Quote:
Originally Posted by drfruit
Would it not be better for those affected to start a separate thread about the hum/buzz problem in 606's?
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You might be right, drfruit.
There's a lot of confusion around this problem, largely because that's the nature of internet chat boards:-) But also because there actually seem to be two separate problems. They may well be related, but as far as I can tell they're not the same thing. The other factor that complicates things is that not every 606 is affected. Some people get no buzz, others get more than they can handle, and certainly more than they'd like.
Buzz problem 1: The Dynamic EQ/Dolby digital problem, ie, if you turn on Dynamic EQ while running a Dolby digital source your speakers will start to buzz. This is the problem I've been tracking with help from Chris from Audyssey. It can only happen if you've done an Audyssey 2EQ set up because only then will Dynamic EQ come into play (I'm not sure if it's enabled by default once you've done the Audyssey set up - I think not). It happens either with HDMI or optical audio connections - it's not just a HDMI problem - but it only happens with Dolby digital sources. PCM sources produce no buzz. The solution is simple: turn off Dynamic EQ. The only problem is, Dynamic EQ is a great feature, especially at lower listening volumes.
According to Chris, this is definitely not an Audyssey problem - it's a problem with Onkyo's hardware. He contacted Onkyo Japan about it and they were able to reproduce it. They also promised a fix, most likely a hardware fix. But it doesn't seem like details of this fix have been communicated to Onkyo US yet, or other worldwide dealers, because, so far, nobody has reported their unit being fixed. I thought huxrules was going to be the first, but his 606 came back "fixed" and it still buzzes.
Chris has been incredibly helpful trying to get this issue fixed. Onkyo, on the other hand, haven't been helpful at all. Both Cal1981 and I have tried to contact Onkyo USA's Product Manager for the 606 but he simply hasn't answered any emails. If you want his details and want to try for yourself, just PM me.
I'm still hopeful that a fix is in the works. We just have to wait for it to filter through to Onkyo's service departments.
Buzz problem 2: the HDMI buzz issue. This appears to affect PS3 owners mostly, but there have also been reports that it affects DVD players and cable boxes with HDMI audio connections. The problem here is buzz, buzz, buzz, all the time. As far as I can tell it has nothing to do with the source (Dolby or PCM) or whether or not Dynamic EQ is enabled.
Onkyo supposedly have a hardware fix available for this issue. Old Deuteronomy posted a link to the Onkyo service document
here. Direct link (to ImageShack) is
here.
Again, we have to wait and see what this actually fixes.