My headphones are acting weird...

[Tripstar]

When I plug them into my iPod or TV, I can hear the music part fine, but no voice. I mean - I'll plug it into the headphone port on my TV. It'll play the character's voices very low and muffled, and the background music very loudly (and it isn't the TV show). It does the same thing with my iPod, and my sister's MP3 player - loud music, barely any voice.

I don't know how this is physically possible. At first, I thought it might be only playing one of two stereo tracks, so I put on a Pink Floyd album (you know how they were with stereo), but the same thing happens... I can hear the cash registers loudly, but the vocals are in the background.

They're cheap-ish 'Takstar' headphones I got from Hong Kong, but I love them, and I really hope it can be fixed.

Damn, only "established members" can post URLs.
cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14985&item=7335464984&rd=1
is the one I bought.

[rx7_fan]

Linked for you (cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14985&item=7335464984&rd=1)

[Tripstar]

*cries*

[rx7_fan]

Did it work before, then suddenly one day, you can't hear voices anymore?

[Tripstar]

Nope, they arrived brand-new like this. :(

[rx7_fan]

Could be the headphone is EQed like that. They properly decreased the human voice frequency response, around 1khz (ask the dodgyguy, to explain, he's a musican) that's why you can only hear the music.

Possible fix, increase midrange frequency with your EQ

[thedodgyguy]

It could just be that they're wired wrong, and the ground has been left 'floating'. If you feel like delving inside, check the wiring.


That's a fascinating headphone by the way. The same moulding is used for the earcups as the Sony MDR-V700DJ and the same headband is used as the Sennheiser HD280/Ultrasone HFI-series/Beyer DT660. Frankenphone!

[Tripstar]

I don't have the skills required to rewire my headphones (I almost burnt my school down in electronics class once).

It would be a huge pain in the arse to fiddle with my iPod and TV equalisers every time I switch headphones, though... is there no way to correct the headphones w/o opening em?

[thedodgyguy]

From what you describe, I'd put reasonable odds on them being incorrectly wired. That is a open-up-and-repair job I'm afraid. But moverover, if the problem is at the (presumably moulded) plug end, you're pretty much stuffed. If you know someone more au fait with audio / electronics it would be a good idea to take it to them.


The other thing to doubly make sure is that the plug is all the way in to the socket. :p

[rx7_fan]

I say you open it, cause if you don't,you're not going to be using it anyways (because of it's condition). What do you have to lose, if you don't try to fix it, you'll probably end up throwing it away. But if you do try to fix it, the problem could be fixed, you learn a lil bit more about headphones, and your fear of electronics is lessen. If you break it while trying to fix it, well it doesn't matter since you were going to throw it away any how. But at least you tried, and probably learn something on the way.

[thedodgyguy]

You'll need a multimeter with a built in continuity tester (or just a continuity tester) in order to check that the phone is properly connected. If you can buy or borrow one, open up the earcups and check that the left, right and ground terminals all connect at the plug end, and that they aren't cross-connected.