Static in rear speaker: How to troubleshoot? (1 Viewer)

[NewlyRetired]

Standard 5 speaker system

Left rear speaker has sporadic static.

Receiver that drives speaker is in a rack

Rack has (from bottom to top) receiver, wdtv, ps4, and DirectTV genie

The receiver has short connections from the back of the rack to a patch panel

The patch panel then runs wires through walls and ceiling to connect to speakers

I assume the static is leaking in from power in the back of the rack. I can move the wires and cables around and the static will go away but then returns eventually.

What are the steps to correct this?

Thanks.

 

[Hawks64]

Standard 5 speaker system

Left rear speaker has sporadic static.

Receiver that drives speaker is in a rack

Rack has (from bottom to top) receiver, wdtv, ps4, and DirectTV genie

The receiver has short connections from the back of the rack to a patch panel

The patch panel then runs wires through walls and ceiling to connect to speakers

I assume the static is leaking in from power in the back of the rack. I can move the wires and cables around and the static will go away but then returns eventually.

What are the steps to correct this?

Thanks.

Sounds like a short or loose wire, start by replacing the speaker wire.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Standard 5 speaker system

Left rear speaker has sporadic static.

Receiver that drives speaker is in a rack

Rack has (from bottom to top) receiver, wdtv, ps4, and DirectTV genie

The receiver has short connections from the back of the rack to a patch panel

The patch panel then runs wires through walls and ceiling to connect to speakers

I assume the static is leaking in from power in the back of the rack. I can move the wires and cables around and the static will go away but then returns eventually.

What are the steps to correct this?

Thanks.

Sounds like a short or loose wire, start by replacing the speaker wire.

I have switched wires around to see if the problem follows the wires from the receiver to the patch panel but the static remains on the same speaker.

I can't replace the wires that are buried in the walls/ceiling.

 

[Guest]

Not sure how much of a PITA it is, but can you swap rear speakers? That would tell you if it was the speaker or the wire.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Not sure how much of a PITA it is, but can you swap rear speakers? That would tell you if it was the speaker or the wire.

I did that as well. The problem stayed in the same location (which removed the speaker as a variable I think)

It smells like power to me is being picked up. Is there a way to shield the wires to protect against all the power wires in the back of the rack?

 

[Hawks64]

Not sure how much of a PITA it is, but can you swap rear speakers? That would tell you if it was the speaker or the wire.

I did that as well. The problem stayed in the same location (which removed the speaker as a variable I think)

It smells like power to me is being picked up. Is there a way to shield the wires to protect against all the power wires in the back of the rack?

Doesn't sound like power to me at all, power is typically a hum not static. Our power run on 60Hz cycles, so a low hum. Sounds like an amp is having issues then.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Not sure how much of a PITA it is, but can you swap rear speakers? That would tell you if it was the speaker or the wire.

I did that as well. The problem stayed in the same location (which removed the speaker as a variable I think)

It smells like power to me is being picked up. Is there a way to shield the wires to protect against all the power wires in the back of the rack?

Doesn't sound like power to me at all, power is typically a hum not static. Our power run on 60Hz cycles, so a low hum. Sounds like an amp is having issues then.

I don't know much about amps. If it is the amp, does that make sense that the static levels change when cables are moved in the back of the rack?

 

[MindCrime]

If you switched patch cables around, and it stayed on same speaker, that eliminates amp and patch cables. You swapped speakers, so that's eliminated. Only thing left is patch panel input connection or cable in walls.

 

[NewlyRetired]

If you switched patch cables around, and it stayed on same speaker, that eliminates amp and patch cables. You swapped speakers, so that's eliminated. Only thing left is patch panel input connection or cable in walls.

Why is the amp itself eliminated?

I think switching the cables from the receiver to the patch panel only eliminates the cables themselves not the amp as well.

A faulty amp could be driving the static out the rear port of the receiver so changing external wires would not eliminate the amp (unless I am misunderstanding you).

 

[MindCrime]

If you switched patch cables around, and it stayed on same speaker, that eliminates amp and patch cables. You swapped speakers, so that's eliminated. Only thing left is patch panel input connection or cable in walls.

Why is the amp itself eliminated?I think switching the cables from the receiver to the patch panel only eliminates the cables themselves not the amp as well.

A faulty amp could be driving the static out the rear port of the receiver so changing external wires would not eliminate the amp (unless I am misunderstanding you).

I thought you meant just swapping the patch panel input. Ex: take the left rear amp output, patch it to right rear panel input. If it's the amp, the static will now be in right rear.

 

[NewlyRetired]

If you switched patch cables around, and it stayed on same speaker, that eliminates amp and patch cables. You swapped speakers, so that's eliminated. Only thing left is patch panel input connection or cable in walls.

Why is the amp itself eliminated?I think switching the cables from the receiver to the patch panel only eliminates the cables themselves not the amp as well.

A faulty amp could be driving the static out the rear port of the receiver so changing external wires would not eliminate the amp (unless I am misunderstanding you).

I thought you meant just swapping the patch panel input. Ex: take the left rear amp output, patch it to right rear panel input. If it's the amp, the static will now be in right rear.

Ahh, I see I did not do that. I moved both ends of the cable (as I wanted to isolate the cable itself).

I can now do your cross connection and see what happens.

 

[NewlyRetired]

If you switched patch cables around, and it stayed on same speaker, that eliminates amp and patch cables. You swapped speakers, so that's eliminated. Only thing left is patch panel input connection or cable in walls.

Why is the amp itself eliminated?I think switching the cables from the receiver to the patch panel only eliminates the cables themselves not the amp as well.

A faulty amp could be driving the static out the rear port of the receiver so changing external wires would not eliminate the amp (unless I am misunderstanding you).

I thought you meant just swapping the patch panel input. Ex: take the left rear amp output, patch it to right rear panel input. If it's the amp, the static will now be in right rear.

Ahh, I see I did not do that. I moved both ends of the cable (as I wanted to isolate the cable itself).

I can now do your cross connection and see what happens.

I just did the cross.

As often happens when I play with the cables, the static will go away for a while and that has happened again.

So I just need to wait it out to see if the static moves or stays on the left when it decides to come back.

Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Ok, the static is back this morning and it stayed on the left rear speaker, so that removes the amp itself now.

I guess I will take apart the patch panel next and see if something came loose after all these years. P

After the patch panel, I guess it is just wiring in the walls.

 

[3C's]

Run a speaker wire directly from the amp to the speaker. Temporarily of course, to isolate.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Run a speaker wire directly from the amp to the speaker. Temporarily of course, to isolate.

that is a good idea, thank you. It is a long run, so I need to see if I have any spare wire hanging around.