Low buzzing through speaks
Hello All,
Need some serious help here. So I just (upgraded?) from a Marantz AV8802A to a McIntosh MX122 preamp. I also just got brand new Revel Performa3 speaks all around (5 channel setup). I disconnect everything from the Marantz and then into the McIntosh, connect the speaks and I have a faint buzzing through all 5 speakers (that was not there previously). I have everything plugged into a Furman Elite 20pfi power conditioner which is plugged into a dedicated 20 amp circuit. My power amp is a Simaudio Titan HT200 5 channel. This is not going through the Furman but directly into the other outlet on the same 20 amp line. I even tried plugging the Sim amp into the Furman to see if that helped-no change faint buzz is still there. I have unplugged just about everything, and the buzz is still there. It is very faint and does not get louder when I turn up the volume. Again it is faint and you have to put your ear up to the speaks to hear but it is definitely there. I have tried so many things and nothing gets rid of it. It is not my cable box (I did have that issue previously with the Marantz but as soon as I unplugged the coax from the box it went away so I just bought a coax loop eliminator connected the cable to that and noise was all gone) as I unplugged that and started there.
Any help would be so sincerely appreciated????
@dpop So everything else is connected in the system like always (no ground wire connected), I disconnected the first 4 XLR's from the Mac leaving just 1 XLR between Mac and amp connected and buzz is gone??? What does this mean???
Thank you again (broken record but can't not keep saying it)... |
@dpop So as each balanced interconnect is plugged back in the buzz comes back in that particular speaker/channel. So it seems it is somehow connected to the XLR inputs? |
Very interesting. OK, let’s stay on this path for a moment. From my understanding, and just so I’m 100% sure here, you’re saying with one XLR cable connected, there’s no buzz in any of the speakers, yes? If that’s the case, I would also try using that exact same cable, and plug it into all of the inputs and outputs you use when connecting the Mac to the Sim. When doing this, does this produce the same result(s) - no buzz? I would also recommend trying that same scenario with each cable, one at a time (I know this is probably a lot of work, but what we’re doing is seeing if all cables produce the same result). It might not be a bad idea to help identify which cables are which. Maybe a sticky-note (or something like it) could temporarily be affixed to each cable for identification purposes. I’m also wondering if as each XLR cable is reconnected (when using all of them), does the buzz increase a little bit more in volume level as each cable is plugged in (or when the buzz is heard, it always remains at one volume level)? Also, is it safe to say that when the buzz is heard again, as each cable is plugged in, the buzz is directly attributed to the corresponding channel and speaker only? Sorry for all of the questions, but this is the only way I can diagnose this, without physically being there. |
@dpop so the only reason I didn’t hear the buzz with the 1 cable plugged in was because it was the rear and I didn’t listen to that one speaker. As I plugged the 2nd rear in that’s when I caught on that as soon as the XLR cable is plugged back in the buzz comes back in that particular speaker/channel… |
