Low buzzing through speaks

Yes to all your questions and the buzz stays the same level no change whatsoever as each cable is plugged back in…And my goodness please do not apologize for anything, you are so helping me man…

@dpop The cables are all less than 2 years old and they are Transparent Plus so they’re not cheaply made, they’re solid…

Ok, so you're saying that the buzz *did* take place when the first XLR cable was connected, but you just didn't hear because it was a rear speaker, yes?

The cables are all less than 2 years old and they are Transparent Plus so they’re not cheaply made, they’re solid…

I get it. I hear what you're saying. I'm not saying it's the fault of the cables yet. 

So just wondering if you have any kind of wire stripper? Have you ever stripped the jacket off a wire? We’re definitely not going to take apart those nice XLR cables, but I’m wondering, before we go any further, what your skill level is here, so I know how to further direct you?

Thanks man, skill level is novice, I'm already over my head as soon as we get past connecting stuff, sorry😯...I have stripped the jacket off of a wire before but yeah definitely don't want to play with that with the Transparent cables...

And yes, the buzz would have been there I just didn't put my ear up to that speaker but as soon as I plugged the 2nd rear in the buzz was there in both speaks at the exact same level whether 2 are connected or all 5. This buzz is steady, doesn't fluctuate...guess that's a silver lining😬

I have stripped the jacket off of a wire before but I’m already over my head as soon as we get past connecting stuff

Thank you for being honest and admitting that. There’s only two more things I can think of at the moment that I’d like to try, and one requires a different XLR connecting cable (which removes the shield connection - pin 1 - on one end). I can actually make them myself, but let me see if I can find something on the internet for you. The other is I’d still like to hear if there’s any buzz with that ground wire connected between the two rear panel ground screws. Is there any small cable laying around (like a small extension cord) you could butcher and sacrifice? If you don’t have a wire stripper, with a little guidance, a scissors could probably perform the same function.

Do you own any other XLR cables? If so, have you tried them to see if they produce the same buzz as the Transparent's do? 

This would be an example of a device that lifts the shield on one end of the XLR cable. 

Female to XLR Male Ground Lift

If willing, it would be interesting to see if this connector would produce any different buzz sound results when plugged in using just one XLR cable.  

Thanks so much again @dpop! Unfortunately I do not have any other XLR cables. I do have some old speaker wire I can hook up though. Does it matter if I use the positive or negative to connect the 2 units with the ground?

You wouldn't by any chance live near the NH area would you? Be happy to pay for your services to come out, LOL!

You wouldn't by any chance live near the NH area would you? Be happy to pay for your services to come out, LOL!

I do not. Sorry. That would make things a little easier wouldn't it. 😄 OK, so no spare XLR cables. Noted. Regarding the speaker wire that you have, we really only need to use one side (like either a plus or minus). Can you easily attach that to those ground terminals? Even if you just hold the wires against the ground terminals for a moment, while hearing the buzz, does it change the sound of the buzz at all?

Definitely not easily, but I think I can do it. Unfortunately, damn work is now going to get in the way😡. I won't be able to get to this until tomorrow AM...But first thing I'll connect the ground wire...

Until tomorrow once again @dpop thank you, thank you, thank you. Sincerely man. Your time and support are greatly greatly appreciated. I will do the wire first thing tomorrow and report right back as soon as the experiment is completed...Have an awesome night and thank you again!

I will do the wire first thing tomorrow and report right back as soon as the experiment is completed

Not a problem. We’ll take it from there. One other thing, I think you mentioned that your XLR cables were intertwined with other cables? Was that correct? Were any of those ethernet cables? Also, if they’re still intertwined, would it be possible to physically separate at least one of the XLR cables from all other cables, and connect it (all by itself), and see if any buzzing exists?

I did separate the XLR cables from any power cables and used a zip tie to keep them from separating and touching any power cables…I checked out that XLR ground lift cable via the link you sent. How does that work do you just plug the XLR cable into that and then plug the whole thing into the Mac? Like if it worked would I need 5 of those on each XLR cable I have?

I did separate the XLR cables from any power cables and used a zip tie to keep them from separating and touching any power cables

Do you remember if that made any difference at all in the buzzing (even the slightest amount)?

do you just plug the XLR cable into that and then plug the whole thing into the Mac?

Correct, but of course I just recommend purchasing qty. 1 first. If you purchase from Amazon, you should be able to return it if it doesn’t eliminate the buzz (if you feel like going through the hassle). If it doesn’t work, it’s still a nice tool to have around in the future.

Like if it worked would I need 5 of those on each XLR cable I have?

Yes, if you still want to use the Transparent’s.

Just out of curiosity, roughly how long are the Transparent XLR cables? If you decide to purchase one of the ground lifter devices, I also wonder, just for comparison sake, if you should also purchase a cheap single XLR cable the same length as one of the Transparent Plus’, to see if just by chance a different cable design has an influence here (if by chance a friend doesn’t have a spare they could borrow you).

