Help! My speaker is now a Radio!

[angela]

ok, all your troubleshooting gearheads.... get out your thinkin' caps -

I need some help troubleshooting my new set up, please. :dunno:


Classe CA300 – driving front speakers
ADCOM GFA750 driving the center and surrounds
EAD TM8000 – new gear
Sony DVP 9000ES DVD/CD player
Innersound ISIS front speakers


I got the new EAD and connected it up just as it states, very simple. The outputs go to two amps and one digital cable between the EAD and the Sony.


It has balanced outputs for the front speakers, so they give you balanced/RCA adaptors to plug into the EAD first, and then plug the RCA IC’s into them.


I connect the IC’s and digital cable.


I turn on the amp and the left ISIS is humming slightly. I turn on the EAD and the left ISIS is a radio and what’s worse it is picking up this real asshole talk radio guy whose program and attitude I just detest :uzi:

I turn off the EAD, 15 seconds and it clicks, the radio goes away and the speaker just hums. I turn off the Classe and the humming stops (duh)


I switch the IC’s at the adaptors to see if it follows the cable and switches speaker.


I turn on the Classe and the right ISIS is humming. I turn on the EAD and the right ISIS is now a radio – same station (rats).


I turn off the EAD, 15 seconds and it clicks, the radio goes away and the speaker just hums. I turn off the Classe and the humming stops (duh)


I switch the cables at the Classe end and it moves back to the left speaker.


I switch the adaptor plugs, no change.


I change the IC out and try a new one, no change.


I move the left channel (IC and speaker cable) from the Classe over the ADCOM and the problem went away.


There seems to be something about the EAD left channel and the Classe left channel that are causing the speaker to be a radio.


The Classe is behind the speakers and the ADCOM and EAD are to the right in a rack.


Now what?


Sitting here scratchin’ her head -

angela

[Walt]

You got some sort of ground loop going on there, with your i/c's acting as a antenna ... but gee I found it kinda hard to follow your troubleshoot, maybe one of the others can help rectify ... :)

[angela]

Walt - Marry me and have my children!:yippy:

when you said ground loop, I went in search of a new outlet on a different circuit. After 2 tries, I found one and the PROBLEM IS GONE! Of course, I am running an extension cord that I don't want to do, but at least for now - CASE CLOSED.
YOU DA MAN:boink: :boink: :boink: :boink:

angela

[Walt]

You'll need to send a photo first, and then maybe suggest something I can tell my wife?? :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Glad I could be of help (limited as it was).

The site below should tell you more about it.

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/index.html

[angela]

hey, telling the wife is the EASY part, I wanted to hear how YOU were going to have the kids??!?!?!?


:lmao: :yippy: :lmao:



angela

[Walt]

angela - you got mail ...

As for kids, I got a heap of 'em already (2 with one more coming), so any more and I'll be broke!:(

I'll have to sell my gear so they can eat! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[GeniX]

I'll have to sell my gear so they can eat

$10 for your JBLs... final offer :D

[Walt]

Uh, OK the penny just dropped ... :o

Yep without some serious surgery ain't no way I can have kids, although my wife sometimes says I look more pregnant than her (kidding!) ... :D

[angela]

the PROBLEM is NOT gone. I still have radio but do NOT have the hum. Walt, I rescind my marriage proposal. My condolences to your wife :lmao:

I tested out all my outlets today and traced them to the circuits.
It's wierd. All the outlets in the living room/listening room are pinging two circuits at once. Is that normal?
anyway, any ideas on how I can supressed the RFI?
angela

[bigmacc]

RFI I got to be careful here people will start thinking l'm into highend cables etc.

An electrician l work with believes for anyone serious about audio should run a couple of dedicated lines for that purpose.Not only to prevent blown fuses but to address the problems mentioned. I've heard of pricey power conditioners but they can cost as much as a decent vintage set-up.

[Kamakiri]

If that were the case, a simple isolation transformer would eliminate the need for extension cords, wouldn't it?

[angela]

I'm in a condo, so "dedicated line running" is out. I am going to unplug everything from everything this morning and start connecting things one by one and see where the radio part comes in.
I'll keep you posted.

angela
<knows just enough to be dangerous>

[grumpy]

Hey that Ahole talk guy wouldnt happen to be Tom Lycos would it...I love that guy LoL........Sorry I dumb as a door know when it comes to lectrical problems.

Dave

[angela]

The adaptor that EAD sends to connect RCA IC's to the EAD on the front channel (EAD has balanced inputs only on front channel) is NOT shielded! If I wrap aluminum foil around the adaptor, the problem goes away! :grnbounce

I am talking with them about either sending me some shielded adaptors or some balanced IC's (it is also TARA labs now, so they have all this at the ready)


By the way, Roger Sanders (Innersound) walked me through the steps this morning, where I was connecting one thing at a time and then asked me to put the aluminum foil on the adaptor.



I am SO glad this is so easy to remedy and I found the real problem!


:yippy:

Cheers,

Angela

[bully]

Ah, don't we all just love this high technology era we live in!
Aluminum foil! LOL, I almost hurt myself!

:D
Would love to hear your setup, Angela. I'd seen the Innersound gear before, but hadn't paid much attention. The Isis looks sweet.

pete