Buzzing just won't quit: Can someone please help?
What else is on this circuit? Do you by any chance have fluorescent lighting or LED lighting with one or more transformers on the same circuit? Computer power supplies? Have you checked to see if the circuit is wired correctly from outlets back down to the breaker panel? If you have multiple outlets, how are they connected together on the circuit? Any use of j-boxes (metal), metal conduit, etc... Have you connected the Vidar amps straight into the wall and skipped the ATC power strip? The Vidar is a stereo amp from what I can see online; did you try connecting only 1 to the speakers in its stereo native state instead of bridging to mono? This is behaving like a ground connection unhooked, an improperly built interconnect (i.e. faulty ground), noisy transformer on the line or similar problem. Need to narrow it down further... This situation (and that WAV file) shows a somewhat challenging situation. There are many things to check and rule out before you contemplate a power conditioner. |
Do you use proper shielded interconnects, not those silly twisted pair cables with no shield? Have you confirmed that the shield is actually connected - the reason I say this, is I recently had an issue and found one of my interconnects between preamp and power amp had no shield connected on one end. How loud is the noise? |
Do you have a different amp you could drop in the system and narrow the problem to the Schiit amps? Also, I know you said you disconnected EVERYTHING, but I just want to be thorough: the amps make the noise even without ANY input cables physically connected to the amps (other than AC), correct? Have you tried lifting the ground on the amps (using a cheater plug), only as a diagnostic measure? |
Hi all, Thank you so much for the responses. Zephr, I've tried unplugging everything else on the circuit. The buzzing still occurs with both the amp/speakers and the powered sub (independently). I've tried plugging the amps and the sub directly into the wall. No line inputs. James, noise never has and still doesn't come out of my AVR, which is what I used before I got the amps. I never noticed the buzz coming out of the sub until recently, however, because it's quieter and not noticeable from my listening position. Speakers buzzing since I got the amps. However, I had an Emotiva A-300 amp for a while and I don't recall it buzzing. It didn't have a ground and wasn't as powerful. It might have buzzed but just more softly. I can't be sure. Raindance, my interconnects are Blue Jeans XLR between pre and amps, Blue Jeans RCA between DAC and pre. Cheap RCAs to sub. However, this noise still occurs with amps and subs simply powered on with no inputs.The noise loudness seems to fluctuate, generally a bit louder when I first power things on. Could be up to 46db, but will chill out down to maybe 36db. Todd, I don't presently have a different amp, except for the ones built into my AVR and my powered sub. I suppose I also have one in my headphone amp. There is no noise in speakers powered by the AVR or headphones powered by the headphone amp, but the noise is present in the sub. Oh, I did previously have a cheaper Emotiva amp and I don't think it made the noise. That being said, it wasn't as powerful and I don't think it had a ground. I just tried lifting the ground on one of the amps with a cheater plug. No change. And yes, that's correct: makes noise with ONLY amps plugged into wall, speaker cables to speakers with no inputs, with no sub. Same for sub with no speakers. |
Uhm, unplug everything, then connect your speakers to the AVR to see if the AVR has the same problem. I'm wondering if it could be a switching power supply somewhere on this same circuit (or something like florescent/led lighting on the same circuit). It is possible that it could be house wiring. You could switch off the master circuit breaker on the panel and go from outlet to outlet to make sure there is a good tight clamp-down on the bare wires. |
Since you hear this through your sub too, I would try this: Take either the sub or your power amps and speakers to the other end of the house. Or, you can run a really long extension cord. This will tell you if it's the whole house or just that breaker. If it's your house you would take a different route than if it's just one circuit. The Nordost is way better than the thingee (way more expensive too) but neither can clean up a totally bad electrical feed. No more advice from me until I know more about the rest of the home. |
To diagnose the problem,
unplug
and
disconnect everything and re-connect one thing at a time. 1. connect only one Schiit Vidar to a speaker, and plug in the power cord and turn it on, if no noise then go to the next step. 2. connect the other Schiit Vidar to a speaker, plug in the power cord and turn on both Vidar, if no noise then go to the next step. 3. Power off both Vidar, connect the Bryston BP17 preamp to one of the Schiit Vidar via XLR cable, power up the preamp and both Vidar, if no noise then go to the next step. 4. connect the other Schiit Vidar to the preamp and power up the preamp and both Vidar again, if no noise then go to the next step. 5. plug in the subwoofer, power up the subwoofer, preamp and both Vidar, if no noise then go to the next step. 6. connect the left channel line in of the subwoofer to the preamp line out, power up the subwoofer, preamp and both Vidar again, if no noise then go to the next step. 7. connect the right channel line in of the subwoofer to the preamp line out, power up the subwoofer, preamp and both Vidar again, if no noise then go to the next step. 8. plug in the DAC, power up the system, if no noise then go to the next step. 9. connect the DAC to the preamp line in, power up the system, if no noise then go to the next step. 10. play some music if no buzzing noise then you can connect the AVR, TV.... Hope you can find the culprit, good luck! |
