HELP! MY Logitech Z-680's are acting up!

[deadken]

I have recently started having a problem with my beloved Logitech Z-680's. I game quite a bit and have used my Headphone jack on the 'Pod' quite often when the Wife and kids are home. About a month ago, after unplugging my Headphones then sound would not resume coming out from the speakers. I plugged the headphones back in and they worked fine, unplugged them and no sound. A littel bit later the sound came on from the speakers and when it did it 'ramped up' in volume like the sound didn't come blasting out, but instead started a bit lower then the 'normal' volume and then got progressively louder until it was where the volume dial was set.

This happened 2 or 3 times and once it seemed that picking up and shaking/tapping the 'Pod' helped it return. Since then I stopped using my headphones and all worked fine for weeks. Then yesterday I used my headphones again and now I have no sound. It did come back on and then went off about 1 hour later, again going from soft to normal.

I have used my headphones about 2 or 3 times today when I played a few rounds of BF2 and all is fine with them. I have tried 'blowing' into the 1/8" mini jack hoping that a bit of dust was keeping some connection stuck 'closed'. I have also tried tapping/shaking/banging the 'Pod' in hopes that the problem would go away. When that didn't help I tried shaking the sub-woofer cabinet hoping that it would help. No luck.

Has anyone else had this problem? I had ordered these speakers on "July 23, 2004" and have been VERY happy with them until this started. I have tried playing with the 'mute' button and the 'input' button, but nothing helped.

perhaps there is a little micro-switch that gets tripped when the 1/8" mini jack is used and it is just binding? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I really don't want to replace these speakers yet.

-Thanks, Ken

 

[corkyg]

What are you connecting to? Laptop? Desktop? Soundcard? Seems to me that is where the problem is - the female connector. Normally, connecting headphones is supposed to cut out the speakers. Apparently the switch, mechanical or elecrical, is not working right, and, as you indicated - is stuck.

 

[deadken]

"I game quite a bit and have used my Headphone jack on the 'Pod' quite often..."

On the speakers I have there is a control 'Pod' (a picture from the net, no way would my desk be that neat). I am thinking of taking apart the 'pod' and looking for what I assume is a micro-switch that controls the muting of the external speakers when the headphones are plugged in.

I was hoping that someone here had a similar problem and perhaps could give some insight. I have 'blown' into the 1/8" mini jack hole with a couple of bursts from an air duster can. When that didn't help, I used the plastic 'straw' to try and feel around inside the jack. There isn't anything that I can feel or free up with the air duster straw, so I figure that I will have to go ahead and open this pod up.

I'll get to that project sooner or later, and I will keep checking back here to see if anyone has posted suggestions.

-Thanks, Ken

 

[corkyg]

OK - but where does the "pod" connect to the computer? On board, PCI card, etc., ? What happens if you remove the "pod" and connect your speakers directly to the sound source on the computer?

 

[deadken]

Oh, the Pod connects to an Creative Labs X-Fi 'Xtreme Music' card. I have 3 audio cables running into the Pod. There is also a Digital Coax cable still connected to the back of the Pod from when I was running my CL Audigy 2 ZS Platinum. With the Audigy 2, I used the 3 analog audio cables for gaming and normal use but then would switch to the Digital Coax for movies. This X-Fi uses the same jack for Microphone and Digital out (SPDIF). Since I game more then I watch movies, the Microphone stays plugged in there. I have to see about using a splitter to let me have a Microphone and Digital Coax. I don't know if a splitter will do the trick, but I hope so. I miss switching over to digital for movies.

Anyway, I can't plug the speakers into the PC/Soundcard without using the Pod. It literally is the 'Control Center' between the PC and the Subwoofer (which is where the speaker plug in). I have a set of 4.1 speakers that I was gonna connect to my Sons PC this weeked, but I never got the chance to. Perhaps I should try those? I don't see how it will help though. Thanks for your time Corkyg, I appreciate being able to 'bounce' things off of another person even if they haven't had the same exact problem I am experiencing.

 

[JoeJoe]

Hi deadken, I saw your post and only signed up to answer it because I have the same speakers and I know of a trick that MIGHT help you.

with the pod turned off (red light) press input and settings (both buttons, on the front of the pod... not on the remote) at the same time and hold them in for about 3 seconds. A message should appear on the screen (it will not light up blue like when the pod is turned on, so have some light in the room so you can read the message) the message should say logitech z-680 and underneath it the version number. This will reset all the settings of the pod (including your sub/center/surround volumes and overall volume turned all the way down) other settings reset are panorama/dimensions/center width/surround delay and the mode stereo/pl2 music/pl2 movie/etc. basically everything goes back to factory settings and perhaps it'll reset your headphone problem back to working condition. Now don't forget to turn your volume back up as it does get turned all the way down, and of course report back to let us all know if this helped. Good Luck!

 

[deadken]

Cool! Thanks for the suggestion. I just turned my spearkers on (before reseting to the factory settings) and they are working now. I assume that the next time I plug in my headset the problem will reappear. Honestly, I don't think it is a 'software' or 'setting' issue, but who knows? I have nothing to lose by trying.

At the moment, I will just continue to enjoy these wonderfull speakers.

And, of course, Welcome to AT.com! Enjoy the community.

 

[Maximilian]

Contact logitech about it if you cant get it solved here, their tech support has been fantastic to me so far with my Z5500 issue.

The least they could do is help identify specifically what the problem is, so you could get a new control centre or whatever is broken from ebay or something.