Help regarding 4.1 speaker setup

[Digitomega]

I recently bought this.
PHILIPS SPA8140B/94 38 W Bluetooth Home ...
I own a laptop (Acer Predator Helios 300 2018 i5 model) but I am unable to setup 4.1 audio output with the speakers I bought. In the audio configuration settings the speaker configuration is greyed out with stereo as the default option. I think I somehow have to change it to 5.1 to get things started but I can't. Please help me in setting up all this.

 

[Nerevarine]

Are you connecting via bluetooth or via the stereo 3.5 mm jack.
Remember, that a stereo jack is just that, 2 channels. Your back channel speakers will just replicate the front ones, thats how stereo over 5.1/4.1 works.

If you need true 4.1 or 5.1, get a usb soundcard, and allow separate 3.5 mm jack for back channel speakers.
So ideally you should have 3 jacks in total, 2 front channels, 2 back channels and 1 subwoofer/central (in your case central is missing)

 

[Digitomega]

My laptop has only one jack . So according to you 2 are missing. Honestly I don't want a true 4.1 or something. I just want to play audio using all 4 speakers almost equally contributing to play the sounds. what's actually happening is that only front left and right satelite speakers are making noise. both rear speakers are playing at a very low volume. Is there any way to control the output directions ?

 

[Nerevarine]

how are the speakers wired ?

Are all the channels connected to the subwoofer ? Does the subwoofer has separate inputs for all channels or a single one ? if separate which one are you plugging into your laptop ?

EDIT : I just checked, it has a single R/L input. So you must be using a single RCA R/L cable to 3.5 mm jack connected to your PC correct ?
Now, during your stereo test, when you click on left channel, does it play both the Front left and Lower left ? Same with right ?

Also did you try bluetooth ?

 

[quicky008]

i dont think this speaker is pc compatible.You may have to use RCA to 3.5 mm converter jacks to get it to work on your pc.

 

[quicky008]

it seems this speaker ships with a 3.5 mm to rca input cable by default-using this you will only get 2.1 output,unless your speaker has an option to simulate virtual-surround /speaker fill (or something similar) that causes the output to be generated from all speakers simultaneously.

 

[Digitomega]

@quicky008 Windows spacial sound can be enabled when I connect using 3.5mm jack but this doesn't provide any help just front speakers start kind of echoing. While I connect using BT, I get a better output. Almost like a virtual surround without that echoing. I can't find that speaker fill option anywhere.
@Nerevarine I have attached a user manual pdf which clarifies the connection procedure. Frankly, I am complete noob in audio peripherals so I don't understand what you wish to know. Please take a look at the file.
Thanks to both of you for trying to help me.

 

[Nerevarine]

First off disable all spatial windows things and proceed normally. Those are meant for actual 4 channel audio, in your case it is simply a 2 channel stereo input, which the speaker internally passes to FL, BL and FR, BR.

Tell me, when you have configured your speaker as stereo, in windows and click on any left , does both front and back left play sound ?

If it does play audio of FL and BL at the same time and similarly FR and BR, then your wiring is proper and windows properly passes the stereo sound to the speaker system. But as you said, if you do this, your BL and BR sound fainter than FL and FR. Confirm if that is the case ?

 

[Nerevarine]

 

[Digitomega]

Yes that is the case. I tested without any enhancements and turned off spacial sound and Dolby Atmos. FL and BL play sound during test at the same time but BL is much fainter than FL. Same is the case with FR and BR.