Where'd my channel go?

TemplarTemplar You first.
edited August 2004 in Hardware
Ok, so my shiny pair of Zalman RSF6's arrives today. I try to throw in an old SB Live 5.1 card, only to have Windows constantly lock up (this installation is fubared though. I'd reformat if it wasn't the family PC). Well, I decide to test them out by plugging in center, front, or rear and testing the left and right channels in Winamp or something.

The Front speakers have both left and right channels.

The rear speakers have both left and right channels.

My center speakers have only the left channel. When I slide the bar all the way to the right (100% right), I hear almost nothing. If I slide it to the left, the volume does not go up, nor does the sound change to the left channel. When the slider is on Center or Left, both left and right speakers are playing (I take off one side of the headset and compare it to the other. Both are playing at the same volume).

Anyone have any idea what's going on? Maybe it's just software related? The onboard audio is only 2.1, but I think this problem will fix whenever I get a 5.1 motherboard.

Oh, by the way, these things sound awesome :D

Comments

  • madmatmadmat
    edited August 2004
    Center is a mono source and a 5.1 setup actually uses the same plug for the center and the subwoofer so the plug on your headphones is only pulling sound from the left side of the plug which means the right side of the plug is where the bass frequencies would be on a true 5.1 setup.
    I doubt the Zalmans actually have dedicated "sub" drivers in them and depend on bass generated by the other channels to give you the kick the sub normally would.
    I hope this clears things up.
  • TemplarTemplar You first.
    edited August 2004
    madmat wrote:
    Center is a mono source and a 5.1 setup actually uses the same plug for the center and the subwoofer so the plug on your headphones is only pulling sound from the left side of the plug which means the right side of the plug is where the bass frequencies would be on a true 5.1 setup.
    I doubt the Zalmans actually have dedicated "sub" drivers in them and depend on bass generated by the other channels to give you the kick the sub normally would.
    I hope this clears things up.

    Oh ok. Yep, crystal now. They don't have great bass, but that's not what I bought them for. Ironically, I still can't use them for what I bought them for.. heh.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited August 2004
    Templar wrote:
    Ironically, I still can't use them for what I bought them for.. heh.
    hmmm ...and what might that be? :scratch:
    I wanted to get the ZM-RSA amp so I could plug both my headset and speakers at the same time and control them seperately ...until I saw the price.

    $90 plus shipping?

    I'll continue to plug and unplug from the back panel ...I don't need the amp part anyway just being lazy.
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