No sound out of External Bose speakers

Question

No sound out of External Bose speakers

Delano Billingsley 0

Why is there no sound out of Bose external speakers but there is sound when headphones are plugged in the same port?

I'm running windows 8.1 and my speaker drivers are up to date. I've ran the speaker troubleshooter and it found no issues. I've reset the Windows Audio service still no sound. I've connected a new set of speakers and still no sound. ANY Ideas, anyone?

DC

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Answer 2

Emma1-N 13,320 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Welcome Delano Billingsley,

Since both your original Bose speakers and a second set of speakers produce no sound, while headphones work normally from the same audio jack, the speaker hardware itself is less likely to be the cause.

To narrow this down, could you confirm:

Are the Bose speakers powered speakers, and does the power indicator light turn on?
When the speakers are connected, does Windows show them as the active playback device in Control Panel > Sound > Playback?
What is the make and model of your computer?

In the meantime, please try this quick test:

Right-click the speaker icon and select Playback devices (or open Control Panel > Sound)
Connect the speakers
Select Speakers/Headphones and click Properties
On the Advanced tab, uncheck Enable audio enhancements (if available), then click Apply

Looking forward to your update.

Delano Billingsley 0 Reputation points

2026-09-23T20:09:05.72+00:00

Yes both sets of Bose speakers are powered. Although there are no power indicator lights on either set. Both are Companion 2 Series II speaker systems. When connected Windows does recognize them as playback devices. I have an HP Envy 850-050qe with Bang and Olufsen sound card.
Delano Billingsley 0 Reputation points

2026-09-23T20:14:35.59+00:00

Yes both sets of Bose speakers are powered. Although there are no power indicator lights on either set. Both are Companion 2 Series II speaker systems. When connected Windows does recognize them as playback devices. I have an HP Envy 850-050qe with Bang and Olufsen sound card. I tried your suggestions but it didn't solve the issue.
Emma1-N 13,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-25T07:54:18.6466667+00:00
Hello Delano Billingsley,

Thank you for the update. Since Windows detects the speakers and headphones work from the same jack, let's check whether audio is actually reaching the device:

Open Control Panel > Sound > Playback.

Play audio and watch the green level meter next to the Bose playback device.

If the meter moves, open Properties > Advanced and change the Default Format to 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality), then click Apply.
Delano Billingsley 0 Reputation points

2026-09-25T13:41:51.5933333+00:00

Emma1-N thanks for your support. I’ve figured out what was wrong. It turns out the speakers weren’t being powered. They were connected to a power strip that was defective. I plugged them directly into the wall outlet and they worked. Since they didn’t have a power indicator light it was difficult to know whether they were on or not. All is well now. Thanks again!
Emma1-N 13,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-26T07:52:38.4+00:00

Hello Delano Billingsley,

Thank you as well for posting the solution. It may help other community members who encounter a similar situation with external speakers.

I'm pleased to know everything is working correctly now. Have a great day!