[Help!] Speaker Problems: Only One Working...

[Duckie]

Okay, so I consider myself knowledgeable enough about computers to at least keep them in somewhat usable states unlike the completely ignorant. At least with common sense solutions like "Run Ad-Aware" or "You've Got The Microphone Input On" that people seem to not get.

Which is why this one stumps me.

Only my left speaker works. I don't know why. Up until a few weeks ago, both did. Now, without me really noticing, the right one doesn't work. I just realized it after putting in a song that has distinct left/right parts, and suddenly it explains the anomalous quietness I've heard from Mount and Blade and why enemies sneak up on me in FPSes suddenly.

All of my speaker settings (I've checked every single one I can think of, from the simple Volume Panel to screwing about with the Device Manager, troubleshooting with microsoft's useless interface that doesn't even list my problem, and mucking about in the Control Panel) are on neutral balance. Turning it to right balance makes it silent, turning it to left balance makes it twice as loud.

So obviously the right speaker just no longer is playing.

Headphones plugged into the right speaker (the only reciever) play from the left but not the right, just like the speakers.

I relaly don't know much about computer audio systems, so all I really can say is this from DxDiag:
Yamaha AC-XG WDM Audio from 2002, no longer supported by manufacturer for updates and so forth.
Thus, the Drivers (v. 6.13.0010.3154 English) are from 9/19/2002, the latest Drivers (v. 6.13.0010.3157, so obviously not much younger) say this ominous warning:

This generic driver may NOT work with your system. You MUST consult with your PC manufacturer before download AC-XG Generic Drivers to make sure it works. Also this generic driver supports basic functions only. If you would like to have the full feature supported driver, contact your PC manufacturer.

So I refrained from updating my drivers. Hell, if they don't have a warning sometimes shit happens with drivers. If that will fix it, I suppose I can chance it and roll back if it stops both from working.

Based on the scant information above, does anyone have any ideas on what's happened? I don't think it could be simple hardware failure, since the right speaker just doesn't work, even with headphones. And as far as I know, it should even if the speaker itself were broken.

[Duckie]

I'm not really sure, but this sounds to me like it might simply be a short in the wire connecting the speaker to the soundcard.

The way the wires work is usally one runs from the soundcard jack into one of the speakers, then from that speaker into the other one.

Since the wire from soundcard to speaker #1 carries the signal for both sides, if that wire crapped out it would affect headphones for that side too.

Ah, that's an obvious answer I missed.

Do you have any idea how one would go about fixing this? Is it fixable at all, or is it a sort of "Buy Newer Speakers" type problem?

[Stile]

If they are external speakers, try plugging them into another audio source such as a CD player.

[Arrow]

Not to be an idiot, but did you check the plug and make sure its all the way in? I've seen them get loose and cause only one speaker to work.

[General Zod]

I'm not really sure, but this sounds to me like it might simply be a short in the wire connecting the speaker to the soundcard.

The way the wires work is usally one runs from the soundcard jack into one of the speakers, then from that speaker into the other one.

Since the wire from soundcard to speaker #1 carries the signal for both sides, if that wire crapped out it would affect headphones for that side too.

Ah, that's an obvious answer I missed.

Do you have any idea how one would go about fixing this? Is it fixable at all, or is it a sort of "Buy Newer Speakers" type problem?

Unless you're confident about handling small wires in order to replace them yourself, or you know someone who can, and the speakers are something you really really paid a good amount for, then you -might- be able to fix a shorted wire. Otherwise, just get a new set.

[Vohu Manah]

Do you have any idea how one would go about fixing this? Is it fixable at all, or is it a sort of "Buy Newer Speakers" type problem?

The wire running from the sound card to the speakers may be replaceable. I'd check first.

[BloodAngel]

I've had this numerous times, with numerous speakers. And in my experience, it's always been the wire (jiggling with it in the early stages "fixed" the problem temporarily, but later it would just come back). I'd say your right speaker's gone kaput.