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My headphone jack sometimes not responding to headphones.
Hi. I got new problem - sometimes my headphone jack not reacts on headphones insertion, and SMC/PRAM reset not fixing it. Only thing is working - reboot laptop with headphones on it.
But after notebook going to sleep it again cant indicate headphones.
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Dan
6.5k
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Check your headphones could be the connector is bad.
If you have tried a known good set and it still doesn't work your socket in your MacBook Pro is likely damaged. Unlike the older MacBook Pros this model does not have a dual analog/digital socket which was mounted on the main logic board. The MacBook Pro Retina has the socket mounted directly to the case but is a bear to get to. Here's the needed steps to get to it and replace Headphone Jack iFixIt guide
Thank you for your reply. I really dont know how to check if port is damaged, cause yesterday it worked without problem (used same headphones koss porta pro and iphone headset with mic). But today, after it went to sleep while i traveled to work, it again haven't recognize headphones
With a good magnifying glass and flashlight and looking inside you can try to compare a working to a non-working unit. Sometimes it's just dirt, other times the contact is bent/broken and other times it's spun around missing the contact point and hitting something else. I first try clean it and then with a dental probe I've managed to fix a few. Sometimes it will stay working other times not until I replace the socket.
Dan,
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Brian Burns
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@night4cat, exact same problem here - headphones not detected when plugged in after sleep, same thing when the port is used for line out or with another headphones set. This is almost certainly a firmware issue since the machine never fails to recognise the headphones after a reboot. It is not physical port damage.
For now the best workaround is to use a USB DAC such as the USB adapter supplied with Beyerdynamic MMX2 headphones, or just reboot. For a real fix I think we will be waiting on Apple for a software update.
Update
Hey night4cat - if you don't know how to measure impedance I strongly recommend you don't do it. Firstly, it's pointless - this is nothing to do with hardware. Secondly, you have a warranty and you should be taking your machine to an Apple authorized service centre if you still don't believe me, not tinkering with it yourself. If you do mess with it, and you create a hardware problem by incorrectly applying meter probes or by some other method, then you will have a hardware problem and you won't have a warranty any more either.
Why is it definitely not a hardware problem?
1. Reliably occurs after system sleep.
2. Fixed by reboot.
3. Mac headphone jack is software controlled, it is not a simple analog output controlled by a mechanical switch! How do we know this? Look at System Preferences - you can have something plugged into the headphone jack and still direct audio output elsewhere, such as a USB DAC.
Try this also - play some music through internal speakers. Insert headphone jack while wearing just one earpiece. You will notice that the music does not immediately start coming through the headphones - the switch inside the headphone jack causes the system to mute the output, switch to the jack and then unmute. Same in reverse when you pull the plug, the system mutes, switches to internal speakers and then unumtes. You can even slow this down by running all your cores flat out (encoding video for instance) - this is software controlled, it is not an ancient transistor radio with a simple mechanical switch. There is a switch to detect whether something is plugged in or not but all it does is supply an input to the system, not connect/disconn
If you have a real hardware problem, like a crackly headphone jack - and you're out of warranty - and you can handle disassembling your machine, replacing a part and then reassembling it - then I'm all for buying parts from iFixit and doing it yourself. But not when it isn't a hardware problem, and not when this non-existent problem would be Apple's responsibility to fix under warranty anyway.
While I do understand why you think that, I can tell you the sockets are just easy to break. There's a contact shaped like the letter S which presses the plug when inserted but when relaxed presses on a contact pin. It is easily damaged either not making contact to the plug or not pressing on the contact. Open the images below I pasted an example of what it looks like inside. This is a simple mono outlet the stereo version is more complex and the units with a switch or two and offer a digital signal are the most complex and sensitive to damage.
Dan,
If it is a hardware problem how is it fixed by a reboot? Remember this problem appears after the computer has entered sleep and then wakes. Headphones never fail to be recognised after reboot. I am sure there is nothing physically wrong with the jack, am very familiar with the mechanism.
The Retina headphone/Ext socket connection is a simple analog output from the DAC with a mechanical switch to either send the signal to the internal speakers or the inserted plug. The only thing that could be a factor here if the connector it's self is not damaged is the impedance of the plugged in device (i.e. headphones) Vs the speakers impedance (<24Ohm).
Dan,
Hello, @aeberbach - had you found solution to make it work? @Dan is there any method to measure impedance? Checked my headphone jack, everything looks 'ok' inside. Problem still here, through all these months. Cant fin solution (even cant find new headphone jack)
To measure the Impedance you'll need a meter that can do it. Many Digital Multi-Meters (DMM or often called a DVM for Volt) have this function.
Dan,
So finally i have found an replacement and ordered it: http://www.ebay.com/itm/181122080684?ssP... After installation i will inform you if this fixed problem.
night4cat,