PC37x stereo broken

[LOST TALE]

I've used these since jun 2020 and all of a sudden the sound pooped. Low frequencies are compeltely broken such that I can't understand human speech.
The problem goes away when I pull the cable out such that it only picks up one channel. I just ordered a replacement cable from ali-express and it has the same problem.
I tried another device. I disabled audio enhancements and tried different settings.
My other audio devices also have the problem.

The only remaining common variable is the pc37x

why should I pay for expensive audio equipement if it will break? this is a scam!


edit: thanks to a user, it turns out if I turn mono in windows, the problem goes away, even though both channels are connected. It makes no sense (to me).

[Heats with Nvidia]

This sounds like the ground wire is broken in your headphones. This can happen on the inside of the phones. So i think this is actually a production quality problem. Since you are right out of warranty, i would try to contact the manufacturer and ask them for a repair. Thy might do it anyway. If not, if you know somebody who knows how to use a soldering iron, this problem usually is easily fixable.

[LOST TALE]

13 hours ago, Heats with Nvidia said:

This sounds like the ground wire is broken in your headphones. This can happen on the inside of the phones. So i think this is actually a production quality problem. Since you are right out of warranty, i would try to contact the manufacturer and ask them for a repair. Thy might do it anyway. If not, if you know somebody who knows how to use a soldering iron, this problem usually is easily fixable.

product page shows 2 year warranty. I will try and look for the original box & warranty information to see if it was 3 years.

I ordered a soldering kit for something else but I don't find any repair videos for the 37x. I'm nto sure if it's worth opening it on my own.

do you have a video on where I would find a ground wire in a headphone?

[Heats with Nvidia]

The ground wire is the only wire that is connected to both earcups and the microphone. You will find it. Also there should be signs that it broke off at one point. If you are not sure which one, just post a photo in this thread.

[LOST TALE]

3 hours ago, Heats with Nvidia said:

The ground wire is the only wire that is connected to both earcups and the microphone. You will find it. Also there should be signs that it broke off at one point. If you are not sure which one, just post a photo in this thread.

When I connect only one channel, both earcups use that signal which is a nice backup built in. But what I really liked about these is that it gave me good stereo sound directionality which I can't have with mono.

thanks for your time. Does this new information change your hypothesis?

[Heats with Nvidia]

20 hours ago, LOST TALE said:

When I connect only one channel, both earcups use that signal which is a nice backup built in. But what I really liked about these is that it gave me good stereo sound directionality which I can't have with mono.

thanks for your time. Does this new information change your hypothesis?

That depends on how you connect them on only one channel. If its by not inserting the cable fully, then its exactly what i expect. When you insert them correctly and listen to a mono signal, you should hear nothing.

[LOST TALE]

On 9/25/2023 at 10:54 PM, Heats with Nvidia said:

That depends on how you connect them on only one channel. If its by not inserting the cable fully, then its exactly what i expect. When you insert them correctly and listen to a mono signal, you should hear nothing.

I am always listening to a stereo signal. When I insert them correctly the audio is corrupted on all sides.

[Psittac]

Hart Audio Cables

 

Periapt Audio Cables

 

Both are excellent choices as well as respond to custom requests.  Don't let the "custom" part scare you because they just make the price what it would be if it was a regular product.

 

Hart has a thinner design that might appeal due to noise transfer plus it's modular.

 

Periapt offers very substantial cables that have a nice heft to them.

 

Both are relatively equally priced and I have purchased multiple time from each and even custom ordered from them.

[Heats with Nvidia]

On 10/17/2023 at 5:28 AM, LOST TALE said:

I am always listening to a stereo signal. When I insert them correctly the audio is corrupted on all sides.

Did you actually try with a mono signal? That i what i am asking you to do.

[LOST TALE]

On 10/17/2023 at 12:16 AM, Psittac said:

Hart Audio Cables

 

Periapt Audio Cables

 

Both are excellent choices as well as respond to custom requests.  Don't let the "custom" part scare you because they just make the price what it would be if it was a regular product.

