Marantz AV7005 - Page 296

^^^

"cable" vs "satellite" does not matter in the context of this discussion....

Despite what the advertisements may say, these isolation transformers should work for both sat as well as cable; at least I'm pretty sure. There is, however, a possibility that it is important to buy one which states it has the bandwidth necessary for sat., so it doesn't cause a signal degrading "insertion loss", and that's why some warn they shouldn't be used with sat.. I will attempt to research this for you and will report back, but I have a lot on my plate today, so it may not be for 24 hrs or so.


Researching matters that relate to wires and cables is challenging for even the best of us, because their industry is overflowing with scumbag, corrupt, evil, low life, snake-oil-peddling, con artists making MONSTERous (misspelled on purpose) profit margins by dispensing lies and propaganda. The crooks outnumber the honest retailers/companies by I'd say 10-to-1, I kid you not! Others here are welcome to run with it in my absence and beat me to it. That's fine, please do folks, but I'd hope to also see provided external links to document any claims made, otherwise I'll only consider them to be anecdotes that need further research for verification.
Edited by m. zillch - 12/8/12 at 8:23am

Agreed, with the possible proviso I just mentioned.

Also, without having to buy anything, simply hooking up the entire system and testing to see if the noise disappears by disconnecting ALL the incoming sat and OTA antennas from ALL parts of one's system (might the TV or an old VCR, still have its own connection, I wonder?) is the 30 second test that will determine if this is the problem.

I can hear it now, "But I'm not using the VCR so it doesn't matter". Yes, it does. ANYTHING connected to that system, even turned off, or share's the same room's AC circuit breaker, is suspect.
Edited by m. zillch - 12/8/12 at 8:30am

I have done all of the unhooking and hooking up with my gear, with the exception of not disconnecting the sat wires from other DVRs in the house. This would be easy enough to do by disconnecting the wires as they enter the house before the grounding block, correct?

Otherwise, all of my trouble shooting revealed the following (mentioned befoe, repeating here)

Preamp connected to amp via XLR and both plugged into the wall, amp connected to speakers, subwoofer NOT connected to the preamp nor plugged into the wall = no buzz.

Connect the preamp to the TV (not plugged into the wall outlet) via HDMI = no buzz.

Plug the tV into the wall = BUZZ.

Connect the same HDMI cable to another 32" LCD HDTV on another outlet + circuit and the buzz is still there, but not as loud.

The buzz is NOT coming from the TV set, it is coming from my loudspeakers connected to the amp.



I will be hooking up the new Marantz 705 today or tomorrow.......

So, that Viewsonic Isolator linked in the previous page DOES work with DirecTv?

No. DirecTV needs splitters and such that are rated for 2100 MHz. The Viewsonic states 860 MHz. And often there needs to be a DC connection between the DVR and the dish, which the Viewsonics will block.

I've always wondered when someone would make an isolator for HDMI to break the direct connection. An earlier post mentioned the JustSling device. It is meant for wireless HDMI connectivity, but there is no reason it could not be used when no other remedy exists. I use a similar device from IOGEAR so I can access a DVR in another room when no one else is there. Not a cheap solution, but there it is.

Try this simple, 30-second test before worrying about what the solution is. Hook everything up the way you want it to work, turn up the volume so you clearly hear the noise/buzz problem, and then un-screw all the f-pin connection wires from the back panel of the Directv DVR (not elsewhere) one by one, including the OTA antenna I think you mentioned you have going to it. Don't sever the connections of anything else, or to the back panels of sat boxes in other rooms of the house that are AC powered by different circuit breakers. Noise gone or not?

So I was correct when I hinted that all of the others suggesting the Viewsonic Isolater would NOT work.

Regarding what is mentioned above;

1-I do not need to turn up the volume, I have it set at -80 I believe which is zero.

2-I already did this and it did not affect the buzz at all.

Either I am missing something or others are; the buzz is present when NOTHING is connected to the 7005 except XLR cables to the amp, speaker wires from the amp to the speakers, AND A HDMI CABLE TO THE TV WITH THE TV PLUGGED IN. If the Tv is unplugged, no buzz. If the HDMI cable is only connected at the 7005, no buzz......

I experienced exactly the same when I first installed the 7005 in my system. A "cheater plug" confirmed that a ground lift device, like the Hum-X I referenced in an earlier post, would solve the problem. It did.

Maybe it's been suggested already but if not, and before I started "patching", I'd test all the receptacles to ensure they show proper wiring.

