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  3. 1026867876

HELP - my speaker just turned into a radio

I just got my new EAD TM8000 today and hooked it up to my Classe CA300 amp driving Innersound ISIS speakers. There's more to the setup, but this seems to be the only relevant part.
EAD has balanced outputs to front speakers, so they give you a balanced - RCA plug to put in there.

First try

hook it up and turn on the amp first - the left front ISIS is humming slightly, nothing too bad.
turn on the EAD and the left speaker is now a radio

turn off the EAD. 15 seconds go by and it clicks and then the radio is gone, but the humming remains.
turn off the amp and switch the cables at the converter plugs from left to right to see if it changes speakers.
turn on the amp, the right speaker hums
turn on the EAD and now the right speaker is a radio

turn it all off
and now I switch the IC's on the amp end from left to right
turn on the amp, the LEFT speaker hums
turn on the EAD, the LEFT speaker is a radio

turn it all off

pull the IC and cable for the left speaker and route them to the ADCOM I have driving the center channel

turn it all back on

no problem

what the heck is going on?
angela100
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Angela,

Now you have a tuner! Have you figured out how to tune in the desired stations? hehe

Glad you got it figured out.
killerpiglet
374 posts
 
Yep, I tried different outlets.
It's not ground loop (that was another problem, which has been fixed).
It's actual radio!
It' from the amp to the speakers.
If I disconnect everything else, it's still there even with the ground on the amps lifted.

KP
angela100 OP
435 posts
 
guess what? the radio is back, but very faintly, but no hum..... I had moved the amp from in front of the speaker to the back yesterday when I hooked up the new EAD. I am wondering if physical position to one another causes it. I am going to lug that 85 lb amp back out front this morning and see. I'll keep you posted.

one more thing, when everyone talks about "cheater plugs" are they just talking about the 3 prong to 2 prong adapter plugs? That's what I am using on the Classe to keep the real ground loop loud hum out of the mix.

aj
sean
6,231 posts
 
Yes Angela, that is a cheater plug. While you would have to do this anyhow since you would be relocating your amp, try moving your speaker cable into a different area and position. It is strange how stuff like that can affect the situation. While your cables should not be extremely susceptible to RFI due to their low inductance / high capacitance design, you never know. I would also make sure that all of the connections are tight. Rather than just make sure that they are "snug", break them loose, re-seat the wires and then tighten until snug. Sean
>

PS... Off to work i go : (
angela100 OP
435 posts
 
ok, I didn't move the amp yet, but did play around with the speaker cable and I'll be damn if I pick it up in the air behind the speaker, it goes away, if I lay it down, it comes back, but still very faintly.
I have also plugged it into the same power outlet as the EAD now only I am having to use an extension cord to get it over there. If I plug it in at the outlet next to the amp, even with picking up the cable, the radio is there and stronger.
ok, so I have bandaided the problem, what's the real cause?
poor shielding in the speaker cable?

-aj (feeling kinda good but not quite yet)
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