Precision M3800 Speaker Issue

[techbeck]

So I have a couple Dell Precision M3800 laptops.  I have the, luck I guess, of being able to take home 3yr old PCs from work and use them as my own as we switch out systems.  So I have a couple M3800s laying around.  Recently, sounds like the speakers are blown.  Static/vibration noise and it sounds like it is coming from the left speaker.   Both laptops are doing the same thing.  If I press down on the bottom left side of the laptop, the noise decreases/goes away.  So not sure if it is the speaker, or something else causing the noise.  I did find a new set on Amazon which will arrive later on in the week.  Laptop works great otherwise and runs all my apps/media with no issues.  So I would like to fix this issue.

 

Anyway, not sure if it the speaker or something else in the case causing enough vibration to make the noise.  If that makes any sense.  Hopefully the new speakers I am getting fixes the issue, but just curious on others thoughts.

 

Thanks

[DevTech]

3 hours ago, techbeck said:

So I have a couple Dell Precision M3800 laptops.  I have the, luck I guess, of being able to take home 3yr old PCs from work and use them as my own as we switch out systems.  So I have a couple M3800s laying around.  Recently, sounds like the speakers are blown.  Static/vibration noise and it sounds like it is coming from the left speaker.   Both laptops are doing the same thing.  If I press down on the bottom left side of the laptop, the noise decreases/goes away.  So not sure if it is the speaker, or something else causing the noise.  I did find a new set on Amazon which will arrive later on in the week.  Laptop works great otherwise and runs all my apps/media with no issues.  So I would like to fix this issue.

 

Anyway, not sure if it the speaker or something else in the case causing enough vibration to make the noise.  If that makes any sense.  Hopefully the new speakers I am getting fixes the issue, but just curious on others thoughts.

 

Thanks

The M3800 is almost the same as the XPS 15 9530, so many parts should interchange.

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Precision-M3800-Workstation.110075.0.html

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-XPS-15-9530-Late-2013-Notebook.107485.0.html

 

I have had fantastic experience ordering parts from the Parts People in Texas:

 

https://www.parts-people.com

 

The M3800/XPS 9530 was the first year of Dell's new thin pocket rocket and it took them a few years to iron out all the wrinkles. I mention that because you might want to keep your eye out for any of the later years "refined" versions that might pop out from your company.

 

There is a strange issue with a certain percentage of these laptops and the exact version of the Audio Device Driver so if the parts replacement doesn't help, you might want to look into that, but the symptom is that "blown speaker" sound.

 

 

 

[techbeck]

5 hours ago, DevTech said:

The M3800 is almost the same as the XPS 15 9530, so many parts should interchange.

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Precision-M3800-Workstation.110075.0.html

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-XPS-15-9530-Late-2013-Notebook.107485.0.html

 

I have had fantastic experience ordering parts from the Parts People in Texas:

 

https://www.parts-people.com

 

The M3800/XPS 9530 was the first year of Dell's new thin pocket rocket and it took them a few years to iron out all the wrinkles. I mention that because you might want to keep your eye out for any of the later years "refined" versions that might pop out from your company.

 

There is a strange issue with a certain percentage of these laptops and the exact version of the Audio Device Driver so if the parts replacement doesn't help, you might want to look into that, but the symptom is that "blown speaker" sound.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info.  Both were updated using the Dell Command Update utility. I do have older drivers at work so I may try and use them and see what is going on.

[xendrome]

I would suggest replacing the speakers, I'm sure you can find them out there - 

 

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/04/precision-m3800-workstation/prem3800om-v5/removing-the-speakers?guid=guid-d27bbfe0-f66a-41d5-9706-81a2273bf173&lang=en-us

[techbeck]

34 minutes ago, xendrome said:

I would suggest replacing the speakers, I'm sure you can find them out there - 

 

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/04/precision-m3800-workstation/prem3800om-v5/removing-the-speakers?guid=guid-d27bbfe0-f66a-41d5-9706-81a2273bf173&lang=en-us

I have new speakers on order.  Should arrive later in the week.  Just odd that I press down on the right side and the speaks sound fine.  Why I was thinking something else was maybe vibrating inside the case causing the sound.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

From reading this thread: https://www.dell.com/community/Laptops-General-Read-Only/VLC-Media-Player-WARNING/m-p/4082242 it seems it might be possible to have damaged the speakers from running certain software.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

[techbeck]

On 6/3/2019 at 12:58 AM, DevTech said:

I have had fantastic experience ordering parts from the Parts People in Texas:

 

https://www.parts-people.com

 

That site didn't have speakers.  I got a set off Amazon and they seem to be working well.  Thanks for the site info tho. Will keep in saved incase I need something for another laptop.

On 6/5/2019 at 3:20 AM, goretsky said:

Hello,

From reading this thread: https://www.dell.com/community/Laptops-General-Read-Only/VLC-Media-Player-WARNING/m-p/4082242 it seems it might be possible to have damaged the speakers from running certain software.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

Dates back 6 years or so.  I would think VLC would have resolved the issue by now.  But I rarely use VLC on this laptop and mainly use it on the 7470 I have attached to my TV. 

[DevTech]

47 minutes ago, techbeck said:

Thanks for the site info tho. Will keep in saved incase I need something for another laptop.

My hand brushed a full bottle of Dr. Pepper and even though I picked it up instantly it killed my XPS 15 9550.

 

I ordered a refurb motherboard from The Parts People for about $450 and it worked just fine.

 

I learned that "spill proof" keyboards can have unintended consequences! The liquid ran over the keyboard and spilled over the edge. Dell actually demoed the keyboard at a show dumping a glass of water on a running laptop, the the demonstrator had the laptop tilted forward so the audience could see it better and the water just ran off the front.

 

The Achilles Heel of that modern tech is if it runs the other way it just goes into the air vents and straight on the motherboard!

 

 

[techbeck]

24 minutes ago, DevTech said:

My hand brushed a full bottle of Dr. Pepper and even though I picked it up instantly it killed my XPS 15 9550.

 

I ordered a refurb motherboard from The Parts People for about $450 and it worked just fine.

 

I learned that "spill proof" keyboards can have unintended consequences! The liquid ran over the keyboard and spilled over the edge. Dell actually demoed the keyboard at a show dumping a glass of water on a running laptop, the the demonstrator had the laptop tilted forward so the audience could see it better and the water just ran off the front.

 

The Achilles Heel of that modern tech is if it runs the other way it just goes into the air vents and straight on the motherboard!

 

 

Soda, equipment killer.  I had a can of soda fall from my over head cabinet at work.  Hit my desk, puncture, and spun around spraying pepsi all over my desk, monitors, laptops (closed thankfully), and then fall on the floor and spray the underside of my desk.  And I was coated as well.  Took me 3+ hours to clean everything.  Keyboard was toast, laptop was ok and just had to wash the top off.  Monitors took a while to clean up.  Was not a fun thing to deal with first few min of the day at the office.