SB Inspire 5300 5.1: Hum Problems...
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Thread: SB Inspire 5300 5.1: Hum Problems...

  1. #1
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    SB Inspire 5300 5.1: Hum Problems...

    Hi!

    I had just moved in to my (old) house from my 3-year-old house. The problem is I plugged in my outlet and to my sub, (since I have everything hooked up and my computer) 2 of my front speakers sound a hum. Sometimes, one speaker had increased the hum, and the other does the "heartbeat" sound.

    When I mean a "heartbeat", here's my sequence:

    • While my left speaker goes from slow to fast:
    • My left speaker pop, then the hum is loud, pop, then the hum is quiet, then repeats the whole thing again.


    I'd tried hard to fiddle with my plug to the sub (but not the outlet). And that's driving me nerves.

    It didn't appen before I move from home to home.
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  2. #2
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    Double check the wiring to make sure they are hooked up right, maybe got one crossed.

    Are the speakers near another electrical source, try moving them. Sound like maybe the wires are crossed or not connected right, or loose.

    Having the speakers near another electrical source can cause this.

    You say "Front Speakers", do you have more then two speakers? If surrond Sound, make sure that is enabled in the mixer program of your sound card.

    Also since you moved the PC, the Sound Card itself may have jarred loose.
    Please do not use "PM" for personal help, post in forum so everybody can learn

  3. #3
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    Every connecters are connected very well, but I've got more info

    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Originally posted by Murf
    >Double check the wiring to make sure they are hooked up right, maybe got one crossed.

    Everything is hooked up well.

    >Are the speakers near another electrical source, try moving them.
    >Sound like maybe the wires are crossed or not connected right, or loose.[/b]

    Speakers, including sub, are not close to electrical source. All 5 speakers are magnetically-sheilded, including sub, and all 5 speakers are connected properly to my sub, then sub to my computer.

    >You say "Front Speakers", do you have more then two speakers?
    >If surrond Sound, make sure that is enabled in the mixer program of your sound card.


    I have surround sound. The problem is not the Sound Blaster Extigy.

    ...I think it could be the 2 jacks in my sub that causes hum.

    >Also since you moved the PC, the Sound Card itself may have jarred loose.

    It's not my sound card (Sound Blaster Extigy), it's only my speakers.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Ummm... this could be a AC jack in the back of my sub. I've tried to fiddle with my plug to the sub's AC jack.

    I've tried each of the 5 speakers, and then connect each of the speakers (2 at a time), and hook up to "Front Speaker" jack. Then I test the rest of the Creative Labs speakers, only connected to "Front Speaker" jack.

    Whew......

    Well, I have:

    • Front Left Speaker -> Front Left Jack
    • Front Right Speaker -> Front Right Jack
    • Center Speaker -> Center Speaker*
    • Rear Left Speaker -> Rear Left Jack*
    • Rear Right Speaker -> Rear Right Jack*


    *Other 3 jacks do not cause hum.
    ------------------------------------------------

    By the way, I think that the hum is not like the ones I heard like in the recording studio or any other problems, but somehow, hums get louder, hums get softer, sometimes 2 speakers just pop and made the hum go away, but sometimes hum just come back. Fiddling with the AC plug to the sub isn't gonna work. Sometimes, the hum is softer in my left speaker but louder in my right speaker. In the rest of my time, the hum stays the same.
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  4. #4
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    Appears that you have trouble shooted hardware and eliminated it.

    "I've tried each of the 5 speakers, and then connect each of the speakers (2 at a time), and hook up to "Front Speaker" jack. Then I test the rest of the Creative Labs speakers, only connected to "Front Speaker" jack."

    If there is no HUM, then I would suspect the SUB (Turn the volume down on the SUB and se if that helps)

    The front speaker jacks only cause the HUM? As you said the other 3 did not? Then could be a loose connection on the front speaker jacks or the speaker wire is the problem.

    Switch speaker wires and try the front....
    Please do not use "PM" for personal help, post in forum so everybody can learn

  5. #5
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    The hum does not come from the sub, and all the connectors in the back of my sub is not loose.

