SOLVED: No sound via front or rear headphone jacks

[eyeeze]

Hello --

Problem: I am not getting any sound through the front or rear 3.5mm headphone jacks on my LM 20.1 Cinammon system.

I'm using a TV as a monitor via HDMI cable. I have no problems with the TV/HDMI sound but the headphone jacks do not work. When I plug in the headphones in the back port with the "Sound Settings" window displayed, an additional item called "Headphones/Built In Audio" appears but no sound. See attached screenshot.

I have read through several posts on this forum with problems similar to mine. I have tried a few things without success and realized this is the time I need to ask for guidance. I have included the output from some commands that I see pasted often here. I know there is a data-collection URL that people are asked to click and submit but since this records user/host names, I'm not comfortable submitting that. I'll provide anything else manually though.

Edit: I have confirmed the microphone/headphone cable is correctly and securely plugged into the "F_AUDIO" header on the motherboard.

Any insight or suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

inxi

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System:
  Kernel: 5.8.0-53-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 4.8.6 wm: muffin 4.8.1 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Gigabyte product: N/A v: N/A serial: <filter> 
  Chassis: type: 3 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Gigabyte model: G1.Sniper 3 v: x.x serial: <filter> 
  UEFI: American Megatrends v: F5 date: 05/31/2012
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-3770K bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Ivy Bridge rev: 9 L2 cache: 8192 KiB 
  flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 55869 
  Speed: 1596 MHz min/max: 1600/3900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1596 2: 1603 
  3: 1623 4: 1597 5: 1597 6: 1596 7: 1596 8: 1596 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio 
  vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
  chip ID: 8086:1e20 
  Device-2: NVIDIA GK104 HDMI Audio vendor: eVga.com. driver: snd_hda_intel 
  v: kernel bus ID: 0a:00.1 chip ID: 10de:0e0a 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.8.0-53-generic

lspci -v | grep -i audio

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00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller
0a:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GK104 HDMI Audio Controller (rev a1)
	Subsystem: eVga.com. Corp. GK104 HDMI Audio Controller

aplay -l

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**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: CA0132 Analog [CA0132 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: CA0132 Digital [CA0132 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 11: HDMI 5 [HDMI 5]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 12: HDMI 6 [HDMI 6]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

pacmd list-sinks

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2 sink(s) available.
    index: 1
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: SUSPENDED
	suspend cause: IDLE
	priority: 9039
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 46396 /  71% / -9.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max request: 0 KiB
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	monitor source: 1
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	card: 1 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
	module: 8
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "CA0132 Analog"
		alsa.id = "CA0132 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7730000 irq 40"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "1e20"
		device.product.name = "7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-output-lineout: Line Out (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
	active port: <analog-output-lineout>
  * index: 2
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_0a_00.1.hdmi-stereo-extra1>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: SUSPENDED
	suspend cause: IDLE
	priority: 9030
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max request: 0 KiB
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	monitor source: 3
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 1999.82 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_0a_00.1>
	module: 7
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "HDMI 1"
		alsa.id = "HDMI 1"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "7"
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA NVidia"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA NVidia at 0xf7080000 irq 18"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:0a:00.1"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:08:00.0/0000:09:11.0/0000:0a:00.1/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "10de"
		device.vendor.name = "NVIDIA Corporation"
		device.product.id = "0e0a"
		device.product.name = "GK104 HDMI Audio Controller"
		device.string = "hdmi:1,1"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352768"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176384"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "hdmi-stereo-extra1"
		device.profile.description = "Digital Stereo (HDMI 2)"
		device.description = "GK104 HDMI Audio Controller Digital Stereo (HDMI 2)"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
				device.product.name = "55S425
      "
	active port: <hdmi-output-1>

[eyeeze]

I believe I have solved my own problem, more by accident than on purpose but it works so I'm happy. Here's my best explanation about how I did.

I ran "alsamixer" and after playing around a bit, I found that my system seems to have 2 sound cards/chips: the Intel one on the motherboard and an Nvidia one which I guess is on my video card. The NVidia one has been active since I've been viewing output over HDMI to my TV. I selected the Intel card in alsamixer (F6), then right-arrowed through the list of outputs looking for something that said "Headphone" or similar.

The very last item was "Output Select", which looked promising. I selected "Headphone" from the 3 options of Surround, Line Out and Headphone. Screenshot attached. After making this change I was able to heard the test sounds over my headphones.

Not sure why the "Headphone" option wouldn't be pre-selected since it is a headphone jack after all. And I'm not sure why the sound is so loud -- I've had to move the volume slider all the way back to 40% to get something my ears can stand.

I will mark this as Solved.