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Parasound Halo Integrated Buzz/Hum

Hi all. I bought a Parasound Halo Integrated last week and discovered there is a faint low frequency buzz coming from my speakers from all inputs except the home theater bypass (more on that below). In a completely silent room I can hear it from my listening position about 8ft away from the speakers, but it's not very loud at all. After a quick Google search and some reading, the most likely cause seems to be a ground loop issue.

Unfortunately, I am not sure if it is as simple as that. I disconnected all inputs and plugged it in an outlet with no other devices connected. I also moved it to a different outlet in my apartment, again with only speakers connected, and it still buzzes. Different model speakers have been tested as well.

The buzz only comes from the speakers, not from the amp itself or if headphones are plugged in. This integrated amp has home theater bypass inputs and there is no buzz when this input is selected. However, if I connect my AVR to these inputs, there is a buzz. This buzz can also be heard through headphones connected to the Parasound. Unlike the buzz from other inputs, this buzz does not increase when I increase the volume.

My apartment is in an old building, which in all likelihood had its wiring redone over the past decade or so. I used a 3 wire receptacle tester on some of the outlets. It indicates there is an open ground in my living room (something I should probably bring to my landlord's attention!), but other outlets appear to be wired correctly. The buzz is there regardless of what outlet I use, however.

The amp was bought from an authorized dealer and I am still under warranty, so I can certainly get it replaced or repaired. Before I do that, however, I would like to make sure I have exhausted all of my options. Do any of you knowledgeable folks have any idea if I am missing something? 
tod_
tod_ OP
6 posts
 
Quick update:
The Parasound CEO actually had someone from the dealer cc'd on our correspondence. He asked the dealer to have it shipped back. They are mailing me a label and I will return it at some point next week. Everyone involved seems really pleasant, thankfully. I am hopeful I will end up with a dead silent unit.
Post removed 
helomech
1,673 posts
 
^ Did they fix the problem?
tod_ OP
6 posts
 
Not yet. I returned the unit on Sunday, 1/28 and it was delivered at Audio Advisor the afternoon of Tuesday, 1/30. I was hoping I would be contacted a day or two after but that did not happen. 

I decided to call them on Monday, 2/5, and ultimately spoke with their technician. He is the person responsible for checking returned units. He said they received the unit without a note stating what was wrong with it. I was never instructed to provide such a note. The only instructions I received were to pack all contents and ship it with the provided shipping label. 

Regardless, he asked me to describe the problem. He said he'd look into it and give me a call back - and he did. He returned the call and told me it performed normally, in his opinion. He said he could hear a hum if he places his ear right next to a speaker but otherwise it was inaudible. He did say he was in a somewhat noisy environment, however. I told him that it sounds about right. I can't hear it if it is noisy in my room either and would have to put my ear next to a driver as well. However, in a dead silent room I can hear it from 9ft away. My speakers may also be more sensitive than the ones he used. I also told him I would expect the unit to be silent, especially if my relatively cheap Denon AVRs are. He agreed and said he would talk to the manager about a potential replacement.

The good thing is that he was able to hear the hum if close enough to a speaker. So I asked him, before sending any replacement back to me, to listen and make sure it is silent. He told me he has some units over there (including some on the repair bench) and would take a listen and call me "tomorrow" after speaking with his manager. 

Several days have passed and I have not received his return call yet. I think I will give them a call sometime today or tomorrow if I don't hear back. I am little disappointed I have to be the one following up on this, and I am also disappointed they think that kind of hum is acceptable. I realize in the audiophile world the Parasound Halo Integrated is an affordable product, but I would still expect it to be silent. Am I being too picky?

Thankfully, I am well within my 30-day satisfaction period. They will refund me if they can't provide a unit performing to my expectations.
helomech
1,673 posts
 
If your Denon AVR has a two prong cord, that’s likely why it’s silent compared to the Halo.

I think there’s a few manufacturers that expect customers to accept hum since of it’s not audible during playback. I’m not surprised by the tech’s initial response. That was basically his way of saying it’s acceptable within their normal QC parameters. Some claimed to have gotten similar responses from Rogue. I’ve had 3 of their integrateds in my system, and all hummed to some extent.
This was one of the factors that led me back to Yamaha.

Good luck. I hope they can sort it out.
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