Can you post a few photos of your setup? That may help to visualize the solution..
Help with power and cable routing issues in an apartment. Help!!
Greetings everyone,
I wanted to get some input from all of you on how to best improve the performance of my system via power treatment (or lack thereof) and cable suggestions. The main problem is that I live in an apartment, so there is no chance of dedicated lines or significant electrical work. I do have a Maestro outlet installed, which is a nice improvement. The voltage from the wall seems to be a pretty consistent 120-123. My system is very simple - turntable>phono preamp>integrated amp>monitor speakers. It's not a big room, and I don't listen too loud. However, my rather limited set-up possibilities are hampering my quest for sonic bliss....
The phone line and cable internet line both run along the floor behind my stereo rack, which is between the speakers. This is by far the most convenient setup due to doors/entryways on the other three walls of the room. Unfortunately, I pick up low level radio signals through the system if the phono cable is within several feet of the phone/cable line. Even when separated by a few feet I get a fair amount of hum. Nearly every product I have owned seems to have a level of hum/transformer noise/tube hiss/etc. that is unusual for the particular product, so some of the problem clearly lies with my power and cabling situation. A few thoughts occur to me, and I'd like to get your input (and further ideas):
1. Move the stereo rack: the only way to move the stereo rack would be to put it along the side wall slightly forward of the left speaker but before the first reflection point. This might help get the stereo away from the noise generated by the phone/cable lines, but I'd still have the typical power problems of apartment life.
2. Shield the phone/cable lines in some way by running them through a metal tube, wrapping them in some type of foil, etc. I don't know whether this would be effective or not.
3. Get a power regenerator. This seems like an expensive option if it doesn't work well, but perhaps I can find one with a trial period or buy one used to see how it works. As my systems is only a 65 watt integrated, I don't need to draw a ton of current. Maybe a PS Audio entry-level would be sufficient?
I would greatly appreciate your suggestions - it's been a source of frustration that my system always seems to have nagging "issues".
Thanks so much,Scott
I wanted to get some input from all of you on how to best improve the performance of my system via power treatment (or lack thereof) and cable suggestions. The main problem is that I live in an apartment, so there is no chance of dedicated lines or significant electrical work. I do have a Maestro outlet installed, which is a nice improvement. The voltage from the wall seems to be a pretty consistent 120-123. My system is very simple - turntable>phono preamp>integrated amp>monitor speakers. It's not a big room, and I don't listen too loud. However, my rather limited set-up possibilities are hampering my quest for sonic bliss....
The phone line and cable internet line both run along the floor behind my stereo rack, which is between the speakers. This is by far the most convenient setup due to doors/entryways on the other three walls of the room. Unfortunately, I pick up low level radio signals through the system if the phono cable is within several feet of the phone/cable line. Even when separated by a few feet I get a fair amount of hum. Nearly every product I have owned seems to have a level of hum/transformer noise/tube hiss/etc. that is unusual for the particular product, so some of the problem clearly lies with my power and cabling situation. A few thoughts occur to me, and I'd like to get your input (and further ideas):
1. Move the stereo rack: the only way to move the stereo rack would be to put it along the side wall slightly forward of the left speaker but before the first reflection point. This might help get the stereo away from the noise generated by the phone/cable lines, but I'd still have the typical power problems of apartment life.
2. Shield the phone/cable lines in some way by running them through a metal tube, wrapping them in some type of foil, etc. I don't know whether this would be effective or not.
3. Get a power regenerator. This seems like an expensive option if it doesn't work well, but perhaps I can find one with a trial period or buy one used to see how it works. As my systems is only a 65 watt integrated, I don't need to draw a ton of current. Maybe a PS Audio entry-level would be sufficient?
I would greatly appreciate your suggestions - it's been a source of frustration that my system always seems to have nagging "issues".
Thanks so much,Scott
8 responses Add your response
I will try to post some photos - never done it before on this site. In any event, after some experimentation moving the stereo rack is not an option as the speaker wires would be too easy to trip on and drag the speakers off the stands. So, the main question is whether wrapping the phone/ internet cable will be effective (and what to use) and whether a power regenerator is worth the expense. Thanks, Scott |
Well, one thing to be sure is to do one thing at a time, and only one thing. the scientific method is your friend. I used to have my equipment on the rack arranged so it looked pretty, and I kept the cables organized by keeping them more or less separate, but also neatly arranged. This led to a hum in my phono preamp as it was too close to the power amp. That was enough motivation to arrange the gear in the proper way for isolation, and I took it to the nth degree when organizing the cables. They don't look very orderly, but no power cable touches a single interconnect or speaker cable, and even the signal cables keep their distance from each other as much as possible. In your case, I would look to isolate the offending phone and cable lines. Is there a wireless option you may use? Such as coax over power line that may allow you to cut the cable short, before it goes near the audio rack, and then reassemble itself further away in another powerline converter? I used this once for a different purpose and it worked well. A similar thing may be possible with the phone line. Hook up a multiple base cordless unit at the early end of the phone cord, or use another jack in the house? If that is not possible, can you run the phone or cable lines under a rug, and redirect them? Can you elevate the audio gear or cables? Perhaps a taller rack? I use some clamps clipped to the back of my rack to help suspend and redirect the cables at different heights. Hope there are some ideas of value here! By the way, you can post a photo anywhere on the web, and add a link here. Good Luck |
Ah, I forgot about the power conditioner. I would start with the basic rerouting cables and such where you don't have to buy anything. Then maybe see if you can demo a conditioner / regenerator with no risk to see if works at all. Music Direct may have a liberal return / demo policy. I believe Audio Advisor has a no questions asked return policy, and carries the PS Audio Power Plant - they sometimes even have demo models. Perhaps you can find a dealer who will give you a short term home demo. Tough to say what would work, I am not an expert. When I was in the market and did the research, I was looking at a PS Audio power plant versus a Shunyata Hydra Talos. I ended up with the Talos. |
Thanks, Mark. Yes, I'll spend some time working on cable routing to see if that calms things down. I did some experimentation by placing the phono amp a far from the phone cable and the integrated amp as possible, but it didn't make a difference with the hum. I'm sort of stuck with the set up as it (the phone/internet cables running behind the rack). However, I'm going to bundle them together as tightly as possible and tack them to the baseboard to at least keep them as far away as possible. The Talos is a conditioner not a regenerator, right? I have a cheap Furman power condition that does make a difference, but it's subtle. I also need to find a better power cord for my integrated, so perhaps something with good shielding will make a difference. Thanks again,Scott |
Yes, the Talos is not a regenerator. I was torn between a PS Audio power plant and the Shunyata Talos. In the end, my research led me to the Talos and to buy a reviewers model of the Talos from a dealer for $1000 off the price from the very helpful people at definitive audio in the south west. I think i found a solution for you: SPIRA-SHIELD® FLEXIBLE CONDUIT http://www.lessemf.com/wiring.html Have a look. Run your phone and cable lines through this, and then tack down to the base board with cable tack down brackets. (http://images.builderdepot.com/GBGARDNERBENDER_1/prodimg/6270516.JPG ) You can probably paint that cable sleeve the color of your baseboard with a rustoleum spray. This solution is very cheap, and you can see how much it achieves before buying a conditioner or regenerator, which you may need, but how nice would it be to kill the hum easily? |