Only one speaker working with Airport Express

Question

Level 1

8 points

Only one speaker working with Airport Express

Hi,
Hoping for some help. I just connected an Airport Express to my stereo but only one speaker (left) is working. I plugged in headphones to the jack in the AExpress as suggested in other postings and both left and right work there. I have checked and updated Airport Extreme base station and Airport Express firmware software.
I have an older amp (connecting the RCA cables to the TAPE ports since there is no AUX) but both speakers work for everything but the AirTunes.
I am hoping there is a fix since I would really like this to work.
Thanks for any suggestions.
-Jane

Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Dec 28, 2006 6:19 PM

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Answer 1

Andi123

Level 1

0 points

Dec 28, 2006 6:26 PM in response to jcmac431

Im not on my mac at the moment but i had this problem, it's jus the panning of the speakers, it somehow manages to change.

Go into system preferences/sound and you should find the panning for the speakers is either all the way over to the left or to the right.

Any problems post back.

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Answer 2

jcmac431 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 29, 2006 5:28 AM in response to Andi123

Thanks for your response. I did check the balance of the speakers in the system preferences/sound and it is in the middle. The speakers on my computer both work - it is just the on speaker through my stereo that isn't working.

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Answer 3

jcmac431 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 26, 2007 5:45 PM in response to doctored

Thanks for your response and sorry for the delay in responding. I did take the first set of cables we got (Y-adapter 2-male to 1-mini) back because we thought that was the problem. However after I exchanged for a new cable we have the same problem. I am thinking that the chances are that we would get 2 sets of bad cables are pretty slim.
In both cases only the red cable worked for both speakers but if we only plug in the black cable into either speaker channel in the amp you can faintly hear the music and some static.
Arg.

Mac OS X (10.4.6)

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Answer 4

Mar 28, 2007 12:20 AM in response to jcmac431

Thanks for your response and sorry for the delay in
responding. I did take the first set of cables we got
(Y-adapter 2-male to 1-mini) back because we thought
that was the problem. However after I exchanged for a
new cable we have the same problem. I am thinking
that the chances are that we would get 2 sets of bad
cables are pretty slim.
In both cases only the red cable worked for both
speakers but if we only plug in the black cable into
either speaker channel in the amp you can faintly
hear the music and some static.
Arg.

Mac OS X
(10.4.6)

Did you ever get the problem with airtunes just playing through the one speaker? I have the same problem...reckon it is a faulty input port on the express. Did you try an optical cable? It might work as it works differently.
Gaz

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Answer 5

Mar 31, 2007 12:04 AM in response to chrisloveapple

I got a replacement Express sent out as they thought it was a faulty stereo input, but the new one was still the same...i changed from a 3.5mm - stereo rca jacks to digital optical cable and it works perfect!?!? ...Wasn't a cheap rca jack either.!

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Answer 6

Edge69

Level 1

0 points

Apr 18, 2007 8:15 PM in response to jcmac431

I am having the same issue of only the left speaker working after the upgrade to iTunes 7.1.1. I have tried every suggestion on this page (except the digital cable) with no luck. It is not the cable - the cable and stereo setup has not changed in over a year and just to be sure, I tried a 2nd cable to an aux port. Also I find it interesting that all the posts with this issue report the sound from the same speaker. Please fix the issue and advise.

Dell XPS Windows XP Pro

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Answer 7

cnoe

Level 1

0 points

May 5, 2007 11:11 AM in response to jcmac431

I am having the same issue with my rca cables. Thought it was the cables, but have tried both monster and generic....same problem. Haven't upgraded to digital, but sounds like it may be the only option.

imac Mac OS X (10.0.x)

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Answer 8

EinSD

Level 1

7 points

May 5, 2007 8:19 PM in response to jcmac431

I too am having this same problem. I have switched rca cables as well and get sound from only the left speaker. Removing the jack from the airport express and plugging it directly into my iPod gives sound in both speakers, so it is not the cable nor my receiver. ***?????? Why isn't apple helping us out with this problem?!!!!! I don't have an extra digital optical input to use for this purpose so I need to use the rca cables!

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Answer 9

May 6, 2007 6:34 PM in response to EinSD

I have the same problem as everyone on this thread....sound only from the left speaker.....tried different rca cables but same result....i do hope a fix is found soon.

20" imac Mac OS X (10.4.9)

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Answer 10

Kim Frey

Level 1

9 points

May 25, 2007 6:48 PM in response to Dchilders001

Friends - I too have had the same problem with only one speaker emitting sound. A friend suggested trying an optical cable. I didn't have one, but I switched the cable with another that was basically the same - one input into the AE and rca jacks into my receiver. Voila - now both speakers work!! Who knows how long, but something to try -

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Answer 11

May 26, 2007 6:50 PM in response to jcmac431

Hello-
I too have output only from the LEFT speaker, interesting we all have the same speaker problem. I did not notice this when I first added the airtunes and airport express to my network in early April but noticed it withhin the past two weeks. Is it due to a system or security update? I have reset my airport express several times and tried all of the RCA jacks on my receiver, and I know that it is not a receiver problem. My receiver does not have a digital input so I can't try that. Does anyone have a fix, does Apple know that there is a problem??

thanks!

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Answer 12

nopl

Level 1

5 points

May 27, 2007 1:46 AM in response to jcmac431

You can check that your cables and speakers are working fine by plugging them into something with a stereo headphone socket, like an iPod or a small portable CD player.

This will show you whether it is a problem with the Airport Express or the cables/stereo

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Answer 13

May 27, 2007 12:16 PM in response to nopl

I connecter my ipod to the cable and all speakers worked so the problem is either with the itunes software of with the airport express. I have already reset the airport express a couple of times. Any other solutions? It seems strange that several people have the same problem......any apple employees or moderators have an answer?

thanks!!

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Answer 14

May 27, 2007 12:18 PM in response to nopl

I connected my ipod to the cable and all speakers worked so the problem is either with the itunes software of with the airport express. I have already reset the airport express a couple of times. Any other solutions? It seems strange that several people have the same problem......any apple employees or moderators have an answer?

thanks!!

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Answer 15

MOF1

Level 1

0 points

Jun 11, 2007 10:31 PM in response to jcmac431

I hate to harp on this, but I am having the same issue. I just set up my new airport express and only the left speaker is working. This has to be some sort of bug with apple. I may try the optical input, but this is just a but rediculous if you ask me - $100 and it doesn't work right????

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