Crackly aux-input jack

[catcauphonic]

I just picked up a used Shuttle 6.2 from GC. I've been putting it through the paces for the past few days and I just noticed that when I plug my Droid (Galaxy S3) into the aux-input jack in the back and hit play, it's causing a horrible crackle/static sound about the same volume as the music. The 1/4" - 1/8" adapter was purchased yesterday.

I just now plugged my laptop into the Shuttle, and was able to play the same files without the static. The phone is only a few months old, & I've never had the crackle when I plug it into my home stereo or headphones using the same 1/8" jack. So why only when I plug the phone through the Genz do I get the crackle?

This is totally unacceptable ... I made sure to get an amp head with an Aux-In so I can play along to all the music stored on my phone. Any theories or suggestions?

 

[elgecko]

Is the phone in a case that's preventing 1/8" jack from attaining full insertion?

 

[agedhorse]

One possibility is that you are using an adapter that connects tip to ring to create a mono signal. Some devices can not tolerate this,

Your amp is set up to take a 1/8"TRS - 1/4"TRS cable and the stereo signal gets summed inside the amp.

 

[catcauphonic]

One possibility is that you are using an adapter that connects tip to ring to create a mono signal. Some devices can not tolerate this,

Your amp is set up to take a 1/8"TRS - 1/4"TRS cable and the stereo signal gets summed inside the amp.

Ok, phone case is not in the way. How do I know if I have the adapter that creates mono?

 

[catcauphonic]

Wait, same adapter works just fine when connecting the laptop to the Genz

 

[agedhorse]

Wait, same adapter works just fine when connecting the laptop to the Genz

Right... your laptop is a device that me tolerate this better than your phone. Many of the newer devices (such as some phones) use output driver devices that do not have adequate build-out resistance to allow the channels to be tied together without summing resistors... that are built into your shuttle. That's what they are there for.

 

[darius8]

My Samsung Galaxy S4 does the same "crackly" sound if I plug it into a mono aux-in. But some cell phones like my friends LG phone can do this with no problems. IPhones can work too.

 

[catcauphonic]

Okay, I'm getting the idea. Short of getting a different phone is there another solution, like a different adapter specially for it?

 

[agedhorse]

Yes, use the specific cable I mentioned earlier... 1/8"TRS - 1/4"TRS