Unwanted speaker noise. Humming or Buzz sound.

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Unwanted speaker noise. Humming or Buzz sound.

benny

79 posts

Master Geek

#98696 4-Mar-2012 17:29

Hi,

Just this morning a humming or buzz sound has started coming out of my speakers.
They're Klipsch floor standing speakers, connected to a Yamaha receiver. I've unplugged everything and reconnected things back up, which hasn't had an effect.
It happens on all connections HDMI, RCA, FM Tuner etc.

Any ideas what could be wrong or what I can try out to fix or isolate the problem?
Below is a sound clip of the noise it's making.
http://youtu.be/0npsMXv6Y4c

Thanks in advance.

BarBader

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#590234 4-Mar-2012 17:43

I have heard this noise before and it always points to the AMP.

There is a slim chance you are getting "dirty" power from the grid. I notice this in winter especially around dinner time when everyone is turning on their ovens and heaters. If the problem is gone tomorrow this could have been the problem.

There is also a slim chance a connection inside the amp has become dirty and cleaning it could fix the problem. This might require a visit to a certified service tech if it is beyond your experience.

The internal components of amps do sometimes have a set lifespan before this happens.

A common cause if often dust that coats the circuit boards. This acts as an insulator and prevents heat release that a lot of components rely on... like resistors. As a result this artificially ages the amp before its time.

It may be too late for a cleaning to fix it, but it could still be an internal connection.

cheers

dontpanic42

1574 posts

Uber Geek

#590306 4-Mar-2012 22:07

It sounds like a very dirty version of 50Hz hum.
It's unlikely that your cabling has been shifted at all, but it may pay to check.
Speaker cable running parallel to any main leads might have an effect.
If at all possible, run your speaker cabling away from the mains. If it does have to cross over any mains cabling, try to make it cross over perpendicular to the mains cable.

In saying that, if it has only just started, it suggests something wrong with the power supply.
Like Barbader suggested above, it could be that you are now getting "dirtier" power than you were before.
This could either be from the mains supply itself, or it could well be coming from the mains power transformer inside the Yamaha receiver itself.
i.e. the windings inside the Yamaha power transformer might be degrading somewhat.

The only way to check would be to somehow acquire the use of a power conditioner. Put the power conditioner in between the mains and the receiver and see if that fixes the noise.
They are hellishly expensive, but you might be able to borrow one from a high end AV/Hi-Fi store.
Alternatively, it might just be easier (and cheaper) to take your receiver to a friend's house somewhere in a different part of town and test it there.

Before trying with a power conditioner, simply try different plugs around the house. It could just be a faulty power point with loose connections, enough to create that 50Hz hum noise.

If a power conditioner and/or taking it to a friend's house doesn't fix the noise issue, it would suggest that the problem is inside the receiver unit itself. Which means, you would either have to return under warranty, or take it to a technician for repair (if not under warranty).

HTH :)

benny

79 posts

Master Geek

#590309 4-Mar-2012 22:21

Thanks for the responses.

After having another play around with all the connections it seems to have been the 3.5mm connector from my Apply Airplay to my receiver causing the problem. The cat had gotten in and had a tinker with it.

Glad to have got rid of the very annoying hum.