The Buzz And Hum Of Dumb

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>I just moved from utah to north carolina. IN utah my 5 speaker stereo [Sc-ak600] was perfectly silent. When i hooked it up in NC it started a humming. This hum is changeable by the volume. If i increase the volume the humm increases. A few days ago another buzz started. It is always on if the unit is on and is not effected bu the volume. Also it only buzzez the new one in the two sub-woofers and the center channel. The first hum is i all of them. Please help.</font>

 

[Audioholics]

<font color='#000000'>Without more info, my guess is that you have either a ground loop or &quot;dirty&quot; power. You may need to go around and figure out what elese is on the same circuit as your receiver.

A power conditioner will provide help, but probably only on one of the hums...

We should probably do another article soon that deals specifically with ground hums and loops. I think people would find it helpful.

Ground Loop Problems

[Edit: added link]</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Or you could just attach a ground lifter to your three prong plug. &nbsp;

If that doesn't work, trying laying neked on a nearby hill while reciting Celtic incantations. &nbsp;Or, pray to any number of lesser dieties. &nbsp;Or, sacrifice a virgin. &nbsp;If you can find one.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Naw it olny has a 2 prong plug. What about a emi/rfi surge protector, or maby some ferrite beads? Would these work?</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Ferrite beads, ju-ju bee's, it's all good. &nbsp;Seriously, try a less costly approach: try a 2-to-3 prong adaptor. &nbsp;Have an electrician to check the grounding of your main circuit box.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>If some of your gear has two prong plugs, try reversing the plugs (one at a time) to see if that will reduce or eleminate the hum.  In rare cases (like an old Sony turntable I have around here) this can help quite a bit.

The cheater plugs (three to two prong adapters) can raise safety issues, and most manufacturers advise against them.

It could also be that you have a bad audio interconnect in the system somewhere.  This kind of thing can be a real bear to track down.  Good luck with it.

Do you hear a 60 cycle hum, or do you hear a buzz?

Chuck</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>I hear a buzz AND a hum. I think the humm is 60 cycle. The buzz changes pitch when i move the speaker cables around the ac cords. the thing is that one day for no reason at all the buzz started. it was not there before and it just started. sometimes it is worse than others (the later in the day the worse) unpluging and all the other cables takes about 75% of the buzz away, but it is still there. What good would a 2 to 3 prong plug do? i have a 2 prong plug now with no adaptor in a belkin serge protector</font>

 

[Yamahaluver]

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TheBigCheese : <font color='#000000'>I hear a buzz AND a hum. I think the humm is 60 cycle. The buzz changes pitch when i move the speaker cables around the ac cords. the thing is that one day for no reason at all the buzz started. it was not there before and it just started. sometimes it is worse than others (the later in the day the worse) unpluging and all the other cables takes about 75% of the buzz away, but it is still there. What good would a 2 to 3 prong plug do? i have a 2 prong plug now with no adaptor in a belkin serge protector</font>

<font color='#000000'>Hi,

Try checking your ground for continuity, also check the polarity of your mains. Make sure you are getting clean power, have you tried switching your mains to another one? As a last resort I would check all the cables one by one by taking them off one at a time and turning on the system to see if there is a rogue cable.

I went through your peril only to discover that I had a bad cable attached to my sub-woofer from the reciever.

I can relate and understand your frustration but you have to do this patiently.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Well the one that was effecting only the subs and center is GONE and i don't know why. I havn't touched anything. It was buzzing yesterday and today i tried it an the second buzz is gone which leaves me wontering for the same appliances are turned on. The first buzz is the most awfull one. Kinda like the ocean sound. I hear it on many speakers a round the neighborhood and in our city so i don't think i did anything to cause that one. I just hope the other one stayes gone for good.</font>