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Question about Setup: Only hearing from left headphone of HD 800

post #1 of 32
9/13/11 at 5:17pm
Thread Starter 

This is my current setup as I am waiting for the Headroom uDAC to arrive.

 

PC -> Asus Xonar STX (Mode: 2 Speakers, R and L RCA) -> Rudistor RPX-35 (Amplifier) -> HD 800.

 

What I experience is seemingly normal sound on my left headphone and weak signal from the right headphone. When I turn the knob up on the Rudistor amplifier, the right headphone starts to buzz, so I stop immediately. 

 

I've tried ensuring that the equalizer is correctly balanced (and it) and I've ruled out that it is a problem with the headphone itself by plugging it directly into Asus Xonar STX soundcard (using the Headphone mode) and getting sound on both headphones. I am starting to get a bit nervous about my Rudistor acquisition. Could this be the soundcard DAC incompatibility with the Rudistor? 

 

I hope someone in this thread has some experience with these troubles :(.

 

 


Edited by Jh8cw - 9/13/11 at 5:18pm
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post #2 of 32
9/13/11 at 5:23pm

If you are lucky it´s just a bad interconnect. Often give such symptoms.

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post #3 of 32
9/13/11 at 5:25pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for your quick response. I am hoping it is either the cable or the rca connector on the soundcard... I'm using a Monster Cable Ultra 600 Stereo Audio at the moment that I borrowed from a friend. It has 24k Gold and 8-cut turbine connectors and 2 way time correct windings. 

 

I guess I will find out for sure when my cable set arrives tomorrow :( 

 

AudioQuest - Black Mamba II - Premium Audio Interconnect - 4.0 Meter - Pair RCA to RCA

 

Edit: I've already tried replugging the cables, sadly - I don't have other amplifiers to check to see whether the cables or the amplifier is at fault here.


Edited by Jh8cw - 9/13/11 at 5:41pm
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post #4 of 32
9/13/11 at 6:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jh8cw View Post

Thanks for your quick response. I am hoping it is either the cable or the rca connector on the soundcard... I'm using a Monster Cable Ultra 600 Stereo Audio at the moment that I borrowed from a friend. It has 24k Gold and 8-cut turbine connectors and 2 way time correct windings. 

 

I guess I will find out for sure when my cable set arrives tomorrow :( 

 

AudioQuest - Black Mamba II - Premium Audio Interconnect - 4.0 Meter - Pair RCA to RCA

 

Edit: I've already tried replugging the cables, sadly - I don't have other amplifiers to check to see whether the cables or the amplifier is at fault here.


Can you plug them into an iPhone or iPod directly?

 

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post #5 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 

Macedonian, if you are referring to the HD 800s - I can plug them directly into my PC via a sound card and it works fine (as in I can hear sound in both sides). So far, I've double checked the connections and am beginning to feel strongly that one or more of the following is responsible.

 

1. Asus Xonar STX's DAC cannot drive Rudistor properly. Although the sound quality is obviously so much better on the HD 800 using the amp than directly through the sound card, I can barely turn the decibels up on the headphone before I start getting buzzing sounds on the right headphone. The left headphone is about 5x louder than the right and the mixer is set to balanced settings.

 

2. The Monster cables I borrowed are 8 ft long, maybe cable quality does matter? I will be able to check this immediately with the Black Mamba II cables coming tomorrow.

 

The Rudistor amplifier only accepts RCA Inputs, so currently I cannot test it using the other audio components in the house. In any case, I'll report whatever findings I have to the forums, since this Asus Xonar STX seems to be a popular topic in whether it can be used to drive powerful amps as a DAC, etc. It could turn out to be a broken amp or bad cables though...


Edited by Jh8cw - 9/13/11 at 7:05pm
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post #6 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:08pm

If its the cable, swap the left and right one pair at a time.

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post #7 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jh8cw View Post

Macedonian, if you are referring to the HD 800s - I can plug them directly into my PC via a sound card and it works fine (as in I can hear sound in both sides). So far, I've double checked the connections and am beginning to feel strongly that one or more of the following is responsible.

 

1. Asus Xonar STX's DAC cannot drive Rudistor properly. Although the sound quality is obviously so much better on the HD 800 using the amp than directly through the sound card, I can barely turn the decibels up on the headphone before I start getting buzzing sounds on the right headphone. The left headphone is about 5x louder than the right and the mixer is set to balanced settings.

 

2. The Monster cables I borrowed are 8 ft long, maybe cable quality does matter? I will be able to check this immediately with the Black Mamba II cables coming tomorrow.

 

The Rudistor amplifier only accepts RCA Inputs, so currently I cannot test it using the other audio components in the house. In any case, I'll report whatever findings I have to the forums, since this Asus Xonar STX seems to be a popular topic in whether it can be used to drive powerful amps as a DAC, etc. It could turn out to be a broken amp or bad cables though...


Well...you're headphones are good then. Whew. Next do you have another source to feed your amp? A simple dvd player with RCA stereo out would suffice.

 

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post #8 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:10pm
Thread Starter 

Capture.JPG\

 

Just to show what my settings look like on the desktop to output to the amplifier using RCA cables. 

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post #9 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:16pm
Thread Starter 

Wuwhere, this is the weird part. When I exchange the right and left cables, the right side still much weaker than the left side (still very small sound coming from the right). Perhaps this is implicating some sort of flaw on my card's Right output?

 

Macedonian, I'll try to find another source which uses RCA... Perhaps I can dig up my playstation 3 RCA outputs.


Edited by Jh8cw - 9/13/11 at 7:18pm
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post #10 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:17pm

It could also be the vol pot. Disconnect all source from your Rudistor. With your 800 connected, turn on the volume. Is the buzz there? If it is then the problem is in your amp.

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post #11 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jh8cw View Post

Wuwhere, this is the weird part. When I exchange the right and left cables, the right side still much weaker than the left side (still very small sound coming from the right). Macedonian, I'll try to find another source which uses RCA... Perhaps I can dig up my playstation 3 RCA outputs.


So if you switch your cables and the issue does NOT follow the cable, then we can cross off your headphones and the cables. Next up your source and if you still hear the issue with another source, then it's likely your amp frown.gif. If the issue goes away with the new source, your amp is fine and you're going to need to look into another source.

 

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post #12 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 

Wuwhere, I just tried what you asked -- there was no buzzing sound when the source is removed and the HD 800 is still plugged in. I'm still looking for another source to hook up to my amplifier. I hope to God's it's much soundcard! It's the cheapest of the three, and I've a USB DAC coming...

 

It looks like either the R ouput or input is messed up here :(.

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post #13 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:34pm

Another source would be good. It still could be the right RCA input connector in your amp.

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post #14 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:36pm

Try this. Connect just the left channel from your source to the right channel of your Rudistor and check if the problem is there.

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post #15 of 32
9/13/11 at 7:38pm
Thread Starter 

I was finally able to locate some rca cable to 2.5 mm adaptor to use my cell phone as a source. Same issue... so it looks like it's the amplifier's R input...  I bought this amplifier just now via amazon.com. Hopefully, they have a fair return policy regarding these sorts of things...

 

I'll keep you all updated. Thanks for helping me troubleshoot.

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