I was just trying my new Roland LX-15 with headphones for the first time. The sound was OK but there is a faint noise in the background... It wasn't bothering me too much but I was curious as I am used to playing with headphones and this piano is mainly going to be used without headphones.

To find out what is going on I used the same headphones on my RD-700NX and the sound was like I remember it; perfect. No background noise what so ever.

I then plugged in the headphones in the second headphone output on my LX15 piano and it also works perfect like the RD-700NX with no noise! What can be causing noise in one headphone output but not in the other? The noise can best be described as the one found on good old tape recordings when compared to audio CDs. Could the built-in piano amplifier be leaking to one output but not the other, or are the headphone outputs outfitted with separate headphone amplifiers and one being much more noisy (defect)?

Any ideas as to what could be going on?

Thanks!

Update: I noticed that the issue is related to my Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 noise canceling headphones. When I use my regular good old Grado SR60 headphones I can't hear noise in any headphone output on the LX15. The sound is perfect in both! Interesting. Perhaps I should ask Santa for a pair of HD-650 next Chrismas...

Turn off the noise-cancelling "feature" on the new headphones?

. Charles

Charles,
Yes, now that I know it is an interaction I will either use the Grados or use the clean output on the piano. No big deal at all.

Ouch! I find Grados absolute agony after about 20 minutes (in a physical sense). And unless you are well up the Grado range they handle upper frequencies with a degree of savagery. Rock music is quite fatiguing with Grados I find. The top end Grados are another kettle of fish though...