Commander X16

I just got my commander x16. Everything seems to be working well. The only issue is that the sound output is very low. I bought some four watt speakers from amazon and have connected them, but the sound is very faint even when volume is all the way up. I tried a second pair of speakers and received the same result. Is there any step I can take to rectify this?

It's with these speakers:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008MN45?re ... title&th=1

I also tried with these speakers:

http://amazon.com/dp/B07DDK3W5D?ref_=pp ... tle_4&th=1

Even though these speakers should be self amplified, I picked up this amplifier:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD25V2CV?re ... asin_title

This brought the levels up a bit more, but still leaves a lot to be desired, even when the amplifier and speakers are on max volume. It also introduced line noise in the form of a background hum.

What power supply are you using for the system? Does it have a working -12V line?

TomXP411 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 09, 2025 2:21 am What power supply are you using for the system? Does it have a working -12V line?

I’m using the pico atx with the 24 pin connector connected, from TexElec. That is connected to the 12v universal adapter from TexElec

Hmm, all I can say is I've used 3W USB-powered speakers on the X16 and had no issue. And I powered them from the X16 itself (just cut the USB cable and find 5V somewhere). Not outstanding speakers, but definitely loud enough to fill a room easily.

I've found these "loop noise isolators" to help with humm/noise:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQYN77L


Make sure you're using a stereo audio jack? That'd be pretty rare to get a mono one these days, but never know. Two rings on the jack instead of one.


I've used a bunch of different picoPSU or miniITX PSUs, from 80W up to 300W. So far hadn't had an audio issue on any X16.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TWE5E6
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CHS14Q6B

This one is one of my favorites since it's old-style 20-pin:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RT87S83


Do you have a regular full size ATX power supply? Even if it's up to 700W, I've used one of those just for testing the X16 (I think I even use an 850W, but any 300W-600W would be fine also). Not everyone has those just laying around. But if you did, it might help determine of something PSU related is the issue.


That's all I can think of. The chances of two speakers in a row being bad is really low. Have you tried any headphones (amplified or not)? Just curious.


Might be worth looking for any abnormal solder at the bottom of the board. I'm no expert about the schematic, but just anything around the YM/audio chip and the audio jack itself, that might look unusual or out of place (like solder pads not connected).


Which audio programs have you tried? Again, I don't recall the exact wiring of things, but the PSG and YM are different audio components. Trying both might isolate down to that (various ZSMs in Melodious will use one or the other, a few use both). But they might all get routed out to the stereo jack in the same way, so maybe this doesn't matter.


I did have one X16 where one IC pin was bent. I think maybe it was VIA#1, one pin got squashed and was sticking out. It was a socked chip, so easy fix just lifting it back out, gently adjust and reseat that IC. Scan if anything like that is going on (all the IC pins should be straight down into their socket, nothing sticking out). I can't imagine any such mishap causing a volume issue, but seems there is some kind of hardware issue going on here.

Xiphod wrote: ↑Sun Feb 09, 2025 8:53 am Hmm, all I can say is I've used 3W USB-powered speakers on the X16 and had no issue. And I powered them from the X16 itself (just cut the USB cable and find 5V somewhere). Not outstanding speakers, but definitely loud enough to fill a room easily.

I've found these "loop noise isolators" to help with humm/noise:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQYN77L


Make sure you're using a stereo audio jack? That'd be pretty rare to get a mono one these days, but never know. Two rings on the jack instead of one.


I've used a bunch of different picoPSU or miniITX PSUs, from 80W up to 300W. So far hadn't had an audio issue on any X16.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TWE5E6
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CHS14Q6B

This one is one of my favorites since it's old-style 20-pin:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RT87S83


Do you have a regular full size ATX power supply? Even if it's up to 700W, I've used one of those just for testing the X16 (I think I even use an 850W, but any 300W-600W would be fine also). Not everyone has those just laying around. But if you did, it might help determine of something PSU related is the issue.


That's all I can think of. The chances of two speakers in a row being bad is really low. Have you tried any headphones (amplified or not)? Just curious.


Might be worth looking for any abnormal solder at the bottom of the board. I'm no expert about the schematic, but just anything around the YM/audio chip and the audio jack itself, that might look unusual or out of place (like solder pads not connected).


Which audio programs have you tried? Again, I don't recall the exact wiring of things, but the PSG and YM are different audio components. Trying both might isolate down to that (various ZSMs in Melodious will use one or the other, a few use both). But they might all get routed out to the stereo jack in the same way, so maybe this doesn't matter.


I did have one X16 where one IC pin was bent. I think maybe it was VIA#1, one pin got squashed and was sticking out. It was a socked chip, so easy fix just lifting it back out, gently adjust and reseat that IC. Scan if anything like that is going on (all the IC pins should be straight down into their socket, nothing sticking out).

All jacks are stereo and so is the amplifier/speakers. I tried headphones both amplified and not and couldn't hear anything at all. I'm more of a software guy than a hardware/electronics guy, but from what I can see there doesn't appear to be anything that looks troublesome on the bottom of the board and the ICs look like their pins are all pristine. Unfortunately, I don't have another PSU.

I tried with a few games and Melodius. The games sound better than Melodius, at least on the sound files I played. The games are mostly audible, just not at a great level. Melodius, however, was a struggle to hear. There is also a weird issue I just noticed that only occurs in Melodius where on all tracks there is a clipping noise. That could be a biproduct of the amplification and speakers being on max, I'm not sure, but it definitely does not occur on any of the games.

I have the midi expansion card and the little dreamer coming in a few days. I don't know if they will make a difference or not.

devninja89 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 3:09 am I just got my commander x16. Everything seems to be working well. The only issue is that the sound output is very low.

<snip><Snip>
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD25V2CV?re ... asin_title

This brought the levels up a bit more, but still leaves a lot to be desired, even when the amplifier and speakers are on max volume. It also introduced line noise in the form of a background hum.

Only the last set of speakers lists the impedance as 80 Ohms (which could be a typo), where normally a speaker set is 8 Ohms.

Are there ratings on the other sets, just not on the Amazon pages?

Update:

I took the board out of the case again and gave it a light blast with some compressed air. I tested it outside of the case and the sound is normal now. I put it back in my case and everything is good to go. Must've been something shorting it.