Connecting AMP to PC
 

Connecting an amp to a PC should be hassle free enough however I'm having some trouble. I'm using a mini jack to RCA converter for my Marantz PM6005. The RCA is at the 'Tuner' source and theres audio coming in fine from the left speaker perfectly. I have no audio on the right speakers however, an it's a real shame. Some websites say the RCA lead needs to be in the 'Aux' socket, however my amp doesn't have this socket. Why am I getting mono audio? Really would appreciate some help, especially from someone who may own this amp. :bowdown::confused:

Have you tried different speakers? I'm pretty novice with gear hookups but that's odd, in most applications one speaker not working means the fault lies with the speakers. Just an idiot offering advice that you might have looked past.

1 - You're probably not getting mono audio. Mono is the same through both (or more) speakers. If you use the balance control on your media player, I'm betting you'll find that you're getting no signal out of your PC when it's all the way to the right. If that's the case, you're getting half of a stereo signal. This can be an important difference, so make sure you're using your terminology right. It saves later confusion.

2 - Does your 3.5mm Jack look like This? Or like this?


3 - What socket on your PC's soundcard are you using?

4 - Aux is not really necessary. There are two kinds of RCA sockets on home audio equipment - Line level, and Preamplified. The labels have nothing to do with how they operate. They're just there to guide people. The only electrical difference is preamplified inputs (Almost always labelled "phono/aux" or "phono"), are boosted, so that very weak electrical signals like those made by record decks, can be heard. If you plug a line level source into one of these you'll blow your speakers or amp. Or both.

Using a CD or Tape input (Or line-level Aux) is fine as long as the socket you're taking your signal from on the PC can output line level. (Protip - Most headphones sockets double as Line Out sockets. Some soundcards will have dedicated Line Out though, and if yours does you REALLY should be using it instead of the green headphone jack. This is because proper Line Level sockets always output at the optimum voltage range for your amp, which is a maximum 2V swing. That would break most headphones and/or deafen you if it didn't break them, so most headphone jacks don't output as strong a signal. They're usable, just not QUITE all the way there.)



Finally, model numbers! Please tell us the model of your amplifier and soundcard.

^^^Good info from GB^^^

Sounds like you need a STEREO 1/8" to RCA converter.

Didn't notice the amp model was mentioned.

http://www.hyperfi.co.uk/images/MarantzPM6005back.jpg

This is the back of your amp. You can plug your RCA leads into any of the red and white sockets except the ones labelled phono or recorder (Audio Out) and it will work fine. This includes the ones labelled recorder (Audio In).

If that's what you're doing -

1 - Have you got anything else plugged into this amplifier? Does that produce proper stereo sound?

2 - If the answer to 1 is "no", check your speaker cables are wired correctly. (With the amp off, duh) You'll notice you have 8 terminals. This is because your amp can power two sets of speakers independently. If you've wired one of your speakers into the speakers A output, and the other into the Speakers B output, that could cause this problem, since the speakers B output is only used when specifically turned on.

You only need to use the bottom 4 of these to power a set of standard stereo speakers. Make sure you're matching up red to red and black to black. In that image, the bottom right two terminals (The ones on the white dotted background), are for your left hand speaker. The other two terminals on that white dotted background should both go to the right hand speaker.

The top four should not be wired in at all (Unless you're wiring them to a second pair of speakers in another room. And no, having them wired into another set of speakers in the same room is not a good idea and will just sound bad - trust me on this.)

3 - If all of the above has been checked, it's the cable, or the output from your soundcard, or the amplifier has one channel blown. That last one should be unlikely unless you've turned the amplifier to max and blown it up.

Thanks for all your help guys, found out it was just a simple problem with the converter lead I was using. It only supported mono audio. Just bought a stereo lead today and it's working fine. Feel a tad bit silly but oh well lol :bonkhead:

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