Weird experience with trying to change room around

nduitch

I got a little bored and decided to change my room around to see what it would sound like with the shelf removed between the speakers and put on the side wall. I got everything moved over and powered it up and was like wtf? There was about 70 less bass and the highs were driving me crazy!

So I moved everything thing to the other side of the room to try the outlet I usually use. I plugged the amp back into its regular outlet, except before I began this tonight was using a brown 6ft extension cord (with 3 inlets on the receptacle side) to plug everything into. So I powered everything on with the amp plugged directly into the wall. It still sounded really bad, I seriously thought something was broken. I put my ear to the amp and I was hearing the regular hum of the transformer but also a light clicking sound about 8 or so clicks a second. I had never heard it do this.

I put the rig back in the center and plugged everything into the brown extension chord, the clicking sound was gone and the bass is back to where it was and the highs aren't squealing anymore.

There is a clear difference between plugging into the wall and using this 5 dollar ext chord, it sounds way better with the chord and the amp is no longer making that clicking sound. What the heck?

Dutchman

hearingimpared

That'll learn ya not ta fix what ain't broken!!!:D:p

Seriously though now you can see how a power cord can affect gear!:) Although this is a very weird case.

quadzilla

Clicking? Is the "brown extension cord" a surge suppressor too? And do you have one of those boxes that lets you run a network through the electrical system? If that's not it, I'm totally baffled.

nduitch

This is just a regular brown extension chord plugged into the outlet itself, I also have my preamp running off the same ext chord. I am not kidding, it's not a subtle difference. It sound like someone turned the bass dial all the way down and the treble up. The outlet it self it not a GFI or what ever they are called. The brown ext chord has 3 prongs so I have to use a cheater plug on it. None of my gear is 3 prong though. I just don't see how this is possible.

Cpyder

Does the clicking happen when ANY load is applied to the amplifier? Maybe the extension cord is of way too small of gauge, or maybe it's slightly torn, but not completely?

nduitch

The clicking is very faint and I heard it when the music was off. The extension chord is what stops the clicking and makes it sound better.

VR3

Are the outlets on two seperate circuits?

madmax

Clicking sounds are never a good thing. Through various mono amps and powered speakers I've found the grounds causing clicking sounds like you are reporting. With the extension cord, can it only be plugged in one way? Really old ones (or old wall sockets) allowed the plug to be inserted in either direction. That could cause a problem.

hearingimpared

madmax wrote: »

Clicking sounds are never a good thing. Through various mono amps and powered speakers I've found the grounds causing clicking sounds like you are reporting. With the extension cord, can it only be plugged in one way? Really old ones (or old wall sockets) allowed the plug to be inserted in either direction. That could cause a problem.

I was wondering if the extension cord was polarized too. That could be the problem.

nduitch

The extension chord is 3 prong, but I am using a cheater on it. The cheater plug can only be inserted one way.