New Stereo Buzz - Wiring Questions
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Hello,
I'm a bit ignorant to most of this stuff so forgive me if my questions are lame. I'm putting a new stereo HU in my 1998 ES300. I'm only replacing the HU. The amp and speakers are still the factory stuff.
I read as much on the forums as I could find to help me figure out how to set things up. I think I've made it through all the hurdles (and will post later specifically how I did it) but the last item I'm still having trouble with. I have a humming/buzzing coming through the speakers when I turn on the stereo and use any of the modes (CD, iPod, radio). I've read a couple of other folks with this problem as well and some offered suggestions.
@GoodRevs was helpful with the following three ideas:
1. Put in Ground Loop Isolators
2. Check your grounds
3. Run power cables opposite the RCA's
Obviously item 3 is self explanatory but because I'm not very familiar with cables and their properties items 1 and 2 aren't as self-explanatory. I've included a picture of my setup. My questions are:
1) Do I have the ground loop isolator setup correctly? (I realize I need a second one for the left/right back pre-amp hookup)
2) I added some ferrite cores. Are those needed? Do they do anything in this situation?
3) Was I supposed to just tie the two ground wires together or tie them to something else?
When I hook this setup up it does reduce the humming a lot but there is still a slight hum going on. Any other ideas for how to reduce the hum? Did I hook things up correctly?
Thanks for any help offered.
Rus
I'm a bit ignorant to most of this stuff so forgive me if my questions are lame. I'm putting a new stereo HU in my 1998 ES300. I'm only replacing the HU. The amp and speakers are still the factory stuff.
I read as much on the forums as I could find to help me figure out how to set things up. I think I've made it through all the hurdles (and will post later specifically how I did it) but the last item I'm still having trouble with. I have a humming/buzzing coming through the speakers when I turn on the stereo and use any of the modes (CD, iPod, radio). I've read a couple of other folks with this problem as well and some offered suggestions.
@GoodRevs was helpful with the following three ideas:
1. Put in Ground Loop Isolators
2. Check your grounds
3. Run power cables opposite the RCA's
Obviously item 3 is self explanatory but because I'm not very familiar with cables and their properties items 1 and 2 aren't as self-explanatory. I've included a picture of my setup. My questions are:
1) Do I have the ground loop isolator setup correctly? (I realize I need a second one for the left/right back pre-amp hookup)
2) I added some ferrite cores. Are those needed? Do they do anything in this situation?
3) Was I supposed to just tie the two ground wires together or tie them to something else?
When I hook this setup up it does reduce the humming a lot but there is still a slight hum going on. Any other ideas for how to reduce the hum? Did I hook things up correctly?
Thanks for any help offered.
Rus
#3
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An aftermarket headunit will likely always have some hum with a factory amp and speakers. The question is how much hum are you willing to accept, and is the sound a hum, buzz or pop, because each is indicative of a different issue. Possible issue's are alternator whine, poor grounds, blow fuse, dieing amp, lack of adequate power plus other's.
A few things:
- Those look like radioshack ground loop isolators. Don't use those, they are designed for home audio systems NOT cars. They will not function properly in a car environment. These are what I and many others have used;
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_5262_PAC-SNI-1.html
- You should be fine grounding the headunits harness to the cars wiring harness.
- Is the headunit a Pioneer; if so did you hook it up with the car battery connected?
Looks like a very clean install, nice job
A few things:
- Those look like radioshack ground loop isolators. Don't use those, they are designed for home audio systems NOT cars. They will not function properly in a car environment. These are what I and many others have used;
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_5262_PAC-SNI-1.html
- You should be fine grounding the headunits harness to the cars wiring harness.
- Is the headunit a Pioneer; if so did you hook it up with the car battery connected?
Looks like a very clean install, nice job
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Thanks a million for taking time to answer my questions @GoodRevs.
- I'm not sure I know the difference between a hum or a buzz but I'm thinking its more of a hum. It sounds like I'll just need to live with a low level hum unless I want to replace the amp and speakers, correct?
- Thanks for the feedback on the ground loop isolators. I actually had read from someone that those ones you suggested from Sonic were good so I ordered them. I'm just waiting for them to show up.
- The HU is a Dual and no I had unhooked the battery before I hooked up the stereo.
Thanks again for the help.
- I'm not sure I know the difference between a hum or a buzz but I'm thinking its more of a hum. It sounds like I'll just need to live with a low level hum unless I want to replace the amp and speakers, correct?
- Thanks for the feedback on the ground loop isolators. I actually had read from someone that those ones you suggested from Sonic were good so I ordered them. I'm just waiting for them to show up.
- The HU is a Dual and no I had unhooked the battery before I hooked up the stereo.
Thanks again for the help.
#5
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Thanks a million for taking time to answer my questions @GoodRevs.
- I'm not sure I know the difference between a hum or a buzz but I'm thinking its more of a hum. It sounds like I'll just need to live with a low level hum unless I want to replace the amp and speakers, correct?
- Thanks for the feedback on the ground loop isolators. I actually had read from someone that those ones you suggested from Sonic were good so I ordered them. I'm just waiting for them to show up.
- The HU is a Dual and no I had unhooked the battery before I hooked up the stereo.
Thanks again for the help.
- I'm not sure I know the difference between a hum or a buzz but I'm thinking its more of a hum. It sounds like I'll just need to live with a low level hum unless I want to replace the amp and speakers, correct?
- Thanks for the feedback on the ground loop isolators. I actually had read from someone that those ones you suggested from Sonic were good so I ordered them. I'm just waiting for them to show up.
- The HU is a Dual and no I had unhooked the battery before I hooked up the stereo.
Thanks again for the help.
- Pioneers have a little internal fuse called a Pico fuse that blows if you attached the RCA's with the battery hooked up.
Sounds like this install is pretty much wrapped up. Any other issue's post back, good luck.
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