Help! Loud constant hum when amp is turned on... Parasound 2250

jhkcam
jhkcam Posts: 11
edited October 2011 in Electronics
Hi guys,

I just received the Parasound 2250 amp and there is a very loud constant hum/hiss as soon as the amp is turned on. I have tried multiple sets of audio wires and also switched the ground switch back and forth and there is no change. The speakers do get volume. If I try to listen at a loud volume, I can get the music louder than the hum to where I can't hear it. In other words, the hum doesn't increase as the volume goes louder, it's just a constant loud background noise. When listening at low/regular volumes or when watching television, it's unbearable! Something is definitely not right and I can't figure out what else to check/change. I've tried switching all options on the back of the amp and it doesn't change anything.

Anyone with any ideas on what could be wrong, or what I could be missing, please let me know...

Thanks,

Justin
Video: Samsung UN55C8000

Audio: Onkyo TX-NR809 Receiver, Parasound 2250 2 Channel Amp, Polk RTi12 Fronts, Polk CSi A6 center, Polk RTi A3 surrounds, Infinity Alpha 1200S sub-1 and Rebuilt Infinity BU-150 sub-2
Post edited by jhkcam on
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited October 2011
    This is pretty normal when adding a powerful amp. Get a 3 to 2 prong plug and plug the amp into that & that plug into the wall or power strip and the hum should go away.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited October 2011
    cfrizz wrote: »
    This is pretty normal when adding a powerful amp. Get a 3 to 2 prong plug and plug the amp into that & that plug into the wall or power strip and the hum should go away.

    That might fix it, but I am not sure I would characterize it as "pretty normal when adding a powerful amp". :biggrin:
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  • PrazVT
    PrazVT Posts: 1,607
    edited October 2011
    Yeah we need some help here - I never had any humming issues with the amp - and it looks like the amp got to Justin safely. I'm hoping there is some minor setup issue he's facing here.

    Justin - where is the amp plugged in? Power strip or into the wall directly? I don't suppose you could take some pics of the area and the back of the receiver + amp?
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  • jhkcam
    jhkcam Posts: 11
    edited October 2011
    cfrizz wrote: »
    This is pretty normal when adding a powerful amp. Get a 3 to 2 prong plug and plug the amp into that & that plug into the wall or power strip and the hum should go away.

    Holy Crap!! It worked!! Thanks so much!!... why is this?!? Doesn't make much sense why that would be the case, but it absolutely worked!

    -Justin
    Video: Samsung UN55C8000

    Audio: Onkyo TX-NR809 Receiver, Parasound 2250 2 Channel Amp, Polk RTi12 Fronts, Polk CSi A6 center, Polk RTi A3 surrounds, Infinity Alpha 1200S sub-1 and Rebuilt Infinity BU-150 sub-2
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited October 2011
    hummm,, do you by chance have CATV going into the pre/amp? If so,,disconnect it and report back to us please.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • PrazVT
    PrazVT Posts: 1,607
    edited October 2011
    This is pretty normal when adding a powerful amp. Get a 3 to 2 prong plug and plug the amp into that & that plug into the wall or power strip and the hum should go away.

    I always run my cable tv cable through the monster power center to avoid that kind of hum. You should prob give that a shot.

    EDIT: NM looks like you did try it :)
    Dali Optikon 1Mk2
    NAD D3020 V2
    Schiit Bifrost 2/64

    ..the rest are headphone setups.
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  • PrazVT
    PrazVT Posts: 1,607
    edited October 2011
    Holy Crap!! It worked!! Thanks so much!!... why is this?!? Doesn't make much sense why that would be the case, but it absolutely worked!

    -Justin

    Oh thank god. I was freakin out over here! So is it workin ok now?!
    Dali Optikon 1Mk2
    NAD D3020 V2
    Schiit Bifrost 2/64

    ..the rest are headphone setups.
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  • jhkcam
    jhkcam Posts: 11
    edited October 2011
    PrazVT wrote: »
    Oh thank god. I was freakin out over here! So is it workin ok now?!

    Yes sir :D I'll get a new strip as well... Now off to listen. I'll report back later.

    Thanks all!

