I can't Stand this (lack of) noise!!!!

I have an IBM T-43. I love my IBM T-43. It works amazingly well, has all the bells and whistles...

But is it common for the sound to suck? I've had it for a year now... and I'm finally fed up with the audio on it. I've never owned a laptop other than this one, so maybe I'm complaining about nothing.

But whenever I'm showing someone a video, or having someone listen to an mp3, they tell me to turn up the volume and it's already at max! My roommate has a DELL and it can get pretty loud... my girlfriend has another laptop and it's sound handsdown destroys me.

Some audio files are better than others... but 95% of the files I play cannot be distinguished if there is ANY background noise... I've made sure windows sound is maxed (through the IBM volume buttons and the software interface) and that the player's volume is maxed... am I doing something wrong or is this common for T-43's?

I think I'll just have to get some external speakers (hopefully still small and very portable) are there any BlueTooth LOUD speakers, I'd prefer wireless of some kind. Or atleast some that don't require any more power than USB can give? And won't break the bank? You'd think a machine I spent $2500 would atleast be able to play a DVD or something without headphones.

 

I've got an old x24 thinkpad... In my case, the speaker is indeed very weak. There was the complicating issue that I was using linux and the volume controlled from the keyboard (call it "hardware volume") was turned down without any representation in software. I was pushing buttons kind of whimsically and was suprised to find it was suddenly (barely) audible.

 

Most laptop speakers aren't that good. Get a good pair of headphones.

 

Or a good external sound card via PCMCIA, USB, or Firewire w/ T-amp & bookshelf speakers. Personally, I use Sennheiser HD600 headphones or Etymotic Research ER6i when I want to isolate external noise. Plugged in directly to the headphone jack of the T60, it sounds decent. If your going for quality stereo audio, you will need to stay away from Creative Audicrap, and go with something from M-Audio, Echo Audio, or Edirol. For games and DVD watching, Creative will be fine.

 

wait till you listen to the pathetic ones on the macbook.

speakers on x60 is louding than the ones on the macbook

 

the x60 series speaker (on the laptop not the dock) is a single mono speaker of 0.5 watts.
it doesn't get any worse than that!

 

I just bought a pair of Altec Lansing VS-4121 speaker set ($80) last night for this same reason. Everything sounds incredible now. It's very weird to hear good sound coming from the machine. They're not wireless or potable though; they have a big subwoofer that has to sit under the desk.

 

I think the speakers on both the X60 and the T60 are loud enough. Are you guys in a room where many people are talking or in a quiet area? I only have it on three to five OSD slits out of a max of twelve.

 

Well, I HATE earphones... it's too easy to pump up the volume and kill your hearing (and when your profession depends on better than 20/20 vision and excellent hearing... you dont risk anything). I would really like just a little, powerful speaker that could plug into my USB port. Something unobtrusive for when I'm using the machine in my lap on the couch, and easily packed away for when I need to fly somewhere or go aboard ship. ((forgot, i'm a Naval Aviator))

Atleast a solid BlueTooth set like the "parrot" system could sit in my living room without wires running everywhere... but it isn't released yet, and is like $450. There has to be a cheap and easy little portable unit that produces good sound. I'm no audiophile, i just want to be able to HEAR it!

 

My T43 gets plenty loud enough. They aren't good quality, but no laptop speakers are. There are several places to change volume, make sure all are not low.