Receiver Thinks Headphones Plugged in When they Aren't -- Fix?

[Andrew Barss[_2_]]

I have an Onkyo receiver, which I use for playing audio from DVDs,
as well as music.
I regularly use headphones at night, and recently there has been a problem.
When the headphones are not plugged in, the audio will sometimes cut out from
the speakers. I'm quite sure the problem is the headphone jack, since
touching the jack with a finger will cause the audio to come back. (I don't
know enough about headphone jacks to know if this is due to mechanical
movement of the jack, or electrical conductivity of my finger).

Is there an easy fix for this? I thought maybe it was a loose solder
connection, but I would think that would have the opposite symptoms
(just disabling the headphone jack, not the symptoms described).

Thanks,


Andy Barss

[Richard Crowley]

"Andrew Barss" wrote ...
> I have an Onkyo receiver, which I use for playing audio from DVDs,
> as well as music.
> I regularly use headphones at night, and recently there has been a
> problem.
> When the headphones are not plugged in, the audio will sometimes cut out
> from
> the speakers. I'm quite sure the problem is the headphone jack, since
> touching the jack with a finger will cause the audio to come back. (I
> don't
> know enough about headphone jacks to know if this is due to mechanical
> movement of the jack, or electrical conductivity of my finger).
>
> Is there an easy fix for this? I thought maybe it was a loose solder
> connection, but I would think that would have the opposite symptoms
> (just disabling the headphone jack, not the symptoms described).

It seems quite likely that the "normaling" contacts (the ones which
connect the speakers when the headphone jack is withdrawn) are
dirty, which causes the kind if intermittent operation you describe.

You could try acquiring some contact cleaner in an aerosol (spray)
form and squirt it into the jack, then insert and withdraw a plug to
exercise (and ~clean) the contacts. Better would be to gain access
inside the equipment and spray the contacts directly.

[news.kc.sbcglobal.net]

"Richard Crowley" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Andrew Barss" wrote ...
>> I have an Onkyo receiver, which I use for playing audio from DVDs,
>> as well as music.
>> I regularly use headphones at night, and recently there has been a
>> problem.
>> When the headphones are not plugged in, the audio will sometimes cut out
>> from
>> the speakers. I'm quite sure the problem is the headphone jack, since
>> touching the jack with a finger will cause the audio to come back. (I
>> don't
>> know enough about headphone jacks to know if this is due to mechanical
>> movement of the jack, or electrical conductivity of my finger).
>>
>> Is there an easy fix for this? I thought maybe it was a loose solder
>> connection, but I would think that would have the opposite symptoms
>> (just disabling the headphone jack, not the symptoms described).
>
> It seems quite likely that the "normaling" contacts (the ones which
> connect the speakers when the headphone jack is withdrawn) are
> dirty, which causes the kind if intermittent operation you describe.
>
> You could try acquiring some contact cleaner in an aerosol (spray)
> form and squirt it into the jack, then insert and withdraw a plug to
> exercise (and ~clean) the contacts. Better would be to gain access
> inside the equipment and spray the contacts directly.
>

Not exactly. Modern receivers like the Onkyo have sensing switches which,
when the headphones are plugged in, communicate to the microprocessor that
the speakers should be turned OFF and (generally)the multiple channels
should be downmixed to stereo. My guess is one or more bad solder
connections at or very near the headphone jack, or the headphone jack itself
could have sustained some minor damage from usage.


Mark Z.

[Richard Crowley]

> wrote ...
> "Richard Crowley" wrote...
>> It seems quite likely that the "normaling" contacts (the ones which
>> connect the speakers when the headphone jack is withdrawn) are
>> dirty, which causes the kind if intermittent operation you describe.
>>
>> You could try acquiring some contact cleaner in an aerosol (spray)
>> form and squirt it into the jack, then insert and withdraw a plug to
>> exercise (and ~clean) the contacts. Better would be to gain access
>> inside the equipment and spray the contacts directly.
>
> Not exactly. Modern receivers like the Onkyo have sensing switches which,
> when the headphones are plugged in, communicate to the microprocessor that
> the speakers should be turned OFF and (generally)the multiple channels
> should be downmixed to stereo. My guess is one or more bad solder
> connections at or very near the headphone jack, or the headphone jack
> itself could have sustained some minor damage from usage.

One would think that if that were the case the OP would have heard
significant clicking or even buzzing from the speaker relays, etc.

[Andrew Barss]

Richard Crowley > wrote:
: > wrote ...
:> "Richard Crowley" wrote...
:>> It seems quite likely that the "normaling" contacts (the ones which
:>> connect the speakers when the headphone jack is withdrawn) are
:>> dirty, which causes the kind if intermittent operation you describe.
:>>
:>> You could try acquiring some contact cleaner in an aerosol (spray)
:>> form and squirt it into the jack, then insert and withdraw a plug to
:>> exercise (and ~clean) the contacts. Better would be to gain access
:>> inside the equipment and spray the contacts directly.
:>
:> Not exactly. Modern receivers like the Onkyo have sensing switches which,
:> when the headphones are plugged in, communicate to the microprocessor that
:> the speakers should be turned OFF and (generally)the multiple channels
:> should be downmixed to stereo. My guess is one or more bad solder
:> connections at or very near the headphone jack, or the headphone jack
:> itself could have sustained some minor damage from usage.

: One would think that if that were the case the OP would have heard
: significant clicking or even buzzing from the speaker relays, etc.

The receiver does click, once, when I change from one function to another,
e.g., from Video1 to DVD to Video2. And When I place my finger atop the
headphone jack, it clicks also. Is this what you mean, or do you mean repeated
clicking (which I don't have)?

-- Andy Barss

[Richard Crowley]

"Andrew Barss" wrote...
> The receiver does click, once, when I change from one function to another,
> e.g., from Video1 to DVD to Video2. And When I place my finger atop the
> headphone jack, it clicks also. Is this what you mean, or do you mean
> repeated
> clicking (which I don't have)?

Does the clicking correlate with the speaker audio cutting out?

[news.kc.sbcglobal.net]

"Richard Crowley" > wrote in message
...
> "Andrew Barss" wrote...
>> The receiver does click, once, when I change from one function to
>> another,
>> e.g., from Video1 to DVD to Video2. And When I place my finger atop the
>> headphone jack, it clicks also. Is this what you mean, or do you mean
>> repeated
>> clicking (which I don't have)?
>
> Does the clicking correlate with the speaker audio cutting out?
>

Getting ready to say, "I told you so..."

Mark Z.

[Richard Crowley]

"news.kc.sbcglobal.net" wrote ...
> "Richard Crowley" wrote ...
>> "Andrew Barss" wrote...
>>> The receiver does click, once, when I change from one function to
>>> another,
>>> e.g., from Video1 to DVD to Video2. And When I place my finger atop the
>>> headphone jack, it clicks also. Is this what you mean, or do you mean
>>> repeated
>>> clicking (which I don't have)?
>>
>> Does the clicking correlate with the speaker audio cutting out?
>>
>
> Getting ready to say, "I told you so..."

We can only work with the symptoms as they are revealed.
If you can read the minds of the OPs (and at that distance!)
feel free to preempt the discussion with the solution.

[Andrew Barss[_2_]]

Richard Crowley > wrote:
: "Andrew Barss" wrote...
:> The receiver does click, once, when I change from one function to another,
:> e.g., from Video1 to DVD to Video2. And When I place my finger atop the
:> headphone jack, it clicks also. Is this what you mean, or do you mean
:> repeated
:> clicking (which I don't have)?

: Does the clicking correlate with the speaker audio cutting out?

No.

-- Andy Barss