Already did this, they all checked out okay.

May end up buying the Hum X. I thought I checked the specs on it ealier and its only rated for 500 watts or something. My 65" plasma is maxed at around 750 watts, which I believe is at start up.


I am going to start the hook up process with the new unit shortly, as I watch the Vikings Bears game on another TV.

I just want to chip in that I had a similar issue once, and it turned out an issue with my Parasound amp which was repaired under warranty.

I left the left channel input of the amp empty and no noise/buzz at the speaker, so the amp is good.

BAD NEWS; Hooked up the new AV7005; Connected the 7005 to the amp via RCA unbalanced to the amp (yes I switched the selector switches on the amp to unbalanced), speakers still connected to the amp, and ran an HDMI to the TV and the buzz is still there, but it does sound different. The buzz from the woofers on my Klipsch RF7s are now buzzing/humming more. It sounds like the wife started the washing machine up on the second floor.



The buzz is there with or without a HDMI cable running/connected at the 7005. I havent even turned on the 7005 yet!

The ebtech hum x is good for up to 6 amps/720 watts. My Panny plasma is rated for a max power consumption of 724, and my MonstervPowerbar 1200 seldom hits 4 amps even when the subwoofer is powered and running. I suppose the Plasma may hit near 600-700 watts on startup (an instanious surge), but the humx may be what I need.

UPDATE;

Just swapped the RCAs to XLRs to connect the amp and the AV7005 and that stopped the noise. Now to turn on the Marantz.....

Marantz turned on, and a very small amount of buzz is present.....still trouble shooting.
Edited by cp1966 - 12/9/12 at 12:50pm

Based on what you have done, I would next try running a beefy extension cord to the TV so you can power it from the exact same AC outlet that powers your AV7005, amp, and sub (which also needs a long AC extensuion cable to do the same , perhaps).. Your problem is that the various AC outlets in your room, even though they may be on the same circuit breaker, are showing slightly different ground potentials.

All these various AC strips you have, they all take JUST AC, and there are no USB, ethernet, RJ45, f-pin, or any other wires to them, right?

Same question for the TV. There is not some extra media box, OTA ant, VCR, etc . right? All it has is AC power and that one HDMI cord to the av7005, end of story, right?

I will run an extension cord and plug that into the Tripp Lite AC Supressor and try that.

Going into the TV I do have an OTA connected, but I have unscrewed that. No VCR is connected, and I had the DVR Yes, I turn off the 7005 when I hook or unhook stuff, same with the TV. I disconnected and unplugged and all that. All I had connected was the Marantz to the Amp, the Amp to the speakers, and I turned the amp on. BUZZ. I connected the HDMI to the 7005, a little buzz, and then I connected the HDMI at the TV from the 7005, slight buzz.

Now with just the amp on and the 7005 off, the amp is making a cyclic noise that loops every 10-15 seconds. It slowly gets a little louder, then slowly gets quiet. Not real loud, but standing next to it, it can be heard.

If using a "cheater plug" on the TV kills the hum, then yes, the HumX would appear to be a good solution. Does the cheater work?

Be careful. When I had my amp issue, there was nu hum with anything connected but the amps, when I connected using RCA no hum either but using XLR I got the hum problem. I was scratching my head for weeks about this, and it ended up being a grounding issue in my amp.

Just don't rule anything out at this point... It seems like you've gotten a lot of positive help but you still have an issue.

The Buzz is pretty much in all channels, though I could not detect it from the sub when it was connected. Checking the amp the way I did was a suggestion from the Amp mfgr tech.

At this point the buzz is basically gone, with nothing hooked/connected with the exception of the preamp to the amp via XLR (RCA unbalanced cords got a LOT of noise), and the amp to the speakers. I do not have the cable connected to the sub output at the 7005, nor is the sub plugged in anywhere for power. The noise I hear when my head is up against the speaker is probably floor noise. When standing a few feet away it is inaudible.

I have nothing else connected to the Tripp Lite surge Isobar except the amp and the 7005. Nothing else is connected to the Monster Powerbar 1200 except the TV. I have no DirecTv DVRs connected nor any OTA antanaes.

I am going to start hooking stuff up one at a time shortly....

Floor noise is the sound I make when I ROTFLMAO.

FWIW, I got rid of the hum on my 7005 setup by lifting the shield connection at one end of each balanced cable.

Tooche!

