[jarosh]

you need a DI unit. a passive one should suffice. it should have a stereo cinch/rca input and a stereo cinch/rca output. you're on the safe side if you buy one with an input level switch. this is mine (passive)



i get no distortion at all if i switch it to HIGH.

if you can't find a passive one with any sort of input level adjustment you should probably go for an active one (they obviously need a power source but they're more likely to offer options for input levels).

if you don't want to buy a (new) receiver this is probably the cheapest solution. i'm not going into the technical details behind DI units, they're used for a couple of different things (basically it converts a high impedance level input to low impedance and gets rid of noise, distortion or ground loop hums and similar things in the process).

you can find very cheap ones for $15. you'll likely find many units between $20 and $40. that's still a reasonable price. yes, there are DI units for thousands of dollars - they are not for you.

if you can't find DI units with cinch inputs - search for things like 'stereo signal convertors', 'line splitters', 'line/ground isolators' or similar things. they're basically all DI units - just specifically made/advertised to resolve different issues. as long as there's an option to select the input level you should be fine. getting rid of the distortion/crackling issues is mostly just a secondary 'side effect' with these units anyway.

you can also just use a cinch/rca to jack (phone plug) adapter if you really don't find a unit with cinch inputs.

oh and yeah - it's fairly simple:
connect wii to input, connect receiver/tv to output. select input level (go for the higher settings).

[JohnTinker]

So this will fix the obnoxiously loud and often distorted music of the system when I alternate back and forth between channels?

[jarosh]

if you're encountering distortion in the mii channel music and/or the photo channel music and/or the disc channel music when zelda is inserted then yes, it should fix that. the wolf howling in zelda, flute sounds, loud sound effects in general and certain sound effects in the wii interface did also cause distortion for me. that's all gone now.

[allegate]

I was at my in-laws the other day and they have a Wii. When I tried it out, I had to turn the volume down to 2 on the television (no home theater yet) because the sound was so loud. Is this what you are referring to? I remember the Dreamcast was really loud on start-up and I had to turn the volume down way below normal for it when I played.

[jarosh]

i'm not "referring" to anything. if you are experiencing it you will know what i'm talking about. there are plenty of gaffers with the same issue. it's not simply about the sound being too loud. it's about the sound being distorted. turning down the volume does not help here.

[jstevenson]

Dude, that's so rad. Zelda was really driving me nuts due to this and I thought it was just overly compressed tracks on the disc.

Now to find me one of these things and add even more cables to my entertainment set-up.

[maxmars]

Way to go Jarosh, you are making the whole of Schweiz proud. :D I didn't like it when you where whining for a stepdown converter (or was it someone else?), but now you redeemed yourself!

[jarosh]

I didn't like it when you where whining for a stepdown converter (or was it someone else?), but now you redeemed yourself!

asking what kind of step-down converter is needed for the wii and mentioning that they are nowhere to be found in stores here (which IS true) is considered whining? well, whatever dude

Now to find me one of these things and add even more cables to my entertainment set-up.

haha yeah i know. that kinda sucks but at least (if you're finding a passive one) you're not wasting another power socket.

[jstevenson]

haha yeah i know. that kinda sucks but at least (if you're finding a passive one) you're not wasting another power socket.

Hah, dude, you have no idea, with something like 13 consoles hooked up, I already have plenty of power bars, 3" extension cables (yay for old console power bricks). I actually just am finally getting my PS3 today and am scared about having to climb back there rework some cabling ;-).

JS

[jarosh]

you're not afraid with that many things plugged in that something is suddenly going to explode? didn't you watch she-devil?

[jstevenson]

Oh don't worry, I'm on my second-playthrough so I've got a backlash grenade wired up to create a force-field in case an explosion happens. (sorry about the terrible Resistance joke).

[8bit]

asking what kind of step-down converter is needed for the wii and mentioning that they are nowhere to be found in stores here (which IS true) is considered whining? well, whatever dude

Where did you get one anyway? I'd like to know for future reference the sort of store that carries them(assuming it's a Bricks & Mortar store).

[jarosh]

Where did you get one anyway? I'd like to know for future reference the sort of store that carries them(assuming it's a Bricks & Mortar store).

interdiscount. i settled for the 55w one. since the wii only needs like 43w. 55w is the absolute max you can get in 'regular' stores like media markt or id. for more wattage and MUCH higher prices: www.distrelec.ch.

you... are swiss... you wouldn't ask that otherwise, would you?

[megashock5]

Interesting.

So far the only sound problem I'm having is a weird crackling during bowling in Wii Sports - specifically the pins crashing - in my rear channel speakers. Checked the speaker connections, checked the audio cable connections, everything seems okay.

Is this the type of thing you were experiencing?

[Like the hat?]

Now lets just find a way to stop the cracking in the wiimote speaker

(and don't say turn the volume down because it's on the second level)

[allegate]

i'm not "referring" to anything. if you are experiencing it you will know what i'm talking about. there are plenty of gaffers with the same issue. it's not simply about the sound being too loud. it's about the sound being distorted. turning down the volume does not help here.