 

Hart has a thinner design that might appeal due to noise transfer plus it's modular.

 

Periapt offers very substantial cables that have a nice heft to them.

 

Both are relatively equally priced and I have purchased multiple time from each and even custom ordered from them.

Is this for a new cable? I already tried new cable.

[Cocococo]

If a new cable doesn't work then the wiring in your headphones is broken, very likely going to be a bad solder, competent repair shops should be able to fix it. 

 

Good luck, if your headset can't be fixed then there are some good alternatives out on the market now

[LOST TALE]

24 minutes ago, Cocococo said:

If a new cable doesn't work then the wiring in your headphones is broken, very likely going to be a bad solder, competent repair shops should be able to fix it. 

 

Good luck, if your headset can't be fixed then there are some good alternatives out on the market now

Would a bad sodder always be obvious like the cable disconnected? Everything looks connected, I can't just pull a cable from the solder without breaking it

[Cocococo]

1 hour ago, LOST TALE said:

Would a bad sodder always be obvious like the cable disconnected? Everything looks connected, I can't just pull a cable from the solder without breaking it

Oh no, solder malfunctions are super common and very tricky to spot, just about every headphone maker has had some rough history on the matter, hell Sony had literal DECADES of improper solders coming loose. If you have a soldering iron at home you might be able to mend it yourself, but a decent repair shop would be happy to have a go, just explain the problem, the most likely issue being a bad solder and maybe offer a few more dollars for the service if they can be saved. 

[LOST TALE]

On 9/25/2023 at 10:54 PM, Heats with Nvidia said:

That depends on how you connect them on only one channel. If its by not inserting the cable fully, then its exactly what i expect. When you insert them correctly and listen to a mono signal, you should hear nothing.

Ok I found how to enable mono audio in windows 10 settings.

With mono turned on and the wire fully plugged in: I don't hear nothing. Instead I hear clear sound. but when I turn stereo on, the voices are corrupted.

 

Another thing that changed since my post is that no matter what I do, in stereo, both drivers output both the left and right sound (unless the last channel is physically diconnected). I restarted computer and made sure to turn off mono. It still outputs both left and right channels in stereo when fully plugged in but other devices don't (and the windows mono setting was global not device specific)

 

 

also in the meantime a soldered wire came off from the microphone. and the ground wire also came off the audio.

 

My first time soldering skills are terrible apparently. Maybe I should take off the sodler and reapply new one instead of remelting the old one while pushing the wire in? How am I supposed to hold the iron, the wire and the new tin wire? Helping hand can only hold the board.

 

So the microphone went from not working to working with a massive reverb on S's

 

 

I learned a lot from nothing. I think it's time to bring this to a repairshop instead of trying my hand again. What do you all think?

 

[Heats with Nvidia]

4 hours ago, LOST TALE said:

Ok I found how to enable mono audio in windows 10 settings.

With mono turned on and the wire fully plugged in: I don't hear nothing. Instead I hear clear sound. but when I turn stereo on, the voices are corrupted.

This means that you most probably have a short somewhere in the wiring.

 

4 hours ago, LOST TALE said:

I learned a lot from nothing. I think it's time to bring this to a repairshop instead of trying my hand again. What do you all think?

Both a re good options. If you try to solder it, get some good flux and use that. Even with the old solder, it will improve the solder joint a lot. Also its very important, that the tip of the soldering iron is not too hot and properly tinned with solder. Also use the tip highest surface area that you have, because to transfer heat, you need to have as much of the surface of what you want to solder, touch the surface of the tip of your iron. The worst possible tips actually are the sharp conical tips that come with most irons, because they have no flat surface and are pretty long, so they are neither good at conducting the heat to the components nor do they have the thermal capacity they need to stay warm or good thermal conductivity between tip and heater, that is needed to warm it up again.