How To Play 2 Speakers On One Computer

How to Use Two Speaker Systems at Once on Your Computer

By Mike Venture

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Surround sound can greatly enhance your multimedia experience, whether you're listening to music, playing computer games or watching movies. Most computers have a built-in ability to output multichannel audio without specialized equipment, so if you have two independent speaker systems, you can combine them into a surround-sound system almost immediately.

Step 1

Separate the speaker systems. One set will be the front speakers and one will be the rear speakers.

Step 2

Place one front speaker on either side of your monitor. Be sure to place the right speaker on the right and the left speaker on the left.

Step 3

Connect the left and right front speakers using the built-in wire.

Step 4

Place the rear speakers behind your computer chair opposite the front speakers.

Step 5

Connect the left and right rear speakers using the built-in wire.

Step 6

Connect both sets of speakers' power cords to wall outlets or a power strip.

Step 7

Use the speakers' built-in volume control to turn the volume all the way down on both sets.

Step 8

Shut down the computer.

Step 9

Connect the front speakers' input cable to the green 3.5 mm "Line Out" jack on the back of your computer.

Step 10

Connect the rear speakers' input cable to the black 3.5 mm "Rear" jack on the back of your computer. You may need to use a 3.5 mm extension cable, which can be purchased at most electronics stores.

Step 11

Turn on the computer and both sets of speakers.

Step 12

Launch the Control Panel. Click "Hardware and Sound," then "Manage Audio Devices."

Step 13

Click "Speakers" in the list of audio devices, then click "Configure."

Step 14

Click "Quadraphonic | Next | Next | Finish."

Step 15

Turn the system volume all the way up. Adjust the volume for each set of speakers as desired.

Tips

You may wish to mark the rear speaker's wire with a marker or a piece of tape.
If your computer doesn't have a rear channel output jack, simply connect a 3.5 mm splitter to the regular audio output jack, then connect both speaker sets' input cable to the splitter.

Writer Bio

Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Mike Venture has been writing since 2005. He has written for the RAND Corporation, Sterling & Ross Publishers and Metropol Literary Agency. He has also worked as a technical writer at several software start-ups. Venture holds a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh.