UR22C - Uneven Audio Balance on Headphone Output

Steinberg Hardware UR-C Series
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1

Hey there,

Currently have a Shure mv7 running through my UR22C to my PC and figured I should probably be running a wired set of headphones through it as well for my PC audio. Picked up the ATH-M20X and plugged them in, super happy with it, except there’s a noticeable imbalance between the right and left cups in the headphone where the right cup is louder.

I’ve tested them plugged straight into my PC and the audio is balanced there, so I know it’s not the headphones. It could be the adapter shipped with the headphones to allow it to be plugged into the interface, I’d just like to rule out me having configured something in the interface itself wrong first before I start getting replacement parts.

If anyone has any ideas that could help, it would be much appreciated

Thanks!

2 Likes
2

Hi,

I already have my unit (also a UR22C) for quite a long time and never really used the headphone output until now. Seems like I experience the exact same problem as you: The right cup is noticeably louder than the left one, even more when the volume is set at quiet levels.

I also excluded all the possible problem sources (tried multiple headphones both in correct position and turned around, used mono recordings both from PC and via the Mic/Line input, used other sound cards, …). Funnily enough: The levels of the main output at the back are balanced! Only the headphone output at the front has this problem.

Do you have found any solution regarding this? I’m really sure that this is a hardware problem, at least I’m not alone with this…

Thanks!

3

I have the same issue with my UR44, the right channel is louder. Any solution?

4

Hello, I have the same problem, please tell me if you found a solution?

5

Hello! Sadly I don’t have, and I don’t use the headphone output of it because of that reason (I currently use either speakers or a different soundcard when using headphones).

I guess it is possible that the potentiometer of the device, which is both controlling the left and right channel of the headphone jack, is not that “even” on a hardware level, so this inbalance happen. But I’m not sure.

Still, I doubt it’s fixable on a software level, so would recommend to either send the device back or to them for repair - if that is even possible …

6

Hello! A friend of mine recommended me to do these things. It seems like it really helped me, not sure yet … But if you are interested, you can try to do it.
Verbatim:
Some BIOSes limit the USB speed by default (automatically by some unknown logic), and this can affect anything, any stability. Go into the BIOS, find the “xhci controller enable” parameter (responsible for automatically limiting the USB speed) and set the value to Enable. By default, it is most likely set to Auto. If there are related parameters nearby like “xhci controller enable (die1)”, “xhci controller enable (die2)”, etc. (they may be further down the links) - also set Enable. This parameter may be called differently for you (then Google will help). I have an ASrock B450 Pro4 motherboard, it’s exactly like that on it.

Go to Control Panel - Programs and Features. Feel free to delete all “Microsoft Visual C ++” from 2015 and higher (both 32 and 64 bits - all bang). After that, some programs may stop running. If you have all the programs running, then you can not bathe. If something does not start and requires a library, then install “Microsoft Visual C++” back from the links below (2015-2022). All programs will work again.

https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x86.exe

https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe

I have no idea how “Microsoft Visual C++” can affect the sound (logically, in no way, since it’s just a set of components that are not even needed for the operation of Windows itself and the sound in it, including software players do not need it) . But I had influence - that’s a fact. With the completely removed “Microsoft Visual C++” from 2015, the sound was more stable and clear than when reinstalled. But the reinstalled one is also head and shoulders better than the one that is installed automatically by default.

Next, it is important to follow the order:

3.1. In the same place in the “programs and components” find your driver for the sound card. Delete it completely. Only through “programs and components”, otherwise do not delete anything.

3.2. Unplug the audio USB cable from the computer port and do not plug it in yet.

3.3. Restart your computer.

3.4. Figure out which USB port on your board is exactly 3.0 (aka 3.1Gen1). Google or motherboard manual to help. You don’t need ports 2.0 and 3.1 (aka 3.1Gen2) (the first one is slow, the second one is unlikely to test your sound for stability).

3.5. Make sure that nothing is connected in the USB ports related to the same USB controller where you plan to connect the sound system (all mice, keyboards, flash drives, external drives can always be connected only to other controllers in the future).

3.6. Install the driver for your sound system (it should still be disconnected from the USB port).

3.7. After installation (or at the installation stage, if the installer requires it to be done in the process), connect the sound system to the USB 3.0 port (aka 3.1Gen1), observing all the conditions described above.

7

Hello Ivan, 8 months later to this topic and this is still relevant these days. This problem does not only affect Steinberg sound card users, but sound cards in general. I wonder if you fixed your unbalanced audio issue since I don’t. I followed your two steps - XHCI and Visual C++ redist uninstall and that fixed light diode on my sound card but not the audio imbalance problem. I mean, what the heck are we dealing with? Is it driver issue? Is it USB ports issue? What the hell is it?!