Not a sound…

The other day, I was watching a Youtube video, enjoying myself, when suddenly there was no sound. Oh dear, I thought! My antique speakers have finally called it a day.

I first started using them in 2011 when the set that came with my desktop computer conked out. They actually came with the first computer we had – my missus bought it in the 90’s when my girl was little for her to play games. I loved the sound reproduction with the sensurround stereo effect, something that the newer set did not have.

I quickly called my computer guy and he came over to my house to check. It did not take him very long – he was able to detect the fault in an instant. The built-in sound card was spoilt so he went to the shop at the nearby mall to get a spare. Unfortunately, it was out of stock and during this COVID-19 time, they did not know when there would be new stock coming in. He asked for the USB audio adapter but that too was not available.

In the end, he came back to my house empty-handed. That afternoon, he called to tell me that a friend had a second-hand sound card so he could come to fix it for me. Unfortunately, after hours working on trying to install a compatible driver, he gave up and decided to return the sound card to whoever he got it from. In the meantime, another friend called back (he had phoned him earlier) and he said he had the USB audio adapter…and even though his shop was closed that day, he was going there to get something and if my computer guy could meet him there, he would be able to sell him one.

Off he went and finally, he came back with this (RM50.00)…

…which he plugged into my CPU… …and he plugged the audio jack of the loudspeakers into it and the USB (of the loudspeakers) into the CPU as well…

…and lo and behold! There was sound!!!

I wanted to try and use my old loudspeakers but he advised against it as they might be faulty and had caused the sound card to be damaged. In the end, I asked him to get me a new pair of speakers (RM55.00)…

…which worked very well though the sound reproduction was not as nice as that of the old set. This one was USB-powered, unlike the old one which had a plug and I had to plug that into a power socket and switch on the electricity for it to work.

Perhaps if I had gone for a better (and more expensive) set, it would be better but never mind! As long as there is sound…

…and as long as I do not have to watch “silent movies”, I’m fine with it.