Headphones/ears interface

[baward]

How do headphones work out which is left and which is right (i.e can be [pit on either way b? I used to know but seem to have forgotten!

[BigRedX]

It should be marked on the headphone somewhere which is left and which is right.

If you have wired headphone the lead normally attaches to the left side.

[Hugh Robjohns]

There are usually markings on the ear cups or the inside of the suspension bracket. Or sometimes the wires are colour coded... Check the manual for the specific headphones.

Failing that, use the channel ident track from the SOS test files (track 11)

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... test-files

[James Perrett]

With Sennheiser headphones the leads are usually colour coded where they plug in to the earpiece. Red is right while black is left.

[baward]

Sorry I wasn't clear; I can indeed tell which cup goes onto which ear, but my Audeze's have removable cables, which appear to be unmarked (1with L or R) - as a test, I carefully swapped the two cables over, but the correct signal (from the test files - thanks, Hugh) is still coming out of the expected cup. How do the headphones "know" which is which?

[Drew Stephenson]

The tip is always left, the ring is always right and ground is always the sleeve. It doesn't matter which socket you plug it into.

[Hugh Robjohns]

...my Audeze's have removable cables, which appear to be unmarked (1with L or R) - as a test, I carefully swapped the two cables over, but the correct signal (from the test files - thanks, Hugh) is still coming out of the expected cup. How do the headphones "know" which is which?

I think Audeze use mini 4-pin connectors at the earpieces, with both carrying both channels by default. So it's the earpieces which 'know' which side they're (supposed to be) on. The plugs deliver both channels.

[Sam Spoons]

I was just thinking the same thing but the cables look like a twisted pair and one connector is marked with a red sleeve? I can't think of any other explanation though, maybe the cables contain two twisted coax wires? But if it doesn't matter which way round you plug them into the cans why mark one of them with the red sleeve?

[baward]

Thank you's muchly.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I was just thinking the same thing but the cables look like a twisted pair and one connector is marked with a red sleeve?

Yes.. and the manual I found talks about red and black plugs for left and right channels...

But if the plugs are carrying a single channel each, why go to the expense of four-pin plugs, and why can't the OP hear the difference when they are swapped?

Five minutes with a multimeter would tell for sure...

[Drew Stephenson]

My Audezes just use a TRS plug but have a socket each side.
Surely this is a red herring though? It doesn't matter where the socket is as long as it's wired correctly and you wear the headphones the right way round?