Jump to content

Static Sound Through Speakers in Living Room System


Youthman

Recommended Posts

  • Moderators

Tonight I was going to try out my daughter's RB-5's with the living room setup and noticed a loud hum out of one speaker.  Just figured out the hum.  The 3.5mm cable to the Apple Airport Express was not pushed in all the way but I still have static.

 

Swapping speaker cables made the hum go to the other speaker.  At first, I thought it was the Acurus A200 amp but I unhooked the RCA's and connected my phone directly to the Acurus and it was perfectly quiet so that eliminates the Acurus as being the culprit.  I swapped RCA cables and Speaker cables and that wasn't the issue.  I now believe it is one of the preouts on the HK3490.  I'm about to go swap RCA outputs on the HK to see if the buzz follows that particular preout.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

Well...I thought it would be an easy troubleshooting but I'm a bit confused.

 

I've disconnected the Amp since I know it is working properly.

 

I connected the "Jumpers" from the Preout to the Main for both L and R channels as shown below to engage the internal amp and turned the "Speaker 1" on within the receiver.

 

326084_ZB_00_FB.EPS_1000.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Youthman this started this out with a hum problem.  Is the hum still there with the internal amp jumper-ed or has this changed to a static problem?  Those sound like two completely different problems to me.

 

What doesn't make sense to me is you didn't have any buzz or hum problems with the HK receiver/Acurus amp when connected to the RF-7's.  I'm not sure what could have created either of those problems with a simple speaker swap.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
4 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

Those sound like two completely different problems to me.

Yes, I figured out the hum.  LOL.  I guess when I moved the airport express, the 3.5mm cable pulled out a bit and was causing the hum.

 

Let me go do some more troubleshooting.  Going to unhook everything except receiver, jumpers, and speaker cable and try some different tests.  Will post back in a min.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

The main issue is solved.  The hum was loud but the static issue is much softer but doesn't sound normal.

 

The static is in the left speaker.  If I switch the speaker cables just on the back of the receiver, the static moves to the right speaker.  This tells me it's not an issue with either speaker and it's not an issue with either speaker cable.

 

If I move the speaker cables on the back of the receiver from Speaker A Outputs to Speaker B Outputs and turn on Speaker B on the receiver, the static does the same thing so this tells me it's not an issue with Speaker A.

 

Also the static does not increase when I increase the volume.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Youthman said:

Maybe the static has always been there and it's just been so low that I didn't (notice)? 

You've got a pretty good ear.  If there was static I think you would have heard it.

 

If I'm following correctly, you have low energy static coming out of the left channel and it is not volume dependent? 

 

Have you tried the tuner on the receiver?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
4 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

You've got a pretty good ear.  If there was static I think you would have heard it.

Whew!  I think I'm good now.  I hooked everything back up and I have to put my ear 3" from the speaker to hear anything.  Not sure what the scratching static sound I was hearing earlier.  It could have been caused by the disconnected 3.5mm cable on the Apple Airport Express.  I should have checked the connection first because I wasn't able to get sound when connecting to it through my phone. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I might just be hearing "noise floor"?  It's actually a very soft buzz.  I can hear it in both speakers.

 

With nothing playing, if I turn up the volume on the receiver and stand 3' away, I cannot hear the buzz until I get to -7db on the receiver.   So sitting at 8' away, this will never be heard so I'm good.  Sooooo thankful it was only a loose cable.  I REALLY thought one of the channels on the receiver had gone bad.  I was already looking up receivers and preamps.  LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Youthman said:

I REALLY thought one of the channels on the receiver had gone bad.  I was already looking up receivers and preamps.  LOL

With your audio-buying luck you probably would have found a nice receiver cheap and the owner would have said something like "I have some RB-61's I don't want.  Will you take them?"  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
Just now, wvu80 said:

With your audio-buying luck you probably would have found a nice receiver cheap and the owner would have said something like "I have some RF-61's I don't want.  Will you take them?"  

Oh I could only dream.  LOL  Now that would be a blessing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi guys,

reading through your problems i would like to add mine. have just bought the scalas a few weeks ago, these are the version 1 in beech. they were working great for the first few weeks, but now there is a loud hum in the background. i am using a chord cpa2200 preamp with a chord 200 watt power amp, also have emotiva xpl 1a power amps, all s/s.

i have tried switching through the inputs and the noise is there all the time using both amps. it is quiet when initially switched on but after a while the hum is quite obvious. when there is a quiet period in the music you can hear the hum very clearly, can now hear it over the sound through the tv. have connected my other speakers imf tls80 and no hum. have also connected my valve amp and again no hum.

so at a loss where to look or what to do next.

any help greatly appreciated

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, gaggs said:

hi guys,

reading through your problems i would like to add mine. have just bought the scalas a few weeks ago, these are the version 1 in beech. they were working great for the first few weeks, but now there is a loud hum in the background. i am using a chord cpa2200 preamp with a chord 200 watt power amp, also have emotiva xpl 1a power amps, all s/s.

i have tried switching through the inputs and the noise is there all the time using both amps. it is quiet when initially switched on but after a while the hum is quite obvious. when there is a quiet period in the music you can hear the hum very clearly, can now hear it over the sound through the tv. have connected my other speakers imf tls80 and no hum. have also connected my valve amp and again no hum.

so at a loss where to look or what to do next.

any help greatly appreciated

Can you list out clearly what combinations hum and which don't?  You have two amps, one hums and one does not?  Hums without preamp hooked up?  Have you lifted the ground?  Florescent lights?  Other stuff plugged into the circuit?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...