HELP ME! HELP ME! FIIO E9 LINE OUT IS ONLY PLAYING THE LEFT CHANNEL AFTER CONNECTING IT WITH MY SAFFIRE PRO 40 HEADPHONE JACK AND IT IS SO ANNOYING ARRRRRRRGGGGGGH

[JCART]

Hello there. Perhaps I overdid it on the title. But man this is annoying. 
 
I have a Saffire Pro 40 and a Fiio E9. All sound output on my computer goes through the Saffire Pro, and it works perfectly on its own.
 
I hooked up a 1/4inch, to 1/8inch cable, with the 1/4 side into the headphone out of the Pro 40, and the 1/8 inch into the line out of the E9. I then plugged my K701's (awesome headphones by the way), into the E9. I hear a great left channel, but only left channel. No white noise out of the right can. Nothing. When I pull the jack halfway out, I kind of get both channels, and when I pull it 3/4's of the way out, I get only right channel. 
 
I get the feeling I may be having a mix set up problem with the Pro 40, but I don't know what it is. The line is going directly from the headphone jack of the interface (DAC), to the E9. 
 
I'd like to know whether its the E9 or not, so that I can figure out how to say "hunk of ****" in Chinese before calling their customer support. 
 
 
Thank you very much; I'm in the middle of an important project, and this is a HUGE pain. 
 
-J

 

[NA Blur]

To me it sounds like the 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch adapter is to blame.  The fact that you get both channels shows that the headphones, cable, and jack will work, but you have to pull out the jack plug to get the right channel back.  Try a different adapter first.  It is possible that the jack inside the FiiO is not quite aligning with the TRS ( Tip / Ring / Sleeve ) of the jack plug.
 
Do your headphones work, using the adapter, in another device like a home stereo receiver or even the headphone out on your PC?

 

[JCART]

Yeah the adapter works fine with other devices (iphone, etc.). I think it has to be the Fiio 1/8 jack. Its just so weird so that it sounds so good in the one channel...
 
There's probably no other way to hook it up to the Pro 40, right? I keep on wishing there was a USB out in the Focusrite...
 
Ok so if Pro 40 headphone jack to E9 is supposed to be kosher, then I guess it just has to be the Fiio...

 

[NA Blur]

Make sure you plug the headphone out from the soundcard / PC into the IN on the amp.  You state above
 
"I hooked up a 1/4inch, to 1/8inch cable, with the 1/4 side into the headphone out of the Pro 40, and the 1/8 inch into the line out of the E9."
 
You also may be connecting your headphone out from your PC to one of the RCA IN connectors instead of the general line in on the E9.
 
You need to go stereo out from your PC ------> Line in ( back left side ) -----> Headphones plugged into the left Headphone jack on the front
 
Let us know if that helps.

 

[JCART]

Right, but I want to hear the signal thats going through the Pro 40. If I just hook it up directly from the stereo out of the computer the focusrite is nowhere in the chain. 

 

[NA Blur]

It really suggests that one end of your adapter is a mono plug and not stereo.

Can you take a pic of the cable with adapter on it so we can take a look?  Just post it here.
 
Does either connector on either side of the cable have just one ring ( dark circle )?  If it does then it is a mono connector and not stereo.  Each side should have two rings and a tip for stereo.
 
Eliminating the Pro 40 for now may help diagnose the issue and the test is still quite valid.
 
With the Pro 40 out of the loop what do you hear?
 
What software are you using?  Are you using Garageband?  If so there is a stereo mode seen here:
 
http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/article.php?id=257
 
Smart money is still on the connectors or cable.

 

 

[PlayerN07]

The more I search the more negative things I find about the Fiio amps... smhhhh

 

[JCART]

It was the 1/8 inch connector!
 
Or maybe the cables. I don't really know. I was using the gold adapter  that came with my K701's and some guitar cables. The adapter worked perfectly with every single device...except for the Fiio. I happened to have another 1/8 inch thing (1/8 to 1/4 cable), plugged it in, and now it's working perfectly. I am now debating whether I am the idiot in this scenario. DAMN YOU WIRES AND PLUGS

 

[NA Blur]

Bah to your self criticism.  We all make mistakes.  I had a bur on an adapter once and it was so subtle that I thought the headphone outs on my amp were not performing well.  I found and removed the bur and my DT-990 sprang to life.
 
YAY to the stereo!