naw. that didn't do it either. but i am pretty convinced it's something to do with the amp - either the circuitry or the jack.

i happen to actually have a better amp :)

i've been using an old jvc, which is pretty consumer grade. it's just what that system has had connected to it since...2007? about that.

i mean, all i was looking for was a flat signal. the quality of the amp was only important in so much as it didn't interfere with the signal. and, it generally didn't. at least until now.

around 2009 or so, my dad gave me a much higher quality NAD receiver. it was out of request for a very flat receiver to act as a amplification system for my pod, because i'd learned that the pod tended to sound bad through guitar amps, because i was sending an amp sim through an amp and it was just getting all mucked up. he knew audio gear better than i did, so i let him figure that out and the nad is what i got. it's been sitting in a corner for years, waiting for me to use it in a live situation. i can state at this point that that's not likely to happen.

but, an extremely flat receiver sounds just about perfect right now.

if this doesn't work, it pretty much has to be the audio cable. i've worked in tech support. you're supposed to swap out the cables first. nobody does. i'm going to laugh for the next twenty years if it's a cable.