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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????

kingbr
kingbr OP
387 posts
 

Thanks man, skill level is novice, I'm already over my head as soon as we get past connecting stuff, sorry😯...I have stripped the jacket off of a wire before but yeah definitely don't want to play with that with the Transparent cables...

 

And yes, the buzz would have been there I just didn't put my ear up to that speaker but as soon as I plugged the 2nd rear in the buzz was there in both speaks at the exact same level whether 2 are connected or all 5. This buzz is steady, doesn't fluctuate...guess that's a silver lining😬

dpop
293 posts
 

I have stripped the jacket off of a wire before but I’m already over my head as soon as we get past connecting stuff

Thank you for being honest and admitting that. There’s only two more things I can think of at the moment that I’d like to try, and one requires a different XLR connecting cable (which removes the shield connection - pin 1 - on one end). I can actually make them myself, but let me see if I can find something on the internet for you. The other is I’d still like to hear if there’s any buzz with that ground wire connected between the two rear panel ground screws. Is there any small cable laying around (like a small extension cord) you could butcher and sacrifice? If you don’t have a wire stripper, with a little guidance, a scissors could probably perform the same function.

Do you own any other XLR cables? If so, have you tried them to see if they produce the same buzz as the Transparent's do? 

dpop
293 posts
 

This would be an example of a device that lifts the shield on one end of the XLR cable. 

Female to XLR Male Ground Lift

If willing, it would be interesting to see if this connector would produce any different buzz sound results when plugged in using just one XLR cable.  

kingbr OP
387 posts
 

Thanks so much again @dpop! Unfortunately I do not have any other XLR cables. I do have some old speaker wire I can hook up though. Does it matter if I use the positive or negative to connect the 2 units with the ground?

 

You wouldn't by any chance live near the NH area would you? Be happy to pay for your services to come out, LOL!

dpop
293 posts
 

You wouldn't by any chance live near the NH area would you? Be happy to pay for your services to come out, LOL!

I do not. Sorry. That would make things a little easier wouldn't it. 😄 OK, so no spare XLR cables. Noted. Regarding the speaker wire that you have, we really only need to use one side (like either a plus or minus). Can you easily attach that to those ground terminals? Even if you just hold the wires against the ground terminals for a moment, while hearing the buzz, does it change the sound of the buzz at all?

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