I have two M-Audio Studiophile BX5a powered speakers hooked up to my laptop. They both have a 1/4" TRS input. I just plugged a 1/8" to 1/4" splitter into the headphone jack (from Radioshack), but I am only getting one channel from the stereo mix in both speakers. I would like a full stereo mix, but would settle for mono. I obviously do not know much about this stuff, and if you're wondering why I have nice speakers, it was part of the settlement in a band break-up. I prefer the cheapest option.
Problem with powered speakers
- Thread starter laphoque
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PunterCam
Active Member
All half decent powered speakers have a balanced input - a balanced cable is one that sends the original signal, plus that signal fully out of phase, and an earth - the idea being that when the out-of-phase signal is put back into phase at the speaker, any interference which has been imposed on the wire between source and speaker will become out-of phase, and cancel itself out.
This balanced connector is physically identical to a stereo jack (your 1/8" mini jack). Unforunately your 1/8" jack is Left, Right, and Earth, and when it's split into 2 1/4" jacks, they are unbalanced cables, with only signal and earth.
Solution? Dunno what your setup is, but those speakers will (probably, I could be completely wrong here, but I'm usually right) require a TRS (tip ring side) balanced jack input. Either you find a small mixer that outputs a balanced signal on 1/4", or you get the soldering iron out, buy a couple of stereo jack plugs, and wire them up to the 1/8" - obviously they won't be balanced signals, but as long as you solder to the right bits of the jack (guides online im sure) you'll get a signal (quieter -10db vs +4db), but a signal none-the-less. I think. That last bit might be wrong. But I'm sure I've done it. Cheap if it is wrong.
This balanced connector is physically identical to a stereo jack (your 1/8" mini jack). Unforunately your 1/8" jack is Left, Right, and Earth, and when it's split into 2 1/4" jacks, they are unbalanced cables, with only signal and earth.
Solution? Dunno what your setup is, but those speakers will (probably, I could be completely wrong here, but I'm usually right) require a TRS (tip ring side) balanced jack input. Either you find a small mixer that outputs a balanced signal on 1/4", or you get the soldering iron out, buy a couple of stereo jack plugs, and wire them up to the 1/8" - obviously they won't be balanced signals, but as long as you solder to the right bits of the jack (guides online im sure) you'll get a signal (quieter -10db vs +4db), but a signal none-the-less. I think. That last bit might be wrong. But I'm sure I've done it. Cheap if it is wrong.
Many Thanks
Thank you for your help. Your reply got me thinking about something I hadn't considered: the problem is in the cables. I checked to see if my speakers required a balanced input, but they can have either. Then I did a little research on TRS connectors. Then I actually pulled out the cables and looked at them (I am one of those smart people with no common sense). As is turns out, the 1/4" cables I scavenged from my days as a bassist netted one mono and one stereo cable. So then I did some testing with the speakers and each cable. I found that with only the stereo cable plugged into the splitter, that speaker would play both left and right channels, but when I plugged in the mono one also, both speakers played just the left channel. Then I pried open the splitter and the problem was staring me in the face: the 1/8" input sends the TRS config to two 1/4" jacks, which works with only one stereo output, but with a mono output added sends the "ring" signal to the "sleeve" which I assume is ground, thus sapping that signal from the other stereo output! To combat this, I taped up the ring (I'll cease the quotation marks, as I now talk the talk) connector inside the splitter for the mono output so the right channel couldn't escape. I love learning!
Thank you for your help. Your reply got me thinking about something I hadn't considered: the problem is in the cables. I checked to see if my speakers required a balanced input, but they can have either. Then I did a little research on TRS connectors. Then I actually pulled out the cables and looked at them (I am one of those smart people with no common sense). As is turns out, the 1/4" cables I scavenged from my days as a bassist netted one mono and one stereo cable. So then I did some testing with the speakers and each cable. I found that with only the stereo cable plugged into the splitter, that speaker would play both left and right channels, but when I plugged in the mono one also, both speakers played just the left channel. Then I pried open the splitter and the problem was staring me in the face: the 1/8" input sends the TRS config to two 1/4" jacks, which works with only one stereo output, but with a mono output added sends the "ring" signal to the "sleeve" which I assume is ground, thus sapping that signal from the other stereo output! To combat this, I taped up the ring (I'll cease the quotation marks, as I now talk the talk) connector inside the splitter for the mono output so the right channel couldn't escape. I love learning!