Headphones won't plug into headphone jack

[mkoo]

I just got a Hp Envy laptop and I can't plug my headphones into the headphone jack.  I've never plugged them in before which is why I'm confused.    Right now, when I try to plug my apple headphpones in, only a small part goess in and then they don't go any further.  I think there may be something stuck inside the jack.  It looks like there may be a small clear ball in there, but I've never seen it before.  Am I just using the wrong type of headphones? Or is the ball supposed to be there and I'm supposed to take it out somehow? ANd if there actuallly is something stuck in there, any suggestions as to how to take it out?  Thanks in advanced!

[Great-Deku-Tree]

Hello @mkoo ,

Welcome to the HP Forums!

I understand you're unable to connect headphones to your notebook.

There shouldn't be anything you need to remove from the port. Some models have multiple output ports so make sure the port you're connecting to has the following label: 

If the port has that label and you're using standard headphones with a 1/8" connector (standard size for most headphones) there shouldn't be anything stopping it from going in all the way.

Check the connection on the headphones and tell me if it has 2 or 3 rings on it like this:

As you can see the left jack has 3 rings and the right has only 2.

Lastly, try your headphones in another PC, iPod, or audio device to make sure the headphone jack is correct. If it works in everything else there is most likely something blocking the jack or you are connecting it to the wrong port.

Let me know if this helps. 🙂

[GARFIELD23]

I did verify everything there is to verify to make sure that I have the same exact, correct port where I usually would plug an earphone or an earplug before. What is strange is that I had the same old apple earphone -- the kind of jack with three rings as shown in the illustrated photo in this forum -- working three days ago and it was the same earplug that fits the same port. Last night before going to bed, while I was about to watch a movie online and tried to plug the earphone, something strange is blocking it that it won't get all the way through. Everything has already been attempted. Can somebody explain what is this hard object inside that post that is preventing the jack to get all the way through -- strange!

[CK-DM4]

I have the same problem as the others who posted on this thread. The detail info about my HP notebook is as follows:
Product name: HP ENVY 15 x360 Convertible PC
Model Number: 15-u111dx
Product number: J9H90UA#ABA

Problem Description: (1) Headphone+Microphone 4-pin plug could not be inserted fully into the Audio-out/Audio-in combo jack. (2) No sound coming from the HP built-in speakers when the Headphone+Microphone jack was unplugged. (3) Intermittent sound when the jack was plugged halfway (as far into the jack as it allowed).

From the first day I bought the HP ENVY x360, I noticed an intermittent problem with the headphone & microphone combo jack. When I first bought the HP ENVY x360, I failed to insert my old earphone's 3-pin plug all the way into it.


Looking at the icon next to the jack, and the spec of this model HP 15-u111dx, I thought the jack would only fit a microphone & headphone set with 4-pin plug. So, I purposely bought a microphone & headphone combo set even though all I needed was the headphone function. At first, the 4-pin plug of this new combo headset fitted the jack, although it was still a very tight fit; I had to push hard to force the 4-pin plug all the way into the jack.

A few months later, I read from HP website that even though the jack is made for 4-pin plug, the earphone/headphone-only type of 3-pin plug should be able to fit into this jack and work as well. So, I tried to insert my old earphone 3-pin plug into the jack again. This time, the 3-pin plug managed to fit all the way into the jack. It seemed like the 4-pin plug that I bought somehow loosened the jack to fit the 3-pin plug.

Since then, I rarely used the jack. It was not until this morning May 27, 2017, that I tried to use the jack again. This time, I again failed to insert my old earphone's 3-pin plug all the way into the jack, no matter how hard I pushed. So, I tried using the 4-pin jack of my new microphone+headphone set again. Unfortunately, this time it would not work. Even with the 4-pin jack of my new microphone+headphone set, I was not able to push the jack all the way into the jack.
Meantime, I got the notification from RealTek Beats Audio Manager that my audio device was unplugged when in truth I had the 4-pin plug halfway inserted into the jack. On the contrary, when I pulled the 4-pin jack all the way out of the jack, I got the notification that I just plugged my audio device into the jack. In other words, the notification were giving a false, totally opposite information contrary to what happened in reality.

Thinking this was a software issue, I spent hours to uninstall/delete, re-install, and update the Audio (Realtek) driver. However, nothing I tried to do in terms of software work. Finally, after spending over 6 hours, I stumbled upon this HP Support Forum webpage, and came to the conclusion that this was a hardware issue. Just as "mkoo" and "Garfield23" who first posted this problem observed, something indeed was blocking the plug (both 3-pin and 4-pin plugs) from going all the way into the jack.

When I shined a bright LED flashlight into the jack, I saw something shiny inside the jack that reflected my flashlight. I used a thin but stiff metal umbrella spoke to poke inside the jack, hoping to clear whatever that was blocking it. (Do not attempt this if your notebook is still within the 30-days return window or within the 1-year warranty period.) After a few pokes, I found some debris collected inside the jack. I then used a can of compressed-gas electronics duster (the brand I used is called "Falcon Dust-Off") to blow into the jack. The poking and blowing that I performed seemed to clear the blockage as I had since been able to plug both my 3-pin and 4-pin headphone jacks all the way into the jack. Now my earphone and the HP built-in speakers worked as normal.

I found some tiny metal and plastic debris outside the jack after I blowed it with the electronic compressed-gas "Dust-Off." Whatever the metal or plastic debris is, this blockage appears to be a manufacturing defect of the audio jack supplier or HP assembly line that assembles the jack onto the PCB. I hope HP Quality and Manufacturing engineers will look into this and come out with a permanent solution to resolve this problem for us customers.

My HP 15-u111dx costs $929.00 US Dollar. This is NOT a cheap PC. I am not happy that it did not work as it should right off the shelf after I bought it, and I certainly am not happy that I had to spend so many hours troubleshooting the problem and coming out with a solution myself. I can only hope that my DIY solution is permanent and I do not have to repeat this poking and clearing of blockage again.

[DRDoc]

I too was not able to fully insert an external mic jack into my HP Pavilion g6.  I've had the laptop for years but have never used the mic jack.  I took Tutor's advice and poked around inside the mic connector and dislodged some foreign material. I then blew it out.  It appears to be resin - probably from resin core solder when the machine was manufactured.

Problem solved. Thanks Tutor for doing the heaving lifting!