Crack Output Jack Problem

[remedy]

Hey,

So I switched out a Cardas cable on my HD800s back to the stock cable, and I noticed that when I plug them all the way in I only get sound from the right ear. If I pull the connector back about 4mm out it gives me stereo in both ears. Any way I can fix this? The cable is a new HD800 stock cable.

It wouldn't matter to my much but if I want to listen to my headphones anywhere else in my room the connector will move a bit and I lose sound in the left ear.

[Paul Joppa]

Fix the broken connection in the left channel.

When you pull the plug partly out, you get mono from one channel in both ears.

[remedy]

But with the cardas cable fully connected I don't have this issue. Is it still a broken connection in the left channel? And how would I go about tracing the left channel to find the error? Also I barely have to pull it out at all, just about 1.5-2mm

Final edit: I pulled it out different amounts until I heard the music in mono. It doesn't sound like that when I pull it out just 1.5mm. I'm certain it's stereo, but not sure if it's an issue with the cable connector or what.

[Paul Birkeland]

I'm a little confused here, do you have one cable that works and one that doesn't?

The "I get both channels when I pull the plug out a little" is covered in the FAQ, and is the tip and ring connections on the TRS jack shorting together. If you believe you have a stereo signal in this position, pull the left source cable out of the input jack on the Crack, then see if the signal drops from the left ear cup of your headphones.

-PB

[fullheadofnothing]

I came up with a theory for how this problem could occur.

The Cardas plug has a different shape from the other cable. Either the ridged portion of the tip section of the plug is wider than the other plug, or it sits further up the plug than the other one. The Cardas plug then stretched out the jack, so it no longer can make proper contact. The easiest solution to this problem would be to use the Cardas cable. The other solution would be to bend the contact on the jack back into shape. It may get bent back out of shape if you continue using both cables, or perhaps the contact was overall marginal on the Cardas cable and by reshaping it, you will improve performance on both.

This may or may not be the cause of the problem, but it is the only explanation I can come up with that matches the facts presented.

[remedy]

Just looked at the two input jacks on each cable side by side, the sennheiser ridged portion is higher up and less bulbous than the shorter fatter cardas. also the on the sennheiser, the black line furthest from the ridged portion is very slightly thinner than the cardas.

I can't use the cardas anymore because the left ear goes in and out, so how would I go about bending the contact on the jack?

@PB: they both work, but the cardas works fully connected whereas the sennheiser i need to remove 1mm to get it to work through both channels.

[remedy]

I came up with a theory for how this problem could occur.

The Cardas plug has a different shape from the other cable. Either the ridged portion of the tip section of the plug is wider than the other plug, or it sits further up the plug than the other one. The Cardas plug then stretched out the jack, so it no longer can make proper contact. The easiest solution to this problem would be to use the Cardas cable. The other solution would be to bend the contact on the jack back into shape. It may get bent back out of shape if you continue using both cables, or perhaps the contact was overall marginal on the Cardas cable and by reshaping it, you will improve performance on both.

This may or may not be the cause of the problem, but it is the only explanation I can come up with that matches the facts presented.

Went on a long vacation, but still have this issue. How would I go about benging the contact on the jack? Just squeeze the silver part on the back (back meaning the side that faces the front of the chassis) with some needlenose pliers or something? And which one would I have to bend?

[Paul Birkeland]

With the amp powered off, insert the 1/4" cable into the jack while observing the bottom side of the jack.

You'll see the 3 metal prongs bend up and out of the way as the plug slides in.  You'll also notice that they lift off their metal contacts.  If the one furthest from the chassis plate doesn't lift up enough, and you have the grounding mod mentioned in the sticky, then the tip will stay grounded.

You can either undo the grounding mod, or you can bend that prong down slightly, so that it contacts the tip more readily and lifts off the switched contact more easily.

-PB

[remedy]

With the amp powered off, insert the 1/4" cable into the jack while observing the bottom side of the jack.

You'll see the 3 metal prongs bend up and out of the way as the plug slides in.  You'll also notice that they lift off their metal contacts.  If the one furthest from the chassis plate doesn't lift up enough, and you have the grounding mod mentioned in the sticky, then the tip will stay grounded.

You can either undo the grounding mod, or you can bend that prong down slightly, so that it contacts the tip more readily and lifts off the switched contact more easily.

-PB

I did have the grounding mod, but I just went ahead and bent the prong a tiny bit and now it's perfect. Thank you!