I have no wii so I have no idea what you are talking about; I was just asking if it was similar.

[Fatalah]

Dude, so weird. I thought I blew out my speaker. I always get a crackle during high-pitch noises in Zelda. Especially during the howling. I'm just glad I don't need to buy new speakers. I'll just leave it be and wait for Nintendo to fix it or something.

[jetpacks was yes]

Thanks for the info! I thought it was my old sound sytem that was messed up. Sucks that I need to buy this device in order for the Wii to not sound crappy.

[8bit]

interdiscount. i settled for the 55w one. since the wii only needs like 43w. 55w is the absolute max you can get in 'regular' stores like media markt or id. for more wattage and MUCH higher prices: www.distrelec.ch. you... are swiss... you wouldn't ask that otherwise, would you?

I live in Basel, although I'm not Swiss. I hadn't seen stepdowns in either Media Markt or interdiscount, so it's good to know they do actually have them. Thanks!

[Mejilan]

I have my Wii, PS2, and X360 video and audio inputs feeding into a high end Component/Optical Audio switchbox, which in turn is patched into my new 5.1 receiver. Am I good?

[Leatherface]

interesting..

btw..the guy that was having the issue was Duderz.. I would shoot him a pm in case he misses your thread. :)

[jarosh]

I have my Wii, PS2, and X360 video and audio inputs feeding into a high end Component/Optical Audio switchbox, which in turn is patched into my new 5.1 receiver. Am I good?

well... i... don't know? as long as it sounds good you're fine i guess. or wasn't that... what you were asking about? uh...

interesting.. btw..the guy that was having the issue was Duderz.. I would shoot him a pm in case he misses your thread. :)

there were plenty of others (including myself). but yeah i'll send him a pm. i'll do that.

[Mejilan]

I never noticed any kind of audio flaws or distortion.

[Dragona Akehi]

I'm really glad you found a solution jarosh. Perhaps my receiver already acts as one or something...

[jarosh]

I'm really glad you found a solution jarosh. Perhaps my receiver already acts as one or something...

it totally depends on the combination of wii/receiver. i never had this problem with anything hooked up to mine. it's probably a combination of the wii having an unusually loud sound output (which it does have) and the receiver unnecessarily amplifying the signal before outputting it to the speakers.

[Duderz]

jarosh...I love you.

I've got a Samsung guy coming in tomorrow to look at my TV, and was planning on PMing you the results of whatever he would find. I'll post in this thread the results, just in case he has any more solutions / suggestions.

Looks like I'm buying one of those...things. :)

EDIT: What kind did you buy?

[Dragona Akehi]

it totally depends on the combination of wii/receiver. i never had this problem with anything hooked up to mine. it's probably a combination of the wii having an unusually loud sound output (which it does have) and the receiver unnecessarily amplifying the signal before outputting it to the speakers.

GC / Wii seem to have the same sound output for me. IE: I have my GC and my Wii set to the same volume on my receiver.

A very strange problem, to be sure.

[jarosh]

jarosh...I love you. I've got a Samsung guy coming in tomorrow to look at my TV, and was planning on PMing you the results of whatever he would find. I'll post in this thread the results, just in case he has any more solutions / suggestions. Looks like I'm buying one of those...things. :) EDIT: What kind did you buy?

the one in the pic is mine. they sold it as a DI unit but the text on the thing actually says "stereo signal convertor". i stumbled upon this whole thing when i hooked up my minidisc player to the wii and sent the minidisc player's signal to my receiver and got rid of the distortion. so i figured something must be 'happening' or 'not happening' between the wii and the receiver, something the minidisc player does... and it simply 'acted' as a DI unit. which it HAS to, since it has a line in and a line out. that sounds awfully simple and almost nonsensical but that's because a DI unit doesn't really do that much in the first place... in THIS particular case. yeah it's hard to explain without getting into technical mumbo jumbo...

anyway, here's more about it if you want to know all the technical stuff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DI_unit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impedance_matching

[Mejilan]

it totally depends on the combination of wii/receiver. i never had this problem with anything hooked up to mine. it's probably a combination of the wii having an unusually loud sound output (which it does have) and the receiver unnecessarily amplifying the signal before outputting it to the speakers.

I noticed that I always have to raise the volume when I flip from the Wii to the X360. Huh.

[jarosh]

I noticed that I always have to raise the volume when I flip from the Wii to the X360. Huh.

it's the opposite for me. which isn't surprising - 360 is optical, wii is analog/rca. both connections are handled differently by my receiver and by every other receiver out there i suppose. and with your setup it's altogether different again, what with the switchbox and all...

but whatever. this thing works. at least for me.

and now i really really really need to go to bed. goodnight

[VideoMan]

I suspected this was the problem. The Wii is just putting out sound at a higher volume level than some TVs/Stereos can handle.

I ordered some attenuators and that fixed the crackling, but I made the mistake of buying the cheap ones and the overall sound quality wasn't great. I've since ordered some higher quality ones and if they're good I'll post the link here so other people can order them if they want.

