Wiring issues with new setup

Hello all. I've got a new speaker setup, but have encountered a few issues in getting it hooked up properly.

I have the following components in the loop:
Auzentech Prelude X-Fi sound card
Pair of M-Audio BX8 D2's
Bic H100 Subwoofer

I currently have them connected as follows:
Triple headphone splitter cable plugs into the "front" jack on my sound card. I have a single male 1/4" to single male 1/8" cable going from each of the speakers into two of the three female connectors on the triple headphone splitter, and an RCA to 1/8" cable going from the subwoofer to the last female connector on the triple headphone splitter.

I encounter the following issues:
1. The speakers both seem to be playing on the left channel. Nothing is being output on the right channel. When I test the channels, both of them emit the noise when I click on the left speaker, while neither one of them puts out any sound when I click on the right. It's very noticeable when playing games where sound should be coming from my left, but instead it is silent.

2. The subwoofer suddenly is insanely weak. It is putting out sound, but even on full volume it is barely audible. When I had it paired up with my old Swans, it would rattle the whole house.

Previously I had a pair of Swans M200 MkII's connected with the same subwoofer and same sound card, and didn't run into either of these issues. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Are the 1/4" and 1/8" cables you are using stereo or mono? (Do they have one or two lines on the metal part that you insert?) The weak sub output could be the result of it being fed a mono signal if it is expecting stereo.

Probably the most common wiring problem is simply plugging wires into the wrong place. Make sure each speaker is plugged into the proper output on your receiver and then make sure the positive and negative wires are properly attached to each speaker.

SocceRich, what happens when you use the output on the rear of your case and not the front panel extension?

Actually now that I read it again your setup seems to be a bit odd, you have a three way splitter? how are you making sure you send the left and the right channel to the proper speaker in stereo sound?

innisfree said:

Probably the most common wiring problem is simply plugging wires into the wrong place. Make sure each speaker is plugged into the proper output on your receiver and then make sure the positive and negative wires are properly attached to each speaker.

Click to expand...

He has powered monitors that have built in amplifiers and don't use the same connections as a standalone amplifier/receiver and passive speakers.

Hey, if you have something simple like an mp3 player to hook up to them, i would do that to test that everything got hooked up again right. If they get stereo that way, then they're either hooked up wrong or the soundcard isn't outputting right.

If they don't, then the amp in the speakers is only putting out mono. This means that you need to look for any kind of switch it might have for mono/stereo. If there is none, then there's something wrong with the speakers.

It's a 3-way stereo splitter going out of the output on the rear of my case.

timta2 said:

Are the 1/4" and 1/8" cables you are using stereo or mono? (Do they have one or two lines on the metal part that you insert?) The weak sub output could be the result of it being fed a mono signal if it is expecting stereo.

Click to expand...

All of this. There's a chance the splitter is doing something wonky in splitting the stereo-mini connector into 1/4". Also the sub may not want a pre-out input.

Regular stereo TRS is
Tip = Left
Ring = Right
Sleeve = Ground

The monitor's TRS input is
Tip = +
Ring = -
Sleeve = Ground

The monitors only accept 1 channel via balanced xlr or balanced/unbalanced 1/4" trs. So feeding it a stereo signal from sound card will cause both to output the same channel.

You need to split the 1/8" stereo to left & right and feed each monitor one.

1 1/8" Stereo Plug to 2 RCA Plug Cable
2x 1/4" Mono Plug to RCA Jack Adaptor

Igthorn said:

Regular stereo TRS is
Tip = Left
Ring = Right
Sleeve = Ground

The monitor's TRS input is
Tip = +
Ring = -
Sleeve = Ground

The monitors only accept 1 channel via balanced xlr or balanced/unbalanced 1/4" trs. So feeding it a stereo signal from sound card will cause both to output the same channel.

You need to split the 1/8" stereo to left & right and feed each monitor one.

1 1/8" Stereo Plug to 2 RCA Plug Cable
2x 1/4" Mono Plug to RCA Jack Adaptor

Click to expand...

This makes sense, thank you. Does it have to be RCA in the middle, or can it go from 1/4" out the back, convert to 1/8", and stay 1/8" all the way back to the sound card?

Also, does the 1/4" to RCA adapter have to be mono, or can I get a stereo one like this?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10429&cs_id=1042906&p_id=7151&seq=1&format=2

I just went with monoprice since it was the quickest and simplest way to show how it would be connected.

Did a quick search and found some 1/8" stereo to 2 mono 1/4" cables that looks like it would be perfect.

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP159-Feet-Speaker-Cable/dp/B005HGM1D6
http://www.amazon.com/GLS-Audio-Y-Cable-Spliter-Cord/dp/B0062QPERU

The 1/4" plugs should be mono, the manual for the monitors recommends grounding the negative input when connecting to an unbalanced source. The internal wiring of the monoprice 1/4" stereo to rca adapter is unknown. By using a mono plug you ensure the negative input is grounded.

I think what you want is:
1x pc to rca: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10429&cs_id=1042902&p_id=7189&seq=1&format=2

2x rca spliter: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10429&cs_id=1042904&p_id=7186&seq=1&format=2

2x of these (rca-xlr cables): http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10244&cs_id=1024404&p_id=4777&seq=1&format=2

and 1x normal rca cable for the sub.