Humming in one active monitor

[Ojustaboo]

Hi all

I have a couple of wharfedale active monitors that I use for both my gaming and my music hobby.

If I set the volume on them at anything past a quarter, the one on the right is 80% fine the one on the left, buzzes if anything is plugged into it.

I say 80% for the right, if I turn the volume 1/2 way there's a slight buzzing, if I turn it full, there's a louder buzzing but if I turn the left one up just half volume, the buzzing is 3 times louder than when the rights on full. In other words, the left buzzes really really loudly and there's a quiet buzzing from the right that isn't really a problem.

They are both completely independent of each other.

If I unplug any input from the back of the monitor, it doesn't buzz at all, but any input, whether I plug my digital piano in directly to the monitor, or plug my PC external sound card in, it's the same, the second somethings plugged in I get a very loud buzz.

To get around this I have both speaker volumes set to less than a quarter and my sound card (I say sound card, a Saffire Pro 24 audio interface) volume knob set to about 95%. This way I can get a reasonable volume buzz free (but not as loud as I would really like)

I have looked on the web and many sites point to ground loops of the equipment causing the buzzing. But the thing is, the right monitor is completely buzz free. I've tried swapping the right power cord with the left power cord (keeping the plugs in the same wall socket), again left buzzes right doesn't. I can plug my piano into my right monitor, virtually zero buzz, I plug the same cable into my left monitor and extremely loud buzzing.

I haven't yet tried taking it to bits, I wondered if anyone had any experience on what to look for?

They aren't made any more I don't think, there's a pic of both front and back in this review
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/wharfedale-pro-diamond-8.1-pro-active

Many thanks

 

[Harald Kapp]

You can try a hum eliminator. Not exactly an inexpensive solution

I strongly advice not to use one of those 3 prong to 2 prong adapters. These work by interrupting the protective earth connection. This can have lethal consequences.

 

[Ojustaboo]

Thanks

ts weird it only does it on one monitor though. If I swapped the monitors over (so that each monitor is using the others mains lead and audio input) and the buzzing didn't swap, I would say it's a lead, but when just the same physical monitor buzzes and the other doesn't I find it very odd.

On further investigation it does look like a ground loop (but again what I just said above mystifies me)

I unplug my firewire going from my PC to Audio interface and no buzzing.

I replace firewire cable, buzzing back.

I power the PC down, buzzing still there but not nearly as loud. I unplug firewire cable, buzzing goes. I replug firewire cable, buzzings back.

After a lot of trial and error, with firewire connected, if I unplug mains lead and both of my PC monitors (not the audio monitors) the buzzing completely goes, I plug any of those three leads back in and the buzzing returns.

I've tried putting all three of them into the same multi socket, no difference.

Don't worry, I'm not going to cut the earth

 

[Ojustaboo]

I've ordered new balanced cables to see if that helps.

If that doesn't, I'm going to do as advised but get this one so I can use my XLR to TRS cables

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/art...MI-LrJmICP1gIVR5UbCh37KgzYEAkYAyABEgJIHPD_BwE

 

[Ojustaboo]

Yay, it was my old cables.

New balanced cables and zero buzz