I’m rapt in attention to this. I have had this same situation for now two years.

I am music only, no theater. So, generally speaking I can hear the low buzz only from a foot away from my Revel speakers.
 

I have tried everything you have tried. Finally, after every iteration of plug in check, plug out check, new xlr, new rca, rinse and repeat I came to the following. If I take either one of my XLRs connecting between amp and preamp off at the back of the preamp or amp, the buzz goes away.

I keep my Kismet amp on 24-7, my Hegel preamp as well. When I’m not going to be listening to music during most of the week. (I mostly listen Thursday through Sunday) I detach one of the XLRs. no buzz. 

So, my solution this far is to…live with it. I’m watching this thread for any thing I’m missing…..

No separating the cables made no audible difference whatsoever. This buzz has been steady and has not wavered from the first second it reared it’s evil presence😂!

I actually contacted Hosa the company and spoke with a gentleman in their tech support and ran this by him. He didn’t think their ground lift XLR would help as they are designed for microphones, but he admitted he did not know very much about home audio/HT. But I went and ordered one anyway☺️, cuz like you said it’s easy enough to return (like I just did with the Hum-X), and why not at this point?!

The Transparent cables are all 1.5m each…Guess I could also order an el cheapo XLR too, because again why not?!

@dpop  what if I tried disconnecting the XLR’s and try RCA (I do have some of those Transparent as well actually though lower end of their line). Why not right?

I keep my Kismet amp on 24-7, my Hegel preamp as well. When I’m not going to be listening to music during most of the week. (I mostly listen Thursday through Sunday) I detach one of the XLRs. no buzz.

IMO, if you’re spending thousands of dollars on components and interconnects, you shouldn’t have to tolerate any type of noise or buzz. Isn’t that why you’re spending those big bucks in the first place? I’m sure kingbr could do the same (as what you’re doing), but I support his not wanting to, and I’m doing my best to try and help him out.

For over 3 decades I was a Chief Engineer for numerous radio stations. I learned the hard way how to eliminate hums and buzzes, of all kinds. Try connecting hundreds of pieces of broadcast equipment together (both balanced and unbalanced analog) in 14 studios (in one building), and see how many buzzes and hums you encounter (spoiler alert; there will be a lot). And if I do say so myself, there was rarely ever a buzz or hum I couldn't get rid of. 

If it were me, there’s no way I would tolerate a buzz, when spending thousands on home audio equipment. From looking at the manuals on line for the Sim and Mac that are involved here, the XLR outputs are of low impedance, and the balanced XLR inputs are of high impedance - exactly the way it should be, but that’s a very simple way of looking at this, as there’s so much more that goes into a decently designed piece of audio equipment. I’m having a hard time understanding why these two pieces of equipment can’t be happy (with no buzzing) playing nicely together (such technical talk).

what if I tried disconnecting the XLR’s and try RCA (I do have some of those Transparent as well actually though lower end of their line). Why not right?

GREAT idea!

Guess I could also order an el cheapo XLR too, because again why not?!

I would recommend it if you don’t mind.

I actually contacted Hosa the company and spoke with a gentleman in their tech support and ran this by him. He didn’t think their ground lift XLR would help as they are designed for microphones, but he admitted he did not know very much about home audio/HT.

It really depends on who you talk to. Some guys know where I'm going with this, and some don't.

I think the common denominator here is Revel speakers.

I think the common denominator here is Revel speakers.

That may be, but kingbr already stated that there’s no buzz when disconnecting the XLR cables, with the amp on. I’m assuming the amp is not being trigger ON by audio. I hope that’s not the case. That would be absurd (and thankfully I don’t see that mode of operation option mentioned in the Sim manual).

Welcome @illaheman ! @dpop you're developing a following😂! But it’s a true reflection on your character that you have taken all of your valuable time to help. Cannot convey enough how much it is truly appreciated (though I’ll keep trying to convey😌).

Love what you said and that’s my thought and why I’m struggling to just accept because I have spent so much and dammit I think I (we all) deserve crisp clean sound!

As the great Jimmy V used to say “Don’t ever give up”! And like I mentioned earlier in this thread, the last resort is to call the church and have them send in a priest to get rid of this evil presence😂! 

I’m still in the fight man-thanks to you @dpop 👍🏻👊🏻

Yes very interesting (or ironic/coincidental) about the Revel’s. I connected the Mac and the brand new Revel’s at the exact same time. Fwiw I have Performa3 208’s, 208C, and M105’s. Yes had to jump on that 30% off sale, couldn’t resist!

Yeah definitely not the Revel’s, mere coincidence…

I am going to disconnect XLR’s and try the RCA’s first thing in the AM. Then I’ll try connecting the wire for the ground between the Mac and Sim…

I’ll try connecting the wire for the ground between the Mac and Sim…

I’m not expecting this to change anything, as there should be no difference in ground planes between the two pieces of equipment, since they’re plugged into the same outlet, but you never know, and it’s still worth a try.