One more thing is a ground lift they sell ground lift adapters for xlr, and rca for there is a differential problem where one component may be wired a certain way another grounding scheme may not be so good if you have a ground lift try on each interconnect cable until it eliminates it guitar center sells things like that or can order them..i spent a week one time going through this ,also your electrician if good can set up a true ground outside 4 ft Copper pipe and for sure Dedicated lines only , 12awg Or 10 awg Copper only no Aluminum,and high quality Copper gold outlets not the junk they wire houses with are garbage .a Pangea Copper around $50 , or other brand, a clear step up .yes it absolutely will add to your fidelity . you may spend $ 500 to get dedicated lines, and the best grounding ,and outlets these are a must to get the most out of your system.any times other things in the house feed off and transmit noise frig,washer,dryer . Dedicated line, to dedicated ground .also A home surge suppressor to circuit breaker 50-80,000 Leviton for around $200 helps safe guard your home .10x better then any power strip. |
If you’re in the U.S., it’s against code to install a second separate grounding rod. Also, having a second grounding rod can cause a voltage differential to develop between the two grounds, actually causing a current to flow on the ground wire.. all connections need to be clean, tight and tied into the same ground as the rest of the system. I agree on the panel based surge suppressor being a good idea. But they are designed to work with a service entrance suppressor and an outlet suppressor you use at the appliance. Surge suppression is supposed to happen in stages, with each stage taking more of the current out of the surge. Sorry, not trying to be argumentative. I just did a lot of research into this when I was deciding on what to do. I'm certainly no expert, but those were at least two things I learned in all my reading! |
toddverrone If you’re in the U.S., it’s against code to install a second separate grounding rod. Also, having a second grounding rod can cause a voltage differential to develop between the two grounds, actually causing a current to flow on the ground wire.. all connections need to be clean, tight and tied into the same ground as the rest of the system.+1 about the grounding, and +1 about all connections being clean and tight. That applies to every connection in the service panel, including the breakers themselves, and the connections between your meter pan and the panel. |
OP’s buzz sound https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_YygM_VDhV9RWlPMEVudjBnb28/view 60Hz hum/buzz sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Sf7rSOU78 The OP’s buzz does not sound like a 60Hz hum sound to me. naseltzer OP @naseltzer, Everything else unplugged? As in all the 120V AC power equipment plugs unplugged from the AC mains power? Especially the plasma TV? Some plasma TVs are notorious for spewing harmonics back out on the AC mains. Other items that spew harmonics back on the mains, as well as radiate in the air are, light dimmers, CFL lights, LED lights, electronic light ballasts, and cheap switch mode power supplies. A few years ago I read a thread on another forum where a guy was having a buzzing sound problem and he tried everything he could think of. It ended up being caused by old refrigerator he was using in the garage. Your buzzing sound sounds likes a higher frequency sound to me. But not quite like 120Hz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC4Uzt0qm2E I thought at first it might be a bad electrolytic cap in the power supply in the power amp. But you have two separate mono amps with their own power supplies. What are the chances both could have a bad cap? As for the test with the sub taking it to another room and checking for the buzz. I think you need to short out the input on the sub for a more accurate test. With the input open ended it will pick up surrounding RFI anywhere near the input. If the sub has a single ended RCA input you can use an RCA interconnect and stuff some tinfoil in one end to short the center pin to the outer shell of the RCA plug. Plug the other end of the interconnect into the RCA jack on the sub. For 120V AC power use a receptacle outlet above a counter top in the kitchen. These are 20 amp circuit receptacle outlets and as a rule there are not that many receptacle outlets on the same of 2 minimum code required kitchen circuits. . |
Dirty power can stink. PS Audio regenerator? BTW: I have a whole house surge due to several hits on the poles and the transformer for the block is in front of my house. Last time the main surge blew, so did my ps audio quintet. The whole house is pretty hefty and kept the bulk of the lighting out but not enough to save the ps audio. It was well worth frying the ps audio to save my system. |
