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Posts: 103
Joined: Mar. 15 2005
From: Toronto, Canada
Home Stereo Question
I have been using my computer as an MP3 player for my home stereo system for a long time. The problem I have is the buzz I hear when I turn up the volume slightly. I don't have the buzz problem when my CD player is fed into the amplifier, no matter how high the volume is turned up. I have tried expensive low noise cables between the sound card of the computer and the amp and even an external USB sound card (Edirol UA-1A), but I still can not get rid of this damn buzz. Can someone please suggest a solution? Would a better external sound card do the job? Is there any adjustments I could do on Windows to resolve this? Thanks in advance!
Ramin
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What we are today comes from out thoughts of yesterday and our present thoughts build our life tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. -Buddha
Try a different power outlet, one that is on a different switch (cicuit breaker), use an extension chord if you have to. Sometimes when you have a certain set up with lights etc, there can be buzzing caused by the cycles.
Thanks Ricardo, I will try that. That makes sense!
Anthony, As I noted, I don't have the same problem when my CD player is directly attached to the amp, which is a Yamaha Home Theatre Receiver (HTR5920S), if I'm not mistaken. Without the computer, I don't hear the slightest buzz even when I turn up the volume to the max.
Ramin
_____________________________
What we are today comes from out thoughts of yesterday and our present thoughts build our life tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. -Buddha
Sounds like its a computer or computer connection issue.
What input do you use on the back of the amplifier? It might not be able to handle the frequency range or something about the signal if it is not a digital jack.
You might check with a good stereo store near you, maybe ask someone who seems informed.
if you haven't tried already, I'd check if playing a CD on the pc's cdrom produces the buzz as well while your computer is connected to the amp - just to see if it's only mp3's giving you this problem
Ramin, It sounds like classic "ground loop" problem. Basically it's caused by the fact that your computer's audio ground is the same as the power ground.. (ie connected to the metal case). Your stereo also has the same setup. (ie the audio ground is the same as the power, or case ground)
Now, your audio ground is connected to your stereo via the outer braid of your audio cable....but it's ALSO connected via the ground pin on both pieces of equipment!
So you have a dual ground path.
You can change all the leads you want, but the problem will still remain.
To cure it BOTH pieces of equipment need to be at the same ground potential.
This involves removing the ground connection from one or the other and connecting the cases of both pieces of equipment with a piece of wire.
Usually audio is grounded at the output amplifier stage, so that would mean removing the ground connection of the computer, so that both pieces of equipment are grounded at the same point.
NOW TAKE HEED!
It is not considered wise to remove ground connections from grounded (3 wire) equipment because of potential shock hazard.
The "proper" way of doing it would be to spend a few hundred dollars on optically isolated or at least "balanced" (3-wire X connector) audio peripherals.
Anyway, you guys only use 110 Volts over there or something? That's just a tickle... not a proper shock...
Here in Europe it's 240 Volts. No wimpy stuff here...proper lethal electricity!
A proper "man size" macho voltage for "Real" men.
cheers
Ron
_____________________________
A good guitar might be a good guitar But it takes a woman to break your heart
Ground loops are a pain you know where! I know you are joking about the voltage, as it is the current that will kill you. Now we do have 220 VAC over here for larger appliances and 440 VAC for industrial purposes, and even higher input voltages like 10 KV and up.
In the good old days they had two prong AC connectors. If there was a ground loop you reversed one of the two pieces of equipment to cancel the phase of the offending ground loop. The two prong connectors of today have one prong larger than the other and are said to be “polarized”, so you are stuck as you cannot reverse either of the plugs.
As you suggested you have to tie the chassis together if possible although I have seen some serious problems when the hot or return leg is miss wired on an AC outlet (this I have seen too many times). That could be lethal! Then you have to lift the ground from one appliance so you have only one ground path.
To resolve these types of problems can be straightforward or extremely complex. I think that I could write a book about the fun I have had with grounds. Some of the experiences were hilarious and some were lethal.
One such experience was a “ground” which was about 20 KV at several hundred amps at a United States Air Force Radar Site. Whenever they attached test and measurement equipment to the device it would blow up a few hundred thousand dollars worth of equipment. All because some one wired the hot lead to the ground on the equipment rack!
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