I am embarrassed to say I have been chasing a problem for months now and am at my wits end. I have read and watched more than you can imagine.
I have done everything. Ask me a question and I will likely respond "I've done that".
According to these two articles PSA Audio #1 and PSA Audio #2 I have a 120Hz hum/buzz typical of ground loop problems. There is an actual sound bite near top of article to verify what I am saying.
I call it low level because when I increase volume the hum does not increase.
I love my rig, it sounds and works fantastic, except for this hum, that shows up if the music takes a dip in sound or a movie gets silent for a moment, stuff like that. All 9 speakers, 1 pre/pro, 3 amps are equal in this. All I have to do is mute the source and there it is. When music or movie is playing I do not hear.
Without telling you every little thing I've tried these are a few significant things.
1. Yesterday at the expense of $400.00 I had an electrician drive a 5' copper stake in ground and grounded the specific circuit breaker panel dedicated to my room. The entire system was of course already grounded when built in 1981, with grounded rebar in the foundation, but what the heck, let's try. No help.
2. Cables, Cables, Cables, sick of changing them. Money, money, money. I have AudioQuest. I would call them there mid level priced?
3. Removed/unplugged every single item in room and adjacent room. Plug in wall outlet only Pre/Pro and 2 channel amp in another outlet. No help. Even ran an extension cord to another room, no help.
4. XLR Balanced vs RCA Unbalanced. I started with all XLR's, as an experiment I switched some of the channels to RCA's this actually helped, cut it down to only hearing a very minor noise when ear is right on speaker. This does not make sense as the XLR's are specific to noise reduction.
5. Disconnected all DirecTV input to house (Coax). No help.
6. I was absolutely convinced it was my pre/pro to the point where I ordered a new updated version, willing to pay the restocking fee if no change, my heart sunk when there was no change.
7. My 5 floor speakers, not my heights, are Bi Wired, single positive/negative at amp and Bi Wired to four terminals at speakers. I disconnected the top two, midrange/treble drivers and speaker went dead silent, connected the jumpers and came right back. Am I on to something here?
8. I have a Niagra power conditioner, no help, I have tried Fuhrman power supply's, no help.
9. I tried cheater plugs and Hum X. No help.
10. I would like to say it is cross cabling interference behind my unit at wall, but when only doing as #3 above, this again not the answer.
11. It has nothing to do, with Blu Ray, DVD, external DAC, PC, Fire Cube, DirecTV, power conditioner and Subs. Whether these are plugged in, connected, whatever, makes no difference.
12. Trigger cables, no trigger cables. No help.
#4 and #7 above are the only two items where I have noticed change whether positive or negative.
As @GOS would say, when asking these type of gear questions you really open yourself up to an ass whooping, but if that is what it takes, bring it.
I should be able to hear dead silence with nothing playing, right? My room is dead quiet, so I am susceptible to this more? Certain signal to noise ratio that I have to live with?
What am I missing?
There is an answer, I know, but what? Today I am going to pull apart, AGAIN, and go cable by cable, one at a time. I have no faith.
I have done everything. Ask me a question and I will likely respond "I've done that".
According to these two articles PSA Audio #1 and PSA Audio #2 I have a 120Hz hum/buzz typical of ground loop problems. There is an actual sound bite near top of article to verify what I am saying.
I call it low level because when I increase volume the hum does not increase.
I love my rig, it sounds and works fantastic, except for this hum, that shows up if the music takes a dip in sound or a movie gets silent for a moment, stuff like that. All 9 speakers, 1 pre/pro, 3 amps are equal in this. All I have to do is mute the source and there it is. When music or movie is playing I do not hear.
Without telling you every little thing I've tried these are a few significant things.
1. Yesterday at the expense of $400.00 I had an electrician drive a 5' copper stake in ground and grounded the specific circuit breaker panel dedicated to my room. The entire system was of course already grounded when built in 1981, with grounded rebar in the foundation, but what the heck, let's try. No help.
2. Cables, Cables, Cables, sick of changing them. Money, money, money. I have AudioQuest. I would call them there mid level priced?
3. Removed/unplugged every single item in room and adjacent room. Plug in wall outlet only Pre/Pro and 2 channel amp in another outlet. No help. Even ran an extension cord to another room, no help.
4. XLR Balanced vs RCA Unbalanced. I started with all XLR's, as an experiment I switched some of the channels to RCA's this actually helped, cut it down to only hearing a very minor noise when ear is right on speaker. This does not make sense as the XLR's are specific to noise reduction.
5. Disconnected all DirecTV input to house (Coax). No help.
6. I was absolutely convinced it was my pre/pro to the point where I ordered a new updated version, willing to pay the restocking fee if no change, my heart sunk when there was no change.
7. My 5 floor speakers, not my heights, are Bi Wired, single positive/negative at amp and Bi Wired to four terminals at speakers. I disconnected the top two, midrange/treble drivers and speaker went dead silent, connected the jumpers and came right back. Am I on to something here?
8. I have a Niagra power conditioner, no help, I have tried Fuhrman power supply's, no help.
9. I tried cheater plugs and Hum X. No help.
10. I would like to say it is cross cabling interference behind my unit at wall, but when only doing as #3 above, this again not the answer.
11. It has nothing to do, with Blu Ray, DVD, external DAC, PC, Fire Cube, DirecTV, power conditioner and Subs. Whether these are plugged in, connected, whatever, makes no difference.
12. Trigger cables, no trigger cables. No help.
#4 and #7 above are the only two items where I have noticed change whether positive or negative.
As @GOS would say, when asking these type of gear questions you really open yourself up to an ass whooping, but if that is what it takes, bring it.
I should be able to hear dead silence with nothing playing, right? My room is dead quiet, so I am susceptible to this more? Certain signal to noise ratio that I have to live with?
What am I missing?
There is an answer, I know, but what? Today I am going to pull apart, AGAIN, and go cable by cable, one at a time. I have no faith.
