Yes it should output the same signal to both channels.

Does moving the headphone jack around make it work? Or the volume dial?

Unfortunately, no.
If I pull out the headphone jack slightly, sound output only comes from the left channel (speaker), but I can't get sound output from both channels.

I figured out that JP3 is to set DMA channel 1 on the sound card and JP10 (if open) mutes the sound output altogether.

The Diagnose utility detects everything fine and there is sound output - I just have to figure out why it's only coming from one channel.

Could be a dirty/oxidized contact on the jack itself. Try cleaning it on the inside well.

stamasd wrote:

Could be a dirty/oxidized contact on the jack itself. Try cleaning it on the inside well.

Sounds like a good idea. Cotton bud and alcohol?

Try that, if you find a q-tip small enough to fit in the hole. Or else you can remove some cotton from a regular one until it fits.

stamasd wrote:

Try that, if you find a q-tip small enough to fit in the hole. Or else you can remove some cotton from a regular one until it fits.

Unfortunately, no luck.
I tried it with a pair of headphones, with a connector to my speakers, in different slots and even in a different PC.
All I can think of now is that the connector itself is worn out (somehow). Might consider having to desolder it and replace it with one from another soundcard that is no longer functioning.

Ok, I tried something ridiculous and used the following two adapters:

I then plugged my headphone jack into the back of the 6.5 mm to 3.5 mm adapter and now I get sound output from both speakers.
I'm thinking that the Speaker Out connector has worn out over the years.

Another alternative would be to just "switch" the Speaker Out & the Microphone In connectors (by desoldering and soldering), since the latter wouldn't probably have been used that much.
But, I'll probably leave it for another day.

Have you tried to push the top of the headphone jack down? Sometimes they loosen (there will be a small gap).

No, that doesn't seem to work.
Coming back to my previous post, I'm getting mixed results. Sometimes I get output on both channels and other times I just get output on the right channel.

Since the sound card outputs a mono signal, shouldn't I rather use a converter (adaptor) that has a mono input (one ring) that goes into the Speaker Output?
In other words, a 3.5 mm mono input to a 3.5 mm output adaptor? Should the output be mono or stereo?
Could be that I just have the wrong type of 3.5 mm stereo connectors?

I have sometimes noticed that nudging a stereo connector into a mono jack (or maybe it's vice-versa) will produce sound on both channels, even if there's only sound on one channel when the jack is fully engaged. That sounds like what's happening here.

I think the opposite is happening here.
It's only producing sound on one channel (the right channel), instead of both channels.

From what I've read up, if you plug a stereo connector into a mono output, it's supposed to ground the right channel and mix both the left (mono) signal into the right channel as well, producing the same signal into both your left and right speakers. I'm only getting sound through my speakers on the right channel.

I'm still thinking that the connector (on the sound card) is worn out.
But, let me try out a mono adaptor (3.5 mm mono to 3.5 mm stereo) to see if that works. Otherwise, I'll swop over (desolder and solder) the LIne Input & the Speaker out connectors (the are both the same).

Are there jumpers near the line out jack?

Maybe you need to set a juper to bridge left and right channel

No, not that I can see.

jesolo wrote:

I'm still thinking that the connector (on the sound card) is worn out.
But, let me try out a mono adaptor (3.5 mm mono to 3.5 mm stereo) to see if that works. Otherwise, I'll swop over (desolder and solder) the LIne Input & the Speaker out connectors (the are both the same).

Be careful with that. Doing so could result in an short circuit. If you want to "mix" two channels safely, just use a pair of caps (10uF for example):
Solder each of them to one channel. Then combine the other pins of these caps together.

Sorry, I'm not good at explaining stuff. I hope you know what I mean.

Jo22 wrote:

Be careful with that. Doing so could result in an short circuit. If you want to "mix" two channels safely, just use a pair of ca […]
Show full quote

jesolo wrote:

I'm still thinking that the connector (on the sound card) is worn out.
But, let me try out a mono adaptor (3.5 mm mono to 3.5 mm stereo) to see if that works. Otherwise, I'll swop over (desolder and solder) the LIne Input & the Speaker out connectors (the are both the same).

Be careful with that. Doing so could result in an short circuit. If you want to "mix" two channels safely, just use a pair of caps (10uF for example):
Solder each of them to one channel. Then combine the other pins of these caps together.

