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Question

XP Sound Left Channel Only

May 14, 2014 2:29PM PDT

I have a computer running XP 32 bit used only for watching videos on my home theater system. There is a peculiar problem - sound only comes out the left speaker. The sound channels are routed through a 7.1 amp. The motherboard is a Gigabyte S3 with surround sound. I doubt that all the other channels are faulty. I tried using a USB to 7.1 sound card too. Even with this installed the sound still only comes out the left front speaker. If I swap the sound jacks around I can make the sound come out one of the center speakers or rear speakers, but one at a time. It appears as if all the audio channels have been mixed into one single channel. If I play a DVD via the DVD player all sound is OK. So basically the Realtek Azalia Codec mixes all the sound to one left channel and the external USB surround 7.1 box does the same. Only one channel. Any help would be appreciated.

Zow

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
What USB to 7.1?
May 14, 2014 9:41PM PDT

I continue to find these are often stereo so let's find your USB card with it's 8 outputs. Sounds rare.


Most of the time it's some balance slider if not hardware. It's not a peculiar problem but I find a lot of folk can't find the slider (I know I can't on some systems) and then there is failed cards and cables. A lot of fun to find Waldo.
Bob

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Vantec
May 15, 2014 1:17AM PDT

It is a rare item. It is manufactured by a company called Vantec. And yes it does have the 8 outputs required for 7.1. It also has headphone outputs, line in, and stereo mic inputs. Not to mention optical SPDIF inputs and outputs.

I did check through all the settings. Everything is set up correctly and 7.1 surround sound is selected on the PC. It is not a case of the volume being set to one channel. My point is that it does not work with the on board 7.1 surround card (Left speaker only) or with the USB 7.1 (Left speaker only). My conclusion is that there is something wrong with the Windoze DLL that manages the audio.

Zoe.

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And with that.
May 15, 2014 1:42AM PDT

Since I've never found a "Windoze dll" I take it that this is some not so sly slam. Test your hardware with a free, no install other OS.
Bob

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Tell us why
May 15, 2014 2:28AM PDT

it can't be the 7.1 amplifier, what about a pre-amp, what make is it and how is everything connected?

Digger

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The amp is a Wharfedale
May 15, 2014 11:26AM PDT

As are all the speakers. The Sub is a self powered unit. All the connections are made to the "Direct In" interface. This was then tested using an iPod, two speakers at a time. Finally as it is a component system an external Sony Blu Ray player was tested too and the system functioned. I thus knew that sound could play from all speakers having tested the "Direct In" and "DVD in". When connecting the PC sound only came out the right front speaker. It thus had to be the PC. To eliminate the sound card on the PC I plugged in the USB 7.1 sound device. Sound still only came out the left front speaker, this time through a completely different interface. The control panels for the Realtek Azalia Codec and for the Vantec USB 7.1 are different. I tried different settings on each control panel to no avail. I therefore came to the conclusion that it was a common piece of software used by sound devices in general. I hope that answers the question.

Zoe

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I see you
May 15, 2014 11:34AM PDT

have it all figured out and fixed. Congratulations and Thank you.

Digger

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swap the speakers
May 15, 2014 4:09PM PDT

and you won't worry about the left side anymore.

Wink

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Clarification Request
Did your supplier note the MS UAA driver system?
May 15, 2014 2:12AM PDT

Without that, XP may not supply more than stereo if even that. But there may be more going on here such as some one that hates XP and Windows in general. I can't help such folk at times since they tend to blame everyone and Bill Gates. For those I wish them well and advise to move to what they love.
Bob

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Problem solved
May 15, 2014 10:37AM PDT

Indeed it was the UAA drivers. There was something corrupt with their install. I visited Gigabyte's web site and downloaded a fresh copy there. Now both the on board sound card and external USB sound card work.

Thanks

Zoe