Pixel XL Auxiliary Audio Issues

[michael33r]

Good... But you haven't answered my question about power locks and windows.

Sorry I meant to try this. I'll try it next time I drive. I drive a lot for work so I should be able to try it soon.

 

[Cant Miss]

Sorry I meant to try this. I'll try it next time I drive. I drive a lot for work so I should be able to try it soon.

Also... it would be help to know more about how this sounds. Is it a hum? Or more of a sizzling type sound. Perhaps you could use another device to record a small sample.

 

[michael33r]

Also... it would be help to know more about how this sounds. Is it a hum? Or more of a sizzling type sound. Perhaps you could use another device to record a small sample.

It's quite a bit like radio static and the sound seems to have way less bass (I have a 10 inch sub). At the beginning of songs if there's just a really quiet sound the static isn't in the background until the music starts to get a bit louder.

 

[Cant Miss]

It's quite a bit like radio static and the sound seems to have way less bass (I have a 10 inch sub). At the beginning of songs if there's just a really quiet sound the static isn't in the background until the music starts to get a bit louder.

Does it sound like amplifier clipping? Try and record it for us if you can.

Also, do you have a Y connector where you could plug it into the car and your headphones simultaneously?

 

[michael33r]

Does it sound like amplifier clipping? Try and record it for us if you can.

Also, do you have a Y connector where you could plug it into the car and your headphones simultaneously?

Ok I will try to get a recording with my 6P. I don't know what clipping sounds like. No I do not have a Y connector.

 

[michael33r]

Does it sound like amplifier clipping? Try and record it for us if you can.

Also, do you have a Y connector where you could plug it into the car and your headphones simultaneously?

How do I upload an audio file or video?

 

[Cant Miss]

How do I upload an audio file or video?

Upload it to Google Drive and share with link... post link.

 

[michael33r]

Upload it to Google Drive and share with link... post link.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=TDZtbXBjZm14TVNTVFVKbUZQZzZrc1MyTEdoaDNn

 

[Cant Miss]

Wow... thats pretty bad. I haven't heard anything quite that bad since an old cheapo Bluetooth receiver I had (never got that one cleaned up). Does operating the power locks and windows while this is going introduce additional crap?

Does that USB port charge your phone? If so, just for grins and giggles have you tried plugging into that to see if anything changes.

 

[michael33r]

Wow... thats pretty bad. I haven't heard anything quite that bad since an old cheapo Bluetooth receiver I had (never got that one cleaned up). Does operating the power locks and windows while this is going introduce additional crap?

Does that USB port charge your phone? If so, just for grins and giggles have you tried plugging into that to see if anything changes.

No it does not affect the sound at all when I operate any of that.

 

[Cant Miss]

You said you have a sub, does it have its own amp?

 

[michael33r]

You said you have a sub, does it have its own amp?

Yes and I actually found this but reconnecting it didn't make a difference other than the bass is back.

 

[Cant Miss]

OK, I am guessing your ground loop stems from different grounding potentials between the head unit and the sub amp. But before going to the trouble of fixing this, make sure this is the case.

1.) Disconnect power and ground from the sub amp.
2.) Disconnect the signal cables to the sub amp at the head unit.

Fire things up and see if the noise is gone.

 

[michael33r]

OK, I am guessing your ground loop stems from different grounding potentials between the head unit and the sub amp. But before going to the trouble of fixing this, make sure this is the case.

1.) Disconnect power and ground from the sub amp.
2.) Disconnect the signal cables to the sub amp at the head unit.

Fire things up and see if the noise is gone.

Yeah the head unit is grounded behind the dash and the sub amp is grounded to one of the back seat bolts.

 

[michael33r]

OK, I am guessing your ground loop stems from different grounding potentials between the head unit and the sub amp. But before going to the trouble of fixing this, make sure this is the case.

1.) Disconnect power and ground from the sub amp.
2.) Disconnect the signal cables to the sub amp at the head unit.

Fire things up and see if the noise is gone.

Ok I did all of this exactly and it still does it. It's really odd that my 6P works fine and the iPhone I tried worked fine.

 

[Cant Miss]

Ok I did all of this exactly and it still does it. It's really odd that my 6P works fine and the iPhone I tried worked fine.

I don't have the electrical engineering background (my background is in audio) to deduce why the Nexus and Pixel act differently here, but one guess would be that the Pixel has a much higher output impedance, which would cause more current to pass from it to the input of your amplifier.

Do you have the owners manual for your Sony and does it list the input impedance of the aux input?

The next thing I would try is the Y connector. Hit up the radio shack or order one from monoprice (3.5 mm stereo male to 2 female). Plug that in your phone and plug your headphones in one end and you aux cable to the Sony in the other. If it is borked on both, or clears up, it is most likely an impedance mismatch or the Pixel was just not designed to drive a line level input. Do you have a 3.5mm to stereo RCA adaptor. If so, have you tried plugging the Pixel into a home stereo input to see if this is indeed the case?

 

[michael33r]

I don't have the electrical engineering background (my background is in audio) to deduce why the Nexus and Pixel act differently here, but one guess would be that the Pixel has a much higher output impedance, which would cause more current to pass from it to the input of your amplifier.

Do you have the owners manual for your Sony and does it list the input impedance of the aux input?

The next thing I would try is the Y connector. Hit up the radio shack or order one from monoprice (3.5 mm stereo male to 2 female). Plug that in your phone and plug your headphones in one end and you aux cable to the Sony in the other. If it is borked on both, or clears up, it is most likely an impedance mismatch or the Pixel was just not designed to drive a line level input. Do you have a 3.5mm to stereo RCA adaptor. If so, have you tried plugging the Pixel into a home stereo input to see if this is indeed the case?

One other thing, I have LED floor lights. Could that affect anything?

 

[Cant Miss]

Not unless the power supply for it is a friggin radio transmitter.

 

[michael33r]

Not unless the power supply for it is a friggin radio transmitter.

Honestly I think I'm about ready to just get a new head unit. This one is from like 2006 or something. It sounds fine but since I can get a new one for $50-$100 and that will most likely fix the issue I may do that. EVERY other stereo I've tried works perfectly other than this one.

 

[michael33r]

I don't have the electrical engineering background (my background is in audio) to deduce why the Nexus and Pixel act differently here, but one guess would be that the Pixel has a much higher output impedance, which would cause more current to pass from it to the input of your amplifier.

Do you have the owners manual for your Sony and does it list the input impedance of the aux input?

The next thing I would try is the Y connector. Hit up the radio shack or order one from monoprice (3.5 mm stereo male to 2 female). Plug that in your phone and plug your headphones in one end and you aux cable to the Sony in the other. If it is borked on both, or clears up, it is most likely an impedance mismatch or the Pixel was just not designed to drive a line level input. Do you have a 3.5mm to stereo RCA adaptor. If so, have you tried plugging the Pixel into a home stereo input to see if this is indeed the case?

I do not have the owners manual since it's so old. I guess I'll try the Y adapter but I'm not really sure I understand what this will tell me. I would rather not have to buy a new head unit but like I said they are pretty cheap. I'm not necessarily ready to give up on troubleshooting yet though. It would kill me to not ever find out what the heck is causing this.