Features, settings & updates

[ATLRob23]

Connected a Roku Express to a Dell computer monitor that has an optional soundbar attachment.  Video works great and is perfect.  The soundbar has to connect to a source via USB to get audio (would normally be a computer) but of course there is no USB port on the Roku.  Can anybody think how to get audio to the USB cable on the soundbar?  Thanks in advance!

[oldirtygecko]

I’m in the exact same boat. Any thoughts on this?

[kevinr]

I too have struggled with this.  You don't mention the specific Dell sound bar you have, but I suspect they all behave similarly (AX510, AC511 AE515).  I have an AC511, and here's what I've found: even when using the aux-in 3.5mm jack on the AC511 connected to the Dell (U2415) monitor's 3.5 mm audio output (which passes HDMI audio from a Roku), the AC511 will not play the audio from aux-in.  It would appear that the AC511 sound bar still requires a USB upstream data connection to a computer in order to play the sound from aux-in.  This is of course completely unacceptable, but at this time, we have no workaround.  There is also no mention of this in the Dell soundbar user manual.  I refer you to this Dell community link for background.

https://www.dell.com/community/Monitors/Audio-soundbar-connected-to-monitor-s-USB-through-HDMI-cable...

I tested each and every component so I'm confident there were no "broken parts": the monitor aux-out works with a pair of "dumb speakers".  The AC511 plays computer audio when connected via USB to my computer. It also works with the aux-in audio when connected via USB to my computer.  The AC511 does not play aux-in audio when connected to USB power via outlet (not a computer).

I'm posting this here as I didn't see this Dell sound bar limitation anywhere else on the Internet, and don't want people to waste their time.

(For the record, my "solution" is to buy a monitor with built-in speakers; another would be to buy a sound bar without this ridiculous limitation. Best of luck.)

[oldirtygecko]

I had the AC511 and experienced the exact same results as you. I switched to a different sound bar with a true Aux in and everything is peachy now.

[Q-Ster]

Hey,

Oddly enough, this was not the case for me. I stumbled across this post after trying to figure out a similar solution and almost returned the Del AC511M without trying it after reading this. Luckily I didn’t!

I have the Dell P2417H monitor, so the AC511M sound bar seemed like the perfect solution for me since it mounts right on flush.

When it first arrived, I connected it straight to the monitor and tried playing through the aux-in and originally experienced the same issue as you — no sound.

Then I connected the speaker to a Windows 10 computer and it went ahead and automatically installed the drivers for it and was playing audio fine using the computer as its source. Tried the aux-in again (while still connected to the computer) and, exactly as you mentioned, it worked perfectly fine.

Then I thought, “I wonder if maybe this connection to the computer unlocked something on the firmware/hardware side?” and decided to give it another go plugged directly into the monitor and… voilà! It started playing sound through the aux-in!

Like you, decided to post my success here so that others could give it a go if they’re struggling with the same solution.

Hope this helps!

[SLM2]

What specific soundbar worked for you?  Thank you!

[mop_891]

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