Headphone jack on my receiver is backwards

[Teaf]

I've never had any proper headphones for my computer before so I've only just found out that the headphone jack on my receiver seems to be wired backwards (audio L/R is R/L). I can reverse it manually by switching over the red/black phono ports but whilst this fixes the headphones, it will also reverse the main floor-standing speakers for when I don't want to use the headphones.

Is there any quick solution I can use to do this? I don't mind a Windows 8 software solution, such as something simple like a tray icon that I can just click to reverse the sound when I need to, but I cannot find anything in Windows to do this. A jack of some sort would also work, if it's possible to get something like that? Baring in mind the jack already on the headphone wires is about 2.5" long, anything overly longer and I'd be a bit concerned of the weight on the receivers headphone socket.

Receiver is a Pioneer A-109 and headphones are Sennheiser HD 598. Also, I'm definitely wearing the headphones correctly as they have a small set of bumps on the left headphone.

 

[rids57]

So when you use the built in Windows test sounds they come from the wrong ear cup?
And the speakers work properly with the same test sounds?
Have you tried your headphones with something else to make sure it's not them that are wired incorrectly?

Assuming your only use is for music: Fubar and VLC both have the ability to switch channels built in, so I guess a lot depends on which software you use.

I found a very easy solution but it only works if your media player can use VST plugins. I use MusicBee so all I had to do was drop the DLL in the VST folder and the plugin was added. Then it's just a matter of clicking the "Swap Channel" button.

http://www.kellyindustries.com/stereo_tools.html

If you use the setup for gaming and movies then obviously this becomes a much bigger problem.

Personally I would identify the faulty component and then whip out the soldering iron and correct the issue.

 

[Teaf]

So when you use the built in Windows test sounds they come from the wrong ear cup?
And the speakers work properly with the same test sounds?
Have you tried your headphones with something else to make sure it's not them that are wired incorrectly?

If you use the setup for gaming and movies then obviously this becomes a much bigger problem.

Personally I would identify the faulty component and then whip out the soldering iron and correct the issue.

Yeah, did a few tests. The sound is only reversed on the receivers headphone socket. I tried Windows tests and also a couple of audio test videos on YouTube. When I plug the headphones into the computers headphone port it sounds fine, as do the floor-standing speakers I use. When the headphones are in the receivers headphone port though the channels are reversed.

Thanks for the link, I'll try that for media stuff.

The set up is for gaming and media, tend to watch a lot of movies/TV shows and play a lot of games on it. I've reversed it for now with the phono cables as it's less obvious with speakers than using the headphones.

 

[Marsman]

Not aware of any software that can reverse the channels. There are media players that allow this, but that will only work for the media player in question.

One solution I saw, was to have a 3.5mm to RCA cable, then RCA to 3.5mm socket, and just swap the RCA connections over. That will add weight to the pull on the receiver's socket though.

Another solution would require some basic soldering skills. Take a fairly short 3.5mm extension and a 3.5mm stereo jack and cut the plug off the extension, pare the wires and solder the new plug on, just changing the left and right over.

Those suggestions aside, not sure what else can be done.