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Left/Right Audio Issue

DrezDrez Registered User regular
So I'm having a very annoying problem. I didn't even notice it until yesterday - I don't know what's failing here.

I was playing Shadows of Mordor and I noticed that sound seemed to be originating from the wrong ear. Right now my audio setup is: TV optical audio out to this device: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H4XC3DC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which takes an optical audio input and converts to RCA or Stereo Mini out (i.e. headphones). I have a headphone extension cable from there and my Logitech headphones connected to the headphone exetnsion cable.

I've been using this digital audio converter (linked above) and find it hard to believe I am just noticing this now. I played through 160 hours of Persona 5 and a variety of other games using this setup. Anyway, I did some L/R channel tests and its definitely reversed at least at this point in time.

I've tried the following:
  • Skipping the headphone extension cable (i.e. plugging headphones directly into converter box)
  • Reconnecting all wires/playing with them at different "levels" of "tightness" (if I half connect the stereo miniplug, it plays in mono, as I expected)
  • Different wires
  • Other earphones
  • Checking my TV audio settings (there was nothing relevant)
  • Reconnecting my HDMI cables from my devices into my TV
  • Testing audio from different devices (audio via my PC is reversed and audio via my Viera apps [coming directly from the TV] is also reversed. I haven't tested other devices like my PS4/Switch but I'm just going to assume it's the same thing)

Nothing worked. The other earphones were also reversed.

I should note, the sound is otherwise crisp. It's just the L/R channels are reversed. Also, my TV is a Panasonic Viera 50ST50 (Plasma, kinda old now I guess - 5 years or so) and does not have RCA audio output, only digital/toslink.

Any ideas what might be wrong? Could a hardware malfunction in either the converter or my TV cause the audio to flip channels?

Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar

Posts

  • TNTrooperTNTrooper Registered User regular
    It is possible the converter was wired with the left/right reversed and you just now noticed. TV audio is normal if you bypass the converter?

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  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    It is. Speakers are correct if I turn them back on.

    Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited August 2017
    The convertor could very well be sending the signal backward. Can you reverse the RCA jacks and just be done with it?

    Edit: just re-read the post, you're using an auxiliary cable straight out. Switch in an RCA/AUX pigtail and reverse the cables (red to white, white to red).

    Shadowfire on
  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    The convertor could very well be sending the signal backward. Can you reverse the RCA jacks and just be done with it?

    Edit: just re-read the post, you're using an auxiliary cable straight out. Switch in an RCA/AUX pigtail and reverse the cables (red to white, white to red).

    So instead of using the headphone out on the converter, use the pigtail to reverse the channels via the RCA outs instead and then plug the headphones into the pigtail.

    Simple.

    Ingenious.

    Thank you. I have even have one of those in my giant box of wires (it's literally a giant box of wires the size of a small human).

    Drez on
    Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
  • bsjezzbsjezz Registered User regular
    you may not even need to reverse the rca plugs - it could just be the headphone jack that's wired incorrectly!

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  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    bsjezz wrote: »
    you may not even need to reverse the rca plugs - it could just be the headphone jack that's wired incorrectly!

    I didn't get to go a-huntin' for wires yet but good point! I'll try and find them tomorrow.

    Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    So, update.

    I bought the item you recommended, @Shadowfire and reversing Red/White did work.

    The problem is, it doesn't sound like it's amplified when I wire it this way. Which sucks. It's definitely nowhere near as loud as when I plug my headphones into the headphone jack on the box. It's not terribly quiet, but definitely there is a difference. I swapped back and forth a couple of times to make sure.

    I'm going to play with it a little more, but I guess I'll likely put in a ticket. It wasn't expensive, just can't believe I didn't notice until now. I bought this thing in May!

    Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    It may not be since when you're hooking something to RCA, it's usually something that's amplified anyway. So that's not great.

    I mean, the only other suggestion I can think of is to use a little auxiliary extension, cut it, and splice the cables back the opposite way yourself, but the original device is so inexpensive it's probably worth it to just replace it.

  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    Yeah it's so cheap, I'll just do that.

    It's loudish anyway so it'll work for the time being.

    Thanks for the help!

    Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    Why not flip your head phones

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  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    mts wrote: »
    Why not flip your head phones

    Contour/shape.

    Drez on
    Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
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