[kageroh]

I know this is kind of exotic, but I've been left-side deaf for as long as I can remember, with the right ear working perfectly well for some reason.
 
Thing is, many recordings - music as well as other audio - use different output for both channels, resulting in either a very silent or no sound for me at all on the right side. Is there any way to make a kind of plug-in I can put between the source - both my local PC but mainly for mobile purposes (cowon J3) - that will allow me to enjoy my music and audio books in full quality without having this problem?

 

[diamondears]

How about getting an amp with mono option? Not sure if there's one though.

 

[labrat]

 

[kageroh]

It would be very annoying to go over my whole library of a bit over 7k files that I have on the cowon for that kind of solution O_o

 

[diamondears]

It would be very annoying to go over my whole library of a bit over 7k files that I have on the cowon for that kind of solution O_o

Found this. So no need to look for a mono amp: http://www.cnet.com/news/making-headphones-mono/

 

[kageroh]

Thanks so far. But wouldn't converting it to mono impair the fidelity and quality of the recordings? And wouldn't an adapter as shown in the article suffice as well?

 

[RRod]

  Thanks so far. But wouldn't converting it to mono impair the fidelity and quality of the recordings? And wouldn't an adapter as shown in the article suffice as well?

 
To convert to mono in software, you basically do:
new signal = L/2 + R/2
So you halve the values in each channel and the sum up. You can then send this new signal to one or both channels on the output side. Fidelity of low-level signals could be compromised due to the distortion from the division, but good software should know to dither the output.

 

[kageroh]

I was looking for a more hardware-based solution as I need something that is also applicable on the go, not just stationary at home.

 

[RRod]

  I was looking for a more hardware-based solution as I need something that is also applicable on the go, not just stationary at home.

 
I was hitting on the signal fidelity aspect. As labrat said above, there should be software solutions that allow mono mixing on-the-fly for use on portable devices.

 

[cel4145]

You have to do some search and test yourself, but using Foobar2000 as a player on your computer, there are plugins that mix the output Left and Right so you get mono playback to your headphones.
For your Cowon I am not 100% sure, but I believe you can find a plugin for EAC to rip your files and mix Left and Right in the output file , that way enabling you to play mono files on your Cowon.
The Foobar2000 I did have a setup earlier with mixing channels to mono, the EAC I never did try with mono mix, but I am sure there is a plugin for that too.

+1

I believe Winamp may have a mono mode plugin that can be used on it or Media Monkey music player.

Then for portable devices, Rockbox has a mono mode that will combine both channels: http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-sansaclipplus.pdf

Rockbox is open firmware that can be installed on Sansa Clip+, Sansa Zip, iBasso DX50, some older iPods, to name a few.

 

[RRod]

+1

I believe Winamp may have a mono mode plugin that can be used on it or Media Monkey music player.

Then for portable devices, Rockbox has a mono mode that will combine both channels: http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-sansaclipplus.pdf

Rockbox is open firmware that can be installed on Sansa Clip+, Sansa Zip, iBasso DX50, some older iPods, to name a few.

 
Yeah and not my iPod classic 6gen ((

 

[kageroh]

Neither the J3 as far as I know.

 

[cel4145]

Yeah and not my iPod classic 6gen ((

You gotta trade someone for their older model

 

[kageroh]

I managed to solve the problem now with a stereo > mono and a mono > stereo plug between the source and my headphones =3

 

[kageroh]

Sadly did not work out as well as I thought. Any other ideas? =(