    I've tried hooked up the center and hook up to front speaker jack (and the center channel sound a hum), then the last 2 speakers connected to the front speaker jack (and the surround channel sound a hum). But when I plugged in my center speaker to center jack, and surround channel to a Rear Left and Rear Right jack, no hum is there.

    And, I get no sound from the SoundBlaster Extigy or any other sound sources.
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  6. #6
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    Ohhhhhh...

    Wait a minute...

    Everytime I plug in my subwoofer to the outlet, if I plug in the AC jack to the sub, it cracks just like in the electrical outlet.

    (I know it is dangerous!!)
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  7. #7
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    Angry ......!!!?

    Noe what!?

    My subwoofer is hot when I left my AC plug to my sub.

    Didn't happen before I move to a old (but not new) house.
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  8. #8
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    Hello,

    I have the same speakers you have - they're great but not in this case it seems.

    Things to check: Swap the front speakers with the rear speakers (just the connections at the sub, leave the actual speakers where they are). Do you then get the humming crackling and popping from the rear speakers, or is it still from the front speakers?

    If the humming etc. is now in the rear speakers, I'd say you have a problem with the subwoofer / amplifier itself. Still covered by warranty? I hope so

    If the humming is still coming from the front speakers - then, either your front speakers are shot, or they are picking up interference between the sub and the speaker. Try relocating the speakers and see if you still get the noise.

    Since the speakers worked fine before the move, I'm reluctant to say they speakers or amp itself is damaged - might also want to try the speakers in a different outlet and see hwat happens.

    Good luck

  9. #9
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    I did swap the speaker wire before you post.

    So, if I swap from rear to the front (I thought I'd mentioned above), I get humming from the back speaker.

    ...!?

    Man, this is insane! I have all my computer stuff in the box before the move. But how in the world could the sub or the sub's amp got damaged during the moving process? I am talking about when I am moving from the house to another house, but maybe it could be the electrical problem...does it? I've never saw a spark between a sub and AC plug before since my PC had moved. Yet my house is fairly old. I went into a house in 1993 since it's new. Then my family moved to a new house that was built in the year of 1999, but since my mom can't spend a lot of money in payments every month, I made a transition of my stuff to move to my old house (as of June 24, 2002).
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  10. #10
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    If you swapped the speaker connections at the sub/amp and the rear speakers are now humming, it's definitely the amp, I'm thinking.

    One more question - have you tried turning on the speakers without actually having them connected to anything else? I mean, not connected to your computer? Do they still hum? Forgive me if you already said so and I missed it above

    I have a shelf stereo system that's like this - I've had it for - let's see - something like 8 years. Up until a month or two ago it was fine, now it makes a loud buzzing noise as long as the power's on. It's not dead yet, but it's not quite right anymore either.

    Have you tried the speakers in a different outlet yet? Different room?

    Looks like it's the amplifier that's gone south though I'm afraid

  11. #11
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    I still hear a hum without connecting to my computer, and I tried the SB Inspire in a different outlet, but not in a different room, but I may believe that it may sound a hum (only to those speakers connected to the front speaker jack.
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  12. #12
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    Well, if trying it in a different room doesn't help, sounds like your amplifier is dead in the water

  13. #13
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    ...!?



    What do you mean the amp is dead in the water?

    When I have the sub plugged, the light in the wired remote (that has a volume) was lit, but when I turn the volume to off, the light is off but the speaker still hums. Well, I may have to replace my speakers.
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  14. #14
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    Huh?

    You're saying that even with the power to the amp turned off, the speakers are still humming?



    That means that either the speakers are picking up some mean interference, or there's a problem with your amplifier. If it's not turned on, you shouldn't get ANY sound out of your speakers.

    Have you tried plugging the amp and speakers into an outlet in a different room or a different part of the house?

    I'm not an electrician, so if that doesn't work, I'm out of ideas

  15. #15
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    Okay. Then that means I will have to get all of my speakers including my sub replaced. Thanks for your help.

    And, I understand that you're not an electrician.
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