Here are the results of my testing scenarios

#1; Preamp connected to Amp via XLR (7 channels), Amp feeding speakers, amp on = no buzz, turn on preamp = no buzz. All else unplugged and unconnected (no power or HDMI cables, no subwoofer)
#2; Connect a HDMI cable to HDMI out #1 at 7005, EXTREMELY low buzz, I will rate it at .5 or 1/2.
#3; Connect above HDMI to HDMI in #1 at unplugged Plasma HDT, buzz a little more noticeable, I will rate it at “1”.
#4; Plug in plasma, buzz is heard, same as when plasma is not plugged in. I will rate it the same, a “1”.
#5; Attach cheater plug to TV and plug in, stays about a “1” and a crackle is heard every 5-8 seconds. Remove cheater plug.
#5; Attach both DirecTv RG6 lines to DVR, buzz stays a “1”. Plug in DVR, buzz remains a “1”.
#6; Disconnect the HDMI out from the 7005 and buzz goes back to a “.5”.
#7; Connect a HDMI in at number 3 on the back on the 7005, buzz is a tad louder, a “1”. Connect the HDMI at the DVR and the buzz is a tad louder, now at “1.5”.
#8; Disconnect the HDMI cable at both ends for the DVR (at the DVR and the input at the 7005) and disconnect the HDMI out on the 7005 and buzz is back at “.5”.
At this point the TV is still off but plugged in.
#9; Connect a HDMI to an output on the 7005 and to HDMI 1 on the plasma and the buzz is back at 1.
#10; Connect the HDMI from the PS3 (plugged in but not on) with no HDMI connected to the 7005 out, buzz is at “.5”. Connect the HDMI out at the 7005 and connected at the plasma and the buzz is back to a “1”.
#11; Connect the HDMI from my Oppo BDP-93 (not plugged in) and buzz is at “1”. Plugged in, it remains a “1”.

I also tried plugging the plasma into the same Tripp Lite Isobar using a thick 3 prong extension cord, and plugging it in to a different outlet/circuit, and neither helped.

Somewhere somehow there seems to be a ground loop occurring, and to me it seems like when I connect the HDMI to the TV to complete a connection between the 7005 and the TV, the ground loop is either started or exaggerated to the point where it is audible. The buzz rating of .5 is barely heard from 3 feet. Very tolerable if I was on my counch watching/listening to something. With the buzz rating of “1”, it can be heard at a distance of 12-13 feet, however it is very, very, low. When standing within 1 foot of the speaker it is quite noticeable.

I connected the other sources(PS3, DVD Jukebox, and the DirecTv DVR via HDMI and the buzz got up to about a “2”. This is easily heard, but not "loud" at 12 feet.




If I was to swap this AV7005 with my amp, and get the Marantz SR7005 instead, would I most likely encounter the same issue?
Edited by cp1966 - 12/10/12 at 6:37am

I wanted to update on my handshake issue. It turns out that it was, in fact, related to using the JustSling for my wireless HDMI connection. Since it is always transmitting it causes an issue when using a source and not firing up the projector. Selden suggested a powerstrip to take it out of the chain when I want to listen without watching, but it is just as easy in my setup to pull the power from the transmitter. It is a workaround, but it gets the job done. I'm wondering if an hdmi switch would do the same thing.

thanks for the help.

^^^

a switch "should" work better...

note "should"... some sources do not play well when they do not "see" a video sink...

I figured out what cp1966's problem is, but he's not going to want to hear the solution, so I'm bowing out. From the manufacturer's specs:

"SENSITIVITY: 102dB @ 2.83 volts/1 meter"

[and that's before he had his speakers "modified", which for all we know may exacerbate the problem!]

^^^

yea... that DOES shed a bit more light on the situation, doesn't it?

Did your amp make noise? I have a 5250 amp I got as a refurb from AA, and about a year ago it started buzzing a bit. I can only hear it when I am right up next to it, and it sounds like a PS buzz, but now I am noticing a buzz from the speakers, most noticeable from the left surround. I can barely hear it when I walk by the speaker, but can really hear it when I put my ear up to it. Other speakers I can barely notice it even with my ear up to it. Maybe I need to send it in for repair...

There's obviously a lot of different reasons for your buzz, but you might want to email Parasound at "service@parasound.com" to see what their thoughts are...

Yes, they are a very high efficiency speaker. But this was not an issue with the Onkyo 886 pre that I had before. The crossover upgrade was done professionally, however I am not qualified to address the upgrades.

Does this mean that this pre pro will not work with my setup?