[Dimmuxx]

Good to know but I won't have this problem since I already have a DI unit kind of.

[Duderz]

I ordered some attenuators and that fixed the crackling, but I made the mistake of buying the cheap ones and the overall sound quality wasn't great. I've since ordered some higher quality ones and if they're good I'll post the link here so other people can order them if they want.

PLEASE!

I've only been able to find one set that I'm not even sure will work at Guitar Center. I've called Best Buy, Tweeter's, Radioshack, Fry's, and a couple independent music stores around town, but to no avail.

[krypt0nian]

My only problem is the horrible crackling in one of my wiimote speakers. I've been tempted to rip it open and replace the crap speaker.

[Mejilan]

My only problem is the horrible crackling in one of my wiimote speakers. I've been tempted to rip it open and replace the crap speaker.

Hit home, access your specific remote's options, and slide the volume down to 2 notches.

[VideoMan]

Ok, the new attenuators arrived today. PERFECTION! They sound great and have completely solved the crackling problem on my Samsung HDTV.

Here's the link to the ones I bought via Amazon.com for anyone else interested:

http://www.amazon.com/HARRISON-LABS-...158184-2771954

These are the 6dB ones (lowers the volume by 6 decibels), which work great for the problems I was having (sound crackling only at certain times like in the 2nd dungeon and bombs exploding in Zelda). They also make a stronger 12dB version which might be better for the people who are having distortion problems even in the Mii channel and Photo channel.

These attenuators are also a bit of a more elegant solution being as they're small adapters about the size of a AA battery that plug into the ends of the Wii cables, rather than a box (which would also require a second patch cable to run from the box to your television/stereo).

[jarosh]

attenuators, yeah, that should work too. it might even be the more elegant solution - better than having a little box next to your wii i suppose.

[Duderz]

I ordered what you posted, VideoMan. Hopefully mine arrive soon. Thanks for the link, and Jarosh, thanks for putting together this thread again.

I had a tech guy come and look at my TV, who basically said what I had already deduced. Felt bad that I wasted his time. *shrug*

Hopefully these will work on my TV as well. :)

[Dabookerman]

I had the same problem.

My wii was connected with composite video port in monitor, and stereo audio through a phono adaptor, like a vga cable for 360

anyway, i fixed it by lowering the line in volume, and turning the overall volume up, sounds perfect now.

[Christberg]

The issue is most likely clipping caused by the Wii's output levels exceeding the input tolerance on your receiver for one reason or another. If you plug something like say an Ipod straight into your receiver and turn it all the way up, you'll likely get similar results.

It's something you deal with a lot if you're mixing music of one sort or another. It's cool that there's a gizmo out there that fixes it for you. I'll have to look into getting something similar sometime in the somewhat near future.

[HolyCheck]

... if i were to call nintendo australia would they ship me a replacement?

i dont want to spend money to have clear sound....

my sound goes distorted when i have it lsightly above normal levels.. :( i want loud wii sports !

[jarosh]

... if i were to call nintendo australia would they ship me a replacement? i dont want to spend money to have clear sound.... my sound goes distorted when i have it lsightly above normal levels.. :( i want loud wii sports !

since all wiis are like that what would be the point of having it replaced?

[Duderz]

Just got my little components it. No crackling.

Hoorah! Thanks again Jarosh and VideoMan!

[darthbane2k]

Solved for you Americans maybe!

Im in the UK and have this dreadful problem. I hate it, it makes the wii sound like crap when running through my reciever.
I cannot for the life of me find any 6dB RCA ATTENUATORS at any UK online store, even Maplin dont seem to stock these things.Can anyone help?

Isnt this something that Nintendo should fix and repair with a firmware update?

[jarosh]

i'm not american. i'm in europe. duh

[darthbane2k]

i'm not american. i'm in europe. duh

Okay, well will you kindly post a link to a site that sells 6dB RCA ATTENUATORS and delivers to the UK? I have searched and I cannot find..

Bear in mind that I refuse to spend £60 upward to fix a problem Nintendo should not have created in the first place.

[8bit]

Okay, well will you kindly post a link to a site that sells 6dB RCA ATTENUATORS and delivers to the UK? I have searched and I cannot find.. Bear in mind that I refuse to spend £60 upward to fix a problem Nintendo should not have created in the first place.

Have you tried Maplin? You might need to go to a store, but they've usually got all manner of esoteric electronic crap.

[HAL_Laboratory]

Seems like you're trading off crackling/distortion for signal degradation, but whatever works. :)

[darthbane2k]

Have you tried Maplin? You might need to go to a store, but they've usually got all manner of esoteric electronic crap.

Maplin was the first place I tried (online) all they have are Coax attenuators, which are obviously no good to me.

[darthbane2k]

Seems like you're trading off crackling/distortion for signal degradation, but whatever works. :)

I honestly dont know what else to do. It sounds like crap it really does. And I dont have a cheap reciever, no do I have this problem with the dozen other devices I have connected to it..