    -Justin
    Video: Samsung UN55C8000

    Audio: Onkyo TX-NR809 Receiver, Parasound 2250 2 Channel Amp, Polk RTi12 Fronts, Polk CSi A6 center, Polk RTi A3 surrounds, Infinity Alpha 1200S sub-1 and Rebuilt Infinity BU-150 sub-2
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited October 2011
    jhkcam wrote: »
    Holy Crap!! It worked!! Thanks so much!!... why is this?!? Doesn't make much sense why that would be the case, but it absolutely worked!

    -Justin

    It's usually a ground loop issue with another piece of gear. This is the fastest, cheapest, less time consuming way to make it go away.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited October 2011
    cfrizz wrote: »
    It's usually a ground loop issue with another piece of gear. This is the fastest, cheapest, less time consuming way to make it go away.

    You go girl!!!!!
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  • Beta
    Beta Posts: 267
    edited October 2011
    Sounds like you have an issue with ground loop hum. I had the same problem some time back.

    The 3 to 2 prong plug solved my problem as well. However, I was told by few club members here that this method should only be used as a short term fix. I ended up replacing the 3 to 2 prong plug with an Ebtech Hum X adapter. Works great. No affiliation.

    http://wwwebtechaudio.com/humxdes.html.
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  • Beta
    Beta Posts: 267
    edited October 2011
    http://www.ebtechaudio.com/humxdes.html

    Correct link to Ebtech Hum X. Again, no affiliation.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 26,850
    edited October 2011
    Beta wrote: »
    [URL="http://wwwebtechaudio.com/humxdes.html

    www.webtechaudio.com

    fixed it fer ya:cheesygrin:
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,064
    edited October 2011
    Beta wrote: »
    The 3 to 2 prong plug solved my problem as well. However, I was told by few club members here that this method should only be used as a short term fix. I ended up replacing the 3 to 2 prong plug with an Ebtech Hum X adapter. Works great. No affiliation.

    [/URL].

    Never heard of a case where doing so for an extended period of time did any harm. I have had a cheater plug on my amp going on 5 years with no ill effect.
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  • WGDB
    WGDB Posts: 162
    edited October 2011
    pitdogg - your fix sends us to a very weird Karaoke site????
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  • Beta
    Beta Posts: 267
    edited October 2011
    tonyb wrote: »
    Never heard of a case where doing so for an extended period of time did any harm. I have had a cheater plug on my amp going on 5 years with no ill effect.

    That is good to hear. A 3 to 2 adapter can be had for about $2.00 at any hardware store.

    Someone here told me the 3 to 2 adapter should only be used as a short term fix because of grounding issues. Having little knowledge on the subject matter, I swapped out the 3 to 2 adapter with the Hum X.
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  • jhkcam
    jhkcam Posts: 11
    edited October 2011
    I decided to put in a new surge protector with the cable in/outs on it for a permanent fix ... I just ran the cable through the strip then out to the box and the hum is still gone. Funny, before this I always wondered why the heck someone would bother running their cable through the surge protector. Now I know :)
    Video: Samsung UN55C8000

    Audio: Onkyo TX-NR809 Receiver, Parasound 2250 2 Channel Amp, Polk RTi12 Fronts, Polk CSi A6 center, Polk RTi A3 surrounds, Infinity Alpha 1200S sub-1 and Rebuilt Infinity BU-150 sub-2
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited October 2011
    jhkcam wrote: »
    I decided to put in a new surge protector with the cable in/outs on it for a permanent fix ... I just ran the cable through the strip then out to the box and the hum is still gone. Funny, before this I always wondered why the heck someone would bother running their cable through the surge protector. Now I know :)

    That makes more sense. I have read here of a lot of people having hum issues due to the cable box. Having an amp with a bit more power should not in itself be a hum creator. I wonder what it is with cable boxes that gives people so much grief.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited October 2011
    tonyb wrote: »
    Never heard of a case where doing so for an extended period of time did any harm. I have had a cheater plug on my amp going on 5 years with no ill effect.

    Thank you. I've also been using one for several years without any problems. Again it's the quickest least expensive fix that solves the problem.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 26,850
    edited October 2011
    WGDB wrote: »
    pitdogg - your fix sends us to a very weird Karaoke site????


    WOW sorry that is very wierd as i just copied and pasted from the site.......NOT the Karaoke site....:redface:
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