Oh audio gurus...
I have a work laptop and a home pc. I want the work laptop email audio alert to be played on my PC 5.1 speakers for the extra volume so I can better hear it throughout the house. The laptop's speaker is maxed out and still weak.
The laptop only has headphone out. When I plug my 5.1 green input into a Y and plug the PC green out and the Laptop Headphone out into the Y I get normal-level System sounds from the laptop. Works as intended laptop-wise. The email alert is nice and loud.
However, the PC audio's front L/R channels are reduced in volume by half or more. The rest of the 5.1 are at full volume. Unplugging the laptop headphone, either at the Y or the laptop side restores the front L/R channels to full volume.
Is there a solution, either a USB audio adaptor or something else to have full volume on the PC front L/R?
Why does the system volume come over from the laptop loud, but the PC loses its volume; Is part of the PC out signal being sent to the laptop and absorbed (but how?)?
Thanks.