Some monitors often come with built-in speakers, but these speakers are usually less powerful than we would wish them to be. This leads to the question, can I connect external speakers to my monitor?
Luckily, I managed to connect external speakers to my monitor and, in the process, learned a lot. For instance, some monitors can connect to external speakers while others cannot. You can connect speakers to a monitor even though the monitor and speaker have different ports.
Read on as I show you how you, too, can improve your monitor’s audio output quality by connecting speakers directly to the monitor.
Key Takeaways
- Before connecting a speaker to a monitor, ensure the monitor has audio output capabilities.
- If the monitor is not built to output audio, the next option is to connect the speakers to the source device connected to the monitor.
- Before connecting a speaker to a monitor, determine whether the speaker is active or passive.
- Active speakers have the amplifier inbuilt and thus can be connected directly to the monitor.
- Passive speakers must be connected to an amplifier before connecting the speaker to the monitor.
- The monitor and speaker ports will determine the connection method between the two devices.
- However, if the monitor and speaker ports are incompatible, you can use adapters or converters to establish connections.
Connecting a Speaker to a Monitor
Before connecting a speaker to a monitor, consider a few things. First, you should check the kind of audio output ports that are available on your monitor. The next thing to look out for is the kind of speaker you have and the ports available on the speaker.
You should also consider the type of speaker you have, i.e., is it an active or passive speaker?
A passive speaker will require you to connect it to an amplifier before connecting the speaker to the monitor. The passive speaker will have a port or cable that connects to the amplifier.
On the other hand, an active speaker will be ready to plug and play as the amplifier is built into the speaker.
Input ports on passive and active speakers
Below are all the possible ways to connect a speaker directly to the monitor.
Option 1 – Using a 3.5mm Auxiliary Cable
Most monitors have a 3.5mm audio output port often used to connect headphones to the monitor. The port is usually colored green and can be found on the back or sides of the monitor. However, on some monitors, it could be colored black or silver and labeled aux,3.5mm, or have the headphones icon.
Input/Output ports on an LG monitor (LG 43UN700-B)
To use this port, you will require male-to-male 3.5mm cables (Amazon).
Also, remember to check whether the speaker has a 3.5mm port since some don’t have it. If your speaker has an RCA input instead of a 3.5mm input, you will need a 3.5mm to RCA audio cable (Amazon).
Once all the requirements are met, you can connect the male end of the splitter to the 3.5mm audio output port on the monitor.
Next, connect one end of each of the 3.5mm male-to-male cables to the female ports on the splitter. Finally, connect the other ends of the male-to-male 3.5mm cables to each speaker and power on the speakers.
At this point, you should hear audio from the speakers, and if not, check the monitor’s audio settings or the audio settings of the source device connected to the monitor. Ensure that they are set to output audio through the connected speakers.
Connecting Speakers to a Monitor Using 3.5mm Audio Cables
Option 2 – Using an HDMI Audio Extractor
An HDMI audio extractor (Amazon) can also help you connect a speaker directly to the monitor. However, this setup will only work in some instances. It requires the monitor or source device to have a sound card.
HDMI Audio Extractor
Also, the monitor should have an HDMI port that the extractor will connect to.
The best way to set up the extractor is to connect one end of an HDMI cable to the extractor’s HDMI input port and the other to a source device like a PlayStation or streaming device.
Then get another HDMI cable, connect one of its ends to the extractor’s HDMI output port, and then the other to the monitor. The setup entails the extractor sitting between the source device and the monitor.
Once the audio extractor has been installed, you can connect the speaker to the monitor through the extractor’s 3.5mm port. The steps to follow are:
- Connect the male end of a male-to-female 3.5mm Y splitter to the extractor’s 3.5mm audio output port.
- Connect each of the male-to-male 3.5mm cables to the female ports on the Y splitter.
- Connect the other ends of the male 3.5mm cables to the speakers with the 3.5mm port.
This setup works for monitors that do not have the 3.5mm audio output port.
Connecting a Laptop to Powered Speakers and TV/Monitor Using HDMI Audio Extractor
Option 3 – Connect the Speaker Wirelessly to the Monitor
Some advanced monitors also have Bluetooth capabilities. Such monitors often can work both as a monitor and as a TV which explains why they have Bluetooth connectivity.
LG 32SQ780S is a smart monitor with Bluetooth Connectivity
So, you can get a Bluetooth speaker and connect it to the monitor.
To do this, power on the speaker, and it will automatically go into pairing mode, as many Bluetooth speakers usually do. If the speaker does not go into pairing mode, consult its user manual to enable pairing mode.
Then go to the monitor and enable Bluetooth connectivity, search for the speaker in the list of available Bluetooth devices and complete the pairing process.
The steps to enabling Bluetooth connectivity on the monitor will differ depending on the model and manufacturer, so consult the monitor’s user manual or website for the correct steps.
Connecting a Bluetooth Speaker to a Smart TV or Monitor
Using Converters
Audio signals fall into different categories. For instance, HDMI, Optical, and USB ports carry digital signals, while older connection protocols like RCA and AUX carry analog signals.
You can use an analog-to-digital audio converter with a monitor that outputs analog audio signals through RCA or AUX and a speaker that accepts digital audio signals.
These converters will convert incoming analog RCA or AUX audio signals from the monitor into digital Coaxial or Optical audio signals.
You can connect speakers with optical or coaxial inputs to the converter from there. The catch is that the monitor should have an audio output port.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: Can you hook speakers to a monitor?
- Answer: Yes, you can hook speakers to a monitor. The monitor should have a 3.5mm audio-out AUX port to do this. Then you can use a male-to-male 3.5mm cable to connect a speaker with an AUX port to the monitor.
- If you want to connect two separate speakers (not a speaker pair) to the monitor, get a 3.5mm aux Y splitter and connect the male end to the monitor.
- Question: Do monitors have speaker output?
- Answer: The 3.5mm AUX headphone output also works as a speaker output port. There you can use a male-to-male eighth-inch 3.5mm cable to connect the speaker and the monitor.
- The speaker should have a 3.5mm AUX port or RCA inputs for this setup.
- Question: Can you plug speakers into the monitor headphone jack?
- Answer: Yes, you can use a 3.5mm male-to-male AUX cable to connect a speaker to the monitor through the monitor’s headphone jack.
Conclusion
The above methods will help you connect a speaker directly to your monitor. Some will help you connect to the monitor even though the monitor does not have an aux audio output port.
However, the determining factor on how or whether you can connect speakers to the monitor is determined by the monitor’s audio output capabilities. If the monitor does not have audio output options, there is no way to connect the speakers. However, you can connect the speakers to the monitor’s source device.
