reciever troubles.

[Colonel Sanders]

I have my PC connected to my reciever using a 1/8mini-stereo to L/R RCA splitter, then an extension cable (using a pair of in-line RCA female-female, 1 per channel, then a regular RCA audio cable).

I have tried 2 different inputs on my amp, both times whichever set the PC is hooked to I will hear a humming in the back-ground and all the others will be silent when they should be :).

I have the PC and amp on different outlets(same circuit).

the amp is an RCA STAV-4090, I had a RCA STAV-3990 in here and I could use the PC without the background noise.

Any ideas?

TIA, Logan

[TwoRails]

Hi Colonel Sanders,

I'd first double, triple check that it's plugged into the right output on the sound card. Then the same for the inut on the amp. Then, I'd get rid of that mess of wires, and just use a mini-jack to RCA stereo cable.

HTH

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

Well, the problem is I have a Y-splitter but my reciever is a long distance away from my PC, so I added the additional parts(in-line female-female adaptor)so I could use a regular audio cable for an estension.

Moving the amp/PC closer togother would be very difficult.

Logan

[TwoRails]

I used to make all my own audio cables... but don't know if you can still get the buld wire at Radio Shack or not...

Are all of the cables being used shieded?? Are the metal parts of the RCAs touching?

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

I don't know how to tell if the cables are shielded, but I doubt they are since they are about the cheapest I could get(simply because there are not a whole lot of stereo stores around here :( )

Logan

[TwoRails]

It's hard to tell, but those look like they should be shielded..... What about the wires going to those adapters? Unshielded wiring (like normal speaker wire is unshielded) will pick up a lot of hum, buzz, noise and or static.

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

The speaker wire is 18guage non shielded. This is the same wire I have used for both amps in the house, and with the other amp in my room and all the same wireing, there was no hum being picked up.

My amp has connectors for either banana plugs or bare wire, but all my speakers have spring clips, so I have simply used bare wire.

Logan

[Xayd]

What sound card?

[TwoRails]

Sorry I wasn't more clear, Colonel Sanders.... I was just using speaker wire as an example. Normal house stereo speaker wires do not need to be shielded.

The critical wire(s) are from the sound card TO the amp: those DO need to be shielded, or you'll, most likely, pick up interference (hum, etc.) because the signal strength is so small.

I still suspect the wires. Just for test purposes, can you move the amp closer? I know it's a pain, but it would only be temporary. If the noise goes away, it's the wires, if not.....

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

Originally posted by Xayd
What sound card?

I'm using my on-board sound which happens to Sound-Blaster PCI 128(not VIA AC-97 :D )

I'll see about moving the amp closer(you have no idea just how much of a pain that will be, but I will try for the sake of hopefully getting good sounds :) ).

Logan

[Colonel Sanders]

I'm beginning to supsect the Y-cable.

If I move the Y-cable, the humm is effected.

I tired with a head-phone extension(really long 1/8mini-stereo to 1/8mini-stereo). It had PC-extension-Ycable-amp, and the humm was far worse, but I do think the extension is a fairly high quality. So, I think moving the Y-cable closer to the amp could have caused the poorer quality.

Does any of that make sense?

I think Monster Cables are pretty high quality, I might look into ordering a new Y-cable?

***edit***

I'm now quite certain the Y-cable is the problem, I have my head-phones hooked directly to the PC with no back-ground (I cant hear my fan! :confused: )

I would like to try to be cheap with a new Y-Cable, any good brands that anyone could recomend?

Logan

[TwoRails]

Hi Colonel Sanders

Just checking semantics, when you say "Y" cable, you're just referring to a cable with a Stereo, single plug on one end, and then just branching out to two single channels, eh?? (I ask because I'm use to a "Y" refering to one single channel branching out to two ends...)

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

Yeah, that's what I'm referring to as the Y-cable, I thought that was what you called it earlier.

Logan

[TwoRails]

Just making sure we're on the same page :D

As far as moving the amp, I bet I have a good understanding of the hassle it is, as I think I'd rather go to the Dentist before I had to move mine!!! LOL !

