Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): El altavoz suena mejor cuando lo conecto al portátil. - The speaker sounds better when I connect it to the laptop.

Bold lo is the direct object pronoun referring back to bold el altavoz (masculine, singular). You use bold lo because you are connecting the speaker (a thing) to something. Bold le is normally used for indirect objects (especially people), and while some speakers in Spain use bold le with masculine direct objects (leísmo), using bold le for inanimate things like a speaker is considered incorrect in standard Spanish.

Why is it bold al portátil instead of bold a el portátil?

Spanish contracts bold a + el to bold al. So bold a el portátil must become bold al portátil. The same happens with bold de + el → bold del.

Could bold lo refer to bold el portátil instead of bold el altavoz?

In theory, bold lo could refer to any masculine singular noun, but in this sentence it naturally refers to bold el altavoz because that’s the thing being connected. The structure is “The speaker sounds better when I connect it (the speaker) to the laptop.” If you wanted bold lo to refer to the laptop, the sentence’s meaning and typical verb roles would feel off.

Why bold suena and not something like bold se oye or bold se escucha?

Bold sonar focuses on the sound that something produces. Bold El altavoz suena mejor means “The speaker produces better sound.”
Bold oírse (bold se oye) focuses on how it is heard by the listener: bold Se oye mejor.
Bold escucharse (bold se escucha) implies attentive listening. In Spain, bold suena and bold se oye are both very common here. All are acceptable, but bold suena is the most straightforward with a speaker.

Is bold sonar irregular? How is bold suena formed?

Yes. Bold sonar is a stem‑changing verb (o → ue) in the present tense: yo bold sueno, tú bold suenas, él/ella bold suena, nosotros bold sonamos, vosotros bold sonáis, ellos bold suenan. The form here, bold suena, is 3rd person singular.

Why bold mejor and not bold más mejor or bold más bien?

Bold mejor is the comparative of both bold bien and bold bueno. It already means “better,” so bold más mejor is nonstandard/redundant.
Bold más bien usually means “rather,” not “better,” so it doesn’t fit the comparative meaning here.
Here bold mejor modifies the verb bold suena (it “sounds better”), so it’s acting as an adverb.

Can I leave out the pronoun and just say bold cuando conecto al portátil?

No. Bold conectar is transitive; it needs a direct object. You can either keep the pronoun (bold cuando lo conecto al portátil) or name the object: bold cuando conecto el altavoz al portátil. Saying bold cuando conecto al portátil sounds incomplete.

Where else can the pronoun bold lo go?

Before a conjugated verb: bold lo conecto.
Attached to an infinitive/gerund/affirmative command: bold conectarlo, bold conectándolo, bold conéctalo. Examples: bold El altavoz suena mejor al conectarlo al portátil. / bold Conéctalo al portátil.

Why is the present indicative used after bold cuando? Shouldn’t it be subjunctive?

Here, bold cuando lo conecto describes a habitual action, so the present indicative is correct. Use the present subjunctive after bold cuando when referring to a specific future event: bold El altavoz sonará mejor cuando lo conectes al portátil (talking about a future moment).

Is bold al portátil the only correct preposition, or can I say bold con el portátil?

Both are used:

bold conectar algo a algo is very standard for attaching one thing to another: bold conecto el altavoz al portátil.
bold conectar algo con algo also appears and emphasizes linking two devices: bold conecto el altavoz con el portátil. In Spain, bold al is very common in this context; bold con is also acceptable.

Could I use other verbs like bold enchufar or bold emparejar?

Bold enchufar is “to plug in” (usually into a power outlet or a socket/cable): bold Enchufo el altavoz al portátil (if you literally plug in with a cable).
Bold emparejar is “to pair” (Bluetooth): bold El altavoz suena mejor cuando lo emparejo con el portátil.
Bold conectar is the safest general verb for either cable or wireless contexts.

What about word order? Is bold Cuando lo conecto al portátil, el altavoz suena mejor correct?

Yes. Placing the bold cuando‑clause first is fine and sounds natural: bold Cuando lo conecto al portátil, el altavoz suena mejor. The meaning is unchanged.

Why is bold portátil accented, and why doesn’t bold cuando have an accent?

Bold portátil has a written accent to mark the stressed syllable (por‑TA‑til), following Spanish stress rules for words ending in a consonant other than n or s.
Bold cuando has no accent in statements. It only takes an accent (bold cuándo) in direct or indirect questions/exclamations: bold ¿Cuándo lo conectas?

Is bold altavoz masculine? How would the sentence change in the plural?

Yes, bold altavoz is masculine. In the plural: bold Los altavoces suenan mejor cuando los conecto al portátil. The pronoun becomes bold los and the verb becomes bold suenan.

Why not bold se lo conecto al portátil?

Bold se lo occurs when you have an indirect object pronoun bold le/les plus a direct object pronoun bold lo/la/los/las, and bold le/les changes to bold se (e.g., “I connect it to him/her”: bold Se lo conecto). In this sentence, there is no human indirect object; bold al portátil is just the destination. So bold se lo isn’t appropriate here.