Android Tablet Audio Problem

[Unknown_Subject]

OK, so I got a cheap Cruz T301 tablet, primarily for use as an eReader... only $90, which is cheaper than a black & white kindle. So it works fine, except the headphone output seems to have a phase issue. Basically anything/everything that is center-panned is completely null. It's as if an M/S process is muting the mid information. I did some research, and the official explanation is that one of the 2 channels (left or right) has its polarity reversed, but that doesn't make sense to me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it should only do that if BOTH the left and right channels are center-panned... right? So in addition to a channel being 180 degrees out of phase, it would be combining both channels to mono? It's like a freakin' karaoke machine!

I'm just trying to understand this. It doesn't really bother me... I already have an iPod, and I have no intentions of using this as an MP3 player. Plus it has built-in speakers (which work fine) if I do ever want to listen to anything. I was just testing it out when I noticed the issue.

Thanks.

[jeremy.c.]

No, that sounds correct, any mono material would null if one side is wired out of phase with the other. Basically any source straight up the middle is mono. I had a bass with pickups wired out of phase and at full volume the tone was almost nonexistent. Same principle here.

[Unknown_Subject]

OK, that's what I thought. No big deal... like I said, I have no intention of using it as an mp3 player. Primarily I wanted something to easily read all of the pdf software manuals that I have, and this does the job nicely. For $90, it does everything I want and then some.

[Chrisc_o]

Originally Posted by Unknown_Subject

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it should only do that if BOTH the left and right channels are center-panned... right?

Originally Posted by jeremy.c.

No, that sounds correct, any mono material would null if one side is wired out of phase with the other. Basically any source straight up the middle is mono. I had a bass with pickups wired out of phase and at full volume the tone was almost nonexistent. Same principle here.

The OP is actually correct. In your cans the polarity reversal would not have that effect since each ear is hearing a distinct signal. A polarity switch on one side may be audible, but only if both sides are summed will the center material null, with the added effect of having everything in mono.

[jeremy.c.]

Originally Posted by Chrisc_o

The OP is actually correct. In your cans the polarity reversal would not have that effect since each ear is hearing a distinct signal. A polarity switch on one side may be audible, but only if both sides are summed will the center material null, with the added effect of having everything in mono.

Good point, for some reason I wasn't thinking headphones even though he clearly stated it! derp. I was imaging a crappy little mono speaker on the device.
Could something with the phase in the DA be causing it then? I'm not familiar enough with the audio path on devices like this.