such a major problem that it would not be possible to use such a thing.

JayCee

Definitely try a separate USB power supply as a tablet's USB socket is not suitable as a power source.
That may well be the problem.

Victoria Green

Mañana.

I'll be back.

Victoria Green

Well. Very odd.

I plugged the clip-on speakers into the tablet's 3.5mm jack socket, and the USB cable into a working USB mains adapter. Testing:

Using the tablet's touch screen to "recite what text is shown onscreen" showed only one speaker of the two working.

Using the "VSee messenger video conference app" on the tablet in test mode (records video/audio on remote server, then plays it back) showed only one speaker of the two working.

However, using ordinary and elderly Labtec C110 headphones (jack only, no USB power) on the tablet had both headphone speakers working (touch screen recital only tested)!

Plugging the clip-on speakers into my 'phone and the USB cable into a working USB mains adapter, then playing a test ringtone, showed both speakers working!

Quite frankly I'm stumped. Any ideas?