2. home-theater
  3. 1274585428

Signs of poor electricity in home...?

Ok folks I know pretty much that all homes have crappy power for electronic gear. However my dilemna is that I have continued to have a buzz type sound come from my spkrs whenever amp is powered on. This is the same case with three different amps and a recvr. I just completely disconnected everything and have all the gear everywhere in the living room. This was no small task.
Nht Controller
Nht Power 5
Nht Power 2
Oppo 83
Toshi HDDvd
AudioControl Bijou EQ
Panamax 5500ex
Nht A1 x 2 for bi-amping mains.
Nht X2

I use Signal pwr cables and my own custom made.
Signal, Bluejeans, monster ic's
PS Audio powerport

I have eliminated any cable combo as the culprit and have it narrowed down to the fact that with an amp plugged in, powered on, and just spkr cable connected to a spkr I get this slight buzz/hiss type noise. I mean nothing connectected to amp but what I said...electricity...and spkr cable direct to spkr. It is not the hmmmmmmmm of 60hz...it's a hiss like white noise makes when a tv channel would sign off-air if you are old enough to know what I mean. Anywho...it's bugging me to pieces. I have went to the breaker box in garage and eliminated it being the fridge in neighboring room, etc. Even with the Panamax it still gets noise to the spkrs mid/twtr...mainly mid. Volume has little or no effect on it if you are wondering.

So????? Dirty house power and what do I do. Would having a seperate/dedicated line help? I don't have dimmer lamps or any other of the typical buggers in the ac chain. No tv either as I have a Pj setup which plugs in where I use to have a ceiling fan and installed box/receptacle to pwr it.

I don't hear it if source is playing but sitting idle all 5 spkrs doing this is annoying. Suggestions please.
mnnc
hifihvn
943 posts
 
>>Btw...amp plugged in alone is dead quiet as I suppose it should be as it uses B&O ice power class D.<< Is this statement an error?The more you describe the noise the less
chances of it being A/C power hum or bad power connection is less likely.A lot of power utilities will check for a poor connection in your breaker box as a courtesy.If it is not anything in your gear causing it,it still sounds like something electronic causing the problem,especially different gear doing the same.A fan speed control,even in heat/ac system,microwave oven timer clock,and on and on.A lot of appliances always have something electronic running when you think they are totaly off.Even sprinkler system timers.
mnnc OP
175 posts
 
Sop1...I understand however, noise is clearly audible though not loud-loud...but there nonetheless. If I were to cover my ears/plug them I don't hear anything hardly. Thanks.

Hifihvn...What I meant by 'amp alone' is just that...amp plugged in and powered on...nothing connected but power cord of course. When I then connect a spkr the noise is evident. The noise, whatever is causing it. has to be travelling through amp and then on to spkr/s. Center channel seems to do it most/loudest if you wanted to look at things comparatively. I had a Yamaha recvr(rxv2500) in rig a few yrs ago...hiss. Then got a BA 7120 recvr...hiss. Then bought a BA 7200 pwr amp...hiss. Now with Nht amp...hiss. So yes it's a problem with all the recvr's/amps I have had in the loop. I now have minimized setup to include:

prepro
pwr amp
oppo Br
panamax
dual a1 mono's/x2 combo bi-amping the mains lower end...
...and the svs beast.

The Panamax does help as I connected things without it...noise was more prominent...disturbing. So the Panamax is helping quite a bit.

I just purchased a PS Audio noise harvester...going to see if it helps. I just can't go spending lots right now to solve this. At the moment it's reasonable and clearly audible when within a a couple feet from mains/surrounds. The center channel seems to amplify it the most and if it's quiet in here, which it is most of time, I can hear the whining noise sitting on the couch 10 ft away. Thanks for the advice/help. I 'm going to call pwr co as I said I would...this week if I can remember to do so with everything else going on in my life at the moment. I appreciate the help/concern...much thanks.
mnnc OP
175 posts
 
Visiting the thread has me wondering more now...I am going to unplug the cordless phones, microvave oven, and satlt boxes tomorrow and listen to what happens.

I unplugged the modem/router and it made no difference. Also tried the fridge and no difference. Just unplugged freezer in garage and no effect. That only leaves the phones, microwave, and satlt tuner/s. Better not mess with that now...wife is watching her shows and I need micro wav to warm up my java...hehe.

We do have a couple giant towers, cellular I guess, less than a mile as a crow flies. My sons rig has only the slightest bit of this noise and in order to hear it you must crank the volume up to refernce level or so without any souce playing. I put together a 5.1 system in his room a couple yrs back for his b-day and he does not have this issue using a little Denon 5.1 recvr/tv/xbox, etc. That little rig will blow you away in his 10x12 room.

Anywho...I'll continue troubleshooting tmrw while home alone and follow-up. Thanks again.
coxhaus
231 posts
 
I would install an eight foot copper ground rod. Attach it with lightening ground wire and clamp to your main breaker box. This can be bought at Lowes or Home Depot for less than $50.00 bucks. Having a good earth ground helped me with a noise problem at my old home. I installed one when I moved into my current home. It is real easy just use a garden hose to soften the soil as you drive the rod into the ground. When you get the rod low you switch to a sledge hammer to finish.
mnnc OP
175 posts
 
Coxhaus...I'm thinking about what you suggest and it reminded me that the direct tv gnd lead from the dish/cables tie in to the main somehow outside near main breaker box and my ac repairman showed me it contains a main switch/brkr from the street and two more...one for the compressor and one for blower unit.

Explain a bit more if you would please what you mean by clamp to main brkr box...? Clamp to what part...there is 220v in that booger somewhere...yikes. Thanks.
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