If we’re actually able to eliminate the buzz between the Sim and the Mac, it’ll be interesting to see what buzzes or hums pop up when reconnecting your pieces of equipment to the Mac, but let’s cross that bridge...

Definitely not the Revels! 😂

dpop..I admire and respect your effort here. I wish you lived nearby.
i feel the same way about wanting perfection, but everything is great when I’m listening and it doesn’t affect the music. I’m still thinking it’s a cabling interference that I can’t track.

. I’m hoping you trouble shoot this out for both of us. My local stereo shop and I talked a lot about this for quite awhile, they wondered if it was a situation of my pre-amp. It’s a foreigner and they wondered if the xlr slots were wired differently. I switched to the rcas only, it didn’t make a difference in the buzz.

@kingbr OK are you ready to solve your problem? I think the high gain of the XLR connection or amp/preamp combo gain is your issue. A 10 db attenuator will kill that.  You might have to use a XLR to RCA adapter to make it work in your application. I'm 99% sure that is what your issue is.

Be sure to read this: A Discussion About Idle Hiss – Upscale Audio

I am going to disconnect XLR’s and try the RCA’s first thing in the AM. Then I’ll try connecting the wire for the ground between the Mac and Sim…

If you have the RCA option, that will be 3db down and might solve your issue, if not see above. 

@kingbr

Darn it, I just noticed this in one of the reviews of the Hosa ground lifter. The thought of this occurring just hit my brain, and only then did I dig a little deeper and realize someone else had the same concern as I. From a review of the Hosa:

I am VERY disappointed with this product. I bought two of these to use for my studio monitors when trying to debug ground loops, and discovered way too many problems for such a simple product:

== Wired incorrectly ==
First and foremost, this "ground lift" adapter doesn’t even lift the ground... The metal housing is electrically connected to the housing of each each end via the screws on either side. This would be less of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the connector housing ground is connected to the ground *pin* on both sides. What does that mean? This is just a M to F XLR coupler. Which XLR cables never need.

I fixed this by opening them up, and de-soldering the wire that connects the ground pin to the connector housing. This was not a single mistake; BOTH units had this issue. Unless this is fixed, these are nothing more than a placebo.

I’m really sorry about this. This is frustrating, because I can make exactly what I need in a matter of minutes. I think the Pro Co model is more correct, as it looks like they’re disconnecting one end of the shell from the other (with shrink wrap), which breaks the metal shell ground connection (and pin 1 connection). Sorry, I know this is getting a bit technical now. The problem with the Hosa model, as mentioned above, is a ground connection is still taking place, which rides on the metal outer shell, even though the connection between pins 1 and 1 (on each end of the connector) are disconnected. This was something I was hoping the Hosa model didn’t do. Someone at Hosa designed their product poorly and incorrectly. Yeah, it happens.

Pro Co GLX In-Line XLR Ground Lifter Adapter

Checking stock, it looks like almost everyone on the internet is out of stock on this model (maybe because this one is designed correctly, and actually fixes problems). I’d call Parts Express to see if they can confirm that they actually physically have these on their shelf (the website says they have two in stock). @kingbr private message me with your address, and I’ll make one that I know works, does exactly what I want it too, and I’ll send it to you.

@russ69 I will admit, some people can describe hiss as buzzing, and confuse the two. So without me sticking my ear against kingbr’s speaker, I can only go on what he’s describing - that he hears a buzz.

Holy $h!t! Wow I just saw all this @russ69 thank you! 
 

@dpop thank you isn’t even nearly enough-I just ordered the last 2 @ Parts Express via the link you sent. I just got home and heading to bed and saw this. Without even looking into it I went and ordered the last 2😂, even after reading that article from Upscale that @russ69 referenced (very powerful article man-thank you). Have to get to bed but will follow up later after some sleep…

Thank you all and @dpop your generosity is off the charts…I’ll pm you later, thank you👍🏻 for your incredibly generous offer!

try to use caps on the RCA ro XLR, they help to avoid buzz, my own experience. Then everything becomes dead silent, but you don’t need to overdo it, you need to play with them a bit, listen and find your best solution.

Hi All, 

So at this point having ordered the 2  Pro Co XLR adaptors referenced by dpop I'm thinking holding off until they arrive before trying anything else at this point. But I may still try the RCA's and see if that does anything? I think the gain on the XLR between the Sim and the Mac sounds like it could be the ticket (but I have absolutely no idea as this is way beyond my limited knowledge here) but hearing the phrase "2 components not playing nicely together" several times this sounds like exactly what is meant? If this is the issue and it seems so many have this kind of issue it's weird that you don't hear much more about it when matching separate amps to separate pre's? You would think this would be publicized more about using caution or being aware of this potential issue, no?

@dpop just PM'd you...

What a whirlwind this has become and @russ69 and @dpop I honestly would describe it is a combo hiss/buzz. Here I am now listening closely like