Monster Cables are nice, but...... Did you look into your local Radio Shack to see if they still carry bulk shielded wire?

How long of distance is it, anyway, to the amp??

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

I think the nearest Radio Shack will be at leat a 30mile drive, the better stocked will be 70miles. I might check the less likely tomorrow.

The distance is about 4ft. My splitter is only about 1.5 feet long.

Logan

[TwoRails]

Wow... That's a drag them being so far away!! I don't feel so bad now, out in my little boonie area :D We have only one mall in the whole county, but I'm right next to it!!

Only 4ft., eh? That's probably about a 12ft wire run?? (or are you meaning a 4ft wire run?... just trying to be clear :) ) Don't know if they have anything that long, with custom making it... Maybe try their Web site to see if they carry it?

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

Originally posted by TwoRails
Wow... That's a drag them being so far away!! I don't feel so bad now, out in my little boonie area :D We have only one mall in the whole county, but I'm right next to it!!


Thats why I call my location the middle of nowhere. Really the only thing I miss are "health food" places(McDonals, Taco Bell, etc).

Originally posted by TwoRails
Only 4ft., eh? That's probably about a 12ft wire run?? (or are you meaning a 4ft wire run?... just trying to be clear :) ) Don't know if they have anything that long, with custom making it... Maybe try their Web site to see if they carry it?

TwoRails

a 12 foot wire run? I'm confused. The reciever is located about 4 feet away from my PC.

Logan

[Xayd]

Originally posted by Colonel Sanders
I'm using my on-board sound which happens to Sound-Blaster PCI 128(not VIA AC-97 :D )



If it's the on-board sound from a Via mobo, regardless of the sound chip it is, that is likely your problem ;). The sound issues with Via motherboards are widespread and well-documented.

I have an Epox 8KTA3 which gives the exact results you describe when taking an input from a digital cable box.

[TwoRails]

Originally posted by Colonel Sanders
a 12 foot wire run? I'm confused. The reciever is located about 4 feet away from my PC.

Sorry.... Depending where your computer is located, you'll have a 1 - 3ft wire drop to the floor. Then you have the 4 - 8ft wire run along the walls and on the floor to "hide" (if possible) the wires. Then you have a good 3 - 4ft wire run up the wall to the back of the amp.... OK, maybe more than 12ft.

That's what I was thinking, anyway. Unless the computer and amp are on the same shelf.

-- wait... hold on... ---

OK, 8 minutes later and I'm back :) Just for $hits-n-giggles, I measured the distances from my computer and the amp in the office:

As the crow flies: my amp is 5' 1" away from my computer.

To actually run a wire between the two, I'd need 2 + 6.5 + 5.5 + 2.5 feet of wire (to the closest 1/2 foot) to reach the two.

That's about 16.5 feet of wire. That's down from the computer, along the desk, then along the wall, then up the wall to the amp.

TwoRails

[Colonel Sanders]

Originally posted by Xayd
If it's the on-board sound from a Via mobo, regardless of the sound chip it is, that is likely your problem ;). The sound issues with Via motherboards are widespread and well-documented.

I have an Epox 8KTA3 which gives the exact results you describe when taking an input from a digital cable box.

I suspected the same, however, I tried this cable out on my Dad's ancinet PC with a soundcard(don't know how good) and got the same if not worse results.

As I mentioned before, I connected my headphones (Sony MDR-V600, pretty nice by my standards) directly to the back of the PC and couldn't hear any unwanted hum.

Logan

[gbirke]

You say you have them in different AC outlets. Try plugging them into the same outlet. If one of the outlets is wired incorrectly it could cause your problem.

[Colonel Sanders]

Originally posted by gbirke
You say you have them in different AC outlets. Try plugging them into the same outlet. If one of the outlets is wired incorrectly it could cause your problem.

But the reciever is getting a clean signal for every other source, and my PC is putting out a fairly clean source.

Logan