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Troubleshooting 5
Troubleshooting
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Owner’s Reference Dectet Power Center
equipment and next you should follow these easy humbusting tips.
The easiest way to gure out where ground loop problems lie is by the process of elimination. You
need to determine where the hum or buzz is coming from within your system.
If the hum/buzz goes away when you remove the inputs to the power amp, your next step will be to
reconnect the amp and move further down the chain. It is important to do this in the correct order and
take the time to perform the test in a methodical step-by-step manner.
If you have a preamp, or processor that is feeding the power amp, your next step would be to
disconnect all inputs to the preamplier or processor. Once these are disconnected, and the preamp
or processor is connected only to the power amplier, turn the system on and again, listen for hum.
Should the hum now appear, it is a problem with your preamp or processor or their interaction with
the power amp. Before returning the preamp or processor to the manufacturer, try a cheater plug to
break a ground loop. Cheater plugs are simple devices that convert a three prong AC plug into a two
prong AC plug and in the act of converting three prongs, to two prongs, they disconnect the ground
from the wall socket. Try one of these on the preamp, or the power amp, or both.
If you determine that there is still no hum present when the preamp, processor or receiver is connected
with no inputs, then selectively begin plugging in your various inputs one at a time. After each
connection, check for hum until you discover the humming culprit. Use the same method described
above to remove the ground on the offending piece of kit.
VCR’s, surround processors, and any device that is connected to a television cable or satellite dish
can cause a loud buzz and should always be suspect. If, by the process of elimination described
above, you determine it is a component like a VCR that is causing the hum/buzz to occur, and using
a cheater plug or removing the ground pin on a PS xStream Power Cable doesn’t help matters, it may
be necessary to isolate the cable connection (CATV) with an isolation transformer. This inexpensive
device is available at most Wal Mart, Radio Shack or department store type outlets and is sometimes
called a ‘matching transformer’. If you have problems nding one, call your local cable TV company
for advice. The matching transformer will be placed between the cable TV cord and the VCR, TV or
processor.
Just remember, take the system down to its simplest level of connection. Find a way to hook the
system up with as many pieces of the system missing or not connected. Keep it simple and get it
to the point where the hum’s gone. Then start adding back components one at a time until the hum
returns.
Finding the problem is 9/10th of the work in nding a solution.
It could be the
cable TV
Ground loops
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