Sorry, I'm not good at explaining stuff. I hope you know what I mean.

Not quite sure what you mean.
Where would I solder these two caps to?

However, I opened up the cap on the inside of the connector (on the sound card). I tried to bend the metal connectors a bit (because I can feel that the jack isn't as fastened as when I plug the jack into the Mic or LIne in connector).
Unfortunately, I'm still not getting proper sound output on the left channel.

I'm more thinking that the connector is just worn out. Thereby by just desoldering this connector and swopping it out with either Mic or Line In connector (they all appear to look identical) should solve my problem.

jesolo wrote:

Not quite sure what you mean. Where would I solder these two caps to? […]
Show full quote

Jo22 wrote:

Be careful with that. Doing so could result in an short circuit. If you want to "mix" two channels safely, just use a pair of ca […]
Show full quote

jesolo wrote:

I'm still thinking that the connector (on the sound card) is worn out.
But, let me try out a mono adaptor (3.5 mm mono to 3.5 mm stereo) to see if that works. Otherwise, I'll swop over (desolder and solder) the LIne Input & the Speaker out connectors (the are both the same).

Be careful with that. Doing so could result in an short circuit. If you want to "mix" two channels safely, just use a pair of caps (10uF for example):
Solder each of them to one channel. Then combine the other pins of these caps together.

Sorry, I'm not good at explaining stuff. I hope you know what I mean.

Not quite sure what you mean.
Where would I solder these two caps to?

However, I opened up the cap on the inside of the connector (on the sound card). I tried to bend the metal connectors a bit (because I can feel that the jack isn't as fastened as when I plug the jack into the Mic or LIne in connector).
Unfortunately, I'm still not getting proper sound output on the left channel.

I'm more thinking that the connector is just worn out. Thereby by just desoldering this connector and swopping it out with either Mic or Line In connector (they all appear to look identical) should solve my problem.

If you have any contact cleaner like deoxit D5 or something similar, I'd spray a little in there and plug the jack in several times to "scrape" the contacts. I'd say it is most likely just tarnished. Alcohol generally won't do much for this without a lot of scrubbing (which is nearly impossible in such an small area).

Replacing the jack completely is an option, for sure. I'd recommend getting one from another card (or even a new one) if you can find one that fits, because you don't know if the other connectors are any better (even if they are tighter)... and you never know what kind of crazy thing you'll want to do with the card some day, and if you need either the line-in jack (for a midi device or another sound card, for example) or the mic (less likely, but you never know) you'll probably want the other jacks to work properly.

I already tried with deoxit and with alcohol, but no luck.

It's definitely an issue with the connector itself - either it's worn out on the inside or, the soldering joints are a bit loose.
I'll try first to just reflow the soldering joints. If that doesn't work, then I'll swop the Mic In & Speaker Out connectors.
For the purpose that I'm going to use this soundcard for, I'll never use the Mic In - I doubt whether I'll ever want to record anything or Skype with this sound card 🤣

jesolo wrote:

Not quite sure what you mean.
Where would I solder these two caps to?

Sorry, I meant if you wanted to make an adapter cable yourself, you could do it that way.
Somtimes devices already have caps at the outputs; don't know about the SB2.0 right now..

jesolo wrote:

I'm more thinking that the connector is just worn out. Thereby by just desoldering this connector and swopping it out with either Mic or Line In connector (they all appear to look identical) should solve my problem.

Ah, okay. You can also get these stereo jacks in electronic shops (they aren't that expensive).
Just saying, because it's sometimes difficult to desolder them in one piece (I failed more than one time). 😉

Just a final update.

I went and bought a 3.5mm mono (male) to 3.5mm stereo (female) adaptor and still experienced the same problem (sound output only on right channel).

I then desoldered the connector (using a combo desoldering iron/solder sucker) and swopped it from another old sound card I kept for spares.
Having put the sound card back in, I still experienced the same problem, but not as bad as before.

If I use the above mentioned adaptor and slightly pull the jack out, then I get my sound output in both channels.
I guess the jacks that I have might have sleeves that are just slightly too long, grounding the signal if I push the jack all the way into the connector.

At least I now have it sorted out (almost) and I got to practice my soldering skills again 🤣