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Help with getting speakers to play in stereo (from computer)

post #1 of 9
8/12/11 at 9:54pm
Thread Starter 

Here is my setup:

 

1/8 from computer audio out>splitter to female 1/8 and female 1/8>two male 1/8 cables connect to each 1/4 input M-Audio BX5a powered speaker.

 

I am playing "Clown" by Korn and it seems the song is playing in mono. It's pretty annoying and tried messing with my sound options and nothing works to make it play in stereo. What I don't get is that my headphones work in stereo but not the speakers. Help?

 

Yay! Ok I tried a new setup:

 

1/8 from audio computer>female 1/8 to red/white audio RCA>one speaker uses white, one uses red. It is a very stupid and complicated setup but it works lol

 

I don't get why though. The original 1/8 splitter used stereo (two lines on jack) but maybe the problem was that the 1/4 to 1/8 adapters only had 1 line on the 1/8 inch jack? I mean by that point you don't need two channels, because it is already split!

 

Some how it works now :D


Edited by TrantaLocked - 8/12/11 at 10:28pm
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post #2 of 9
8/12/11 at 10:16pm

I think what's happening is that you're sending the stereo signal to both speakers.

The signal out of the computer headphone jack is STEREO, right? So the Y-splitter isn't going to separate it into mono L and mono R--that kind of Y-splitter just creates 2 more stereo jacks.

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post #3 of 9
8/12/11 at 10:31pm
Thread Starter 

So how do I make it work with the Y spliter? Is there no way? the new setup is really complicated, kind of annoying. However, it works

 

Its just funny because one of the RCA cables has L/R and my other one is L/R/Video so I'm using one red out of all three for the right speaker XD this is a mess. Also when I tried the 1/8 to 1/8 adapter with my mp3 player to my guitar amp I had to bend down the cable a certain direction (when I spun the cable that direction followed, so it wasnt the amp) and if I didn't bend the end a little there would be no bass and the vocal channel would be like an echo. it doesnt sound bad now but Im wondering if any part of the music is lost because of this possibly faulty 1/8 to 1/8 plug. Bending an end with the computer to my crappy setup to speakers doesnt change anything surprisingly. 


Edited by TrantaLocked - 8/12/11 at 10:39pm
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post #4 of 9
8/12/11 at 10:40pm

Make sure you are using a Stereo to mono splitter.  The 1/8 from your computer must go into a 1/8 stereo and then these are split into L and R channels ( mono ).  The biggest problem most people experience while doing this is that the ground from the TRS ( stereo plug ) can be lost once it goes to your Left and Right mono.  To help this make sure the ground on your speakers is shared with your source ( i.e. PC ).  Otherwise you end up with tremendous noise.

 

Make sure you are not using a mono to mono Y-Splitter because that turns your stereo to mono and then splits that to each speaker.  You would get only one channel to each speaker be it left or right.

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post #5 of 9
8/12/11 at 10:53pm
Thread Starter 

Unfortunately I don't have a stereo to mono splitter, but heres what I've created, working in full stereo some how (i'll get to putting it behind the desk soon):

 

http://www.imagebam.com/image/b53d77144775321

http://www.imagebam.com/image/90eb45144775329

http://www.imagebam.com/image/f861b2144775339

http://www.imagebam.com/image/821596144775348

 

These speakers sound freaking amazing btw. I hope my dad lets me keep them ;)


Edited by TrantaLocked - 8/12/11 at 10:58pm
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post #6 of 9
8/13/11 at 4:41am

Sorry, pics are too confusing. Also dunno what's up with that 1/8-1/8 connector and the bass problem you described.

 

I'd go with NA Blur's suggestion. You will absolutely not be able to get proper stereo from these speakers without that stereo-to-mono splitter.

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post #7 of 9
8/13/11 at 6:42am
Thread Starter 

I'm using female 1/8 and female RCAs for the splitter instead of 1/8 splitter. So audio goes through 1/8 then RCA and then 1/4, but sounds perfect nevertheless.

 

When using the 1/8 to 1/8 with my mp3 player to guitar amp it seemed only some of the sound would be playing, so the sounds lost were bass and vocals became muddy and echoed. When I would pull down on the chord at the amp end the sound would fill and and sound as it should, with full bass and complete vocals. This isn't happening with my computer right now for some reason. The bass sounds perfect and so do the vocals. These speakers really shine when the music is slower and with less going on; it sounds beautiful. They also sound extremely clear and sharp even at very low volume.


Edited by TrantaLocked - 8/13/11 at 1:27pm
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post #8 of 9
8/13/11 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TrantaLocked View Post

I'm using female 1/8 and female RCAs for the splitter instead of 1/8 splitter. So audio goes through 1/8 then RCA and then 1/4, but sounds perfect nevertheless.

 

When using the 1/8 to 1/8 with my mp3 player to guitar amp it seemed only some of the sound would be playing, so the sounds lost were bass and vocals became muddy and echoed. When I would pull down on the chord at the amp end the sound would fill and and sound as it should, with full bass and complete vocals. This isn't happening with my computer right now for some reason. The bass sounds perfect and so do the vocals. These speakers really shine when the music is slower and with less going on; it sounds beautiful. They also sound extremely clear and sharp even at very low volume.


Sounds like either a grounding problem or a bad connector on the amp end.  Perhaps the connector plugging into the amp does not have a ground?

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post #9 of 9
8/13/11 at 1:53pm
Thread Starter 

It can't be the amp though because as I said earlier, when I twist the cable at the amp end the point where I have to put pressure follows.

 

I'm thinking the cable is either bent or missing a ground like you said (yet I have no idea why Best Buy would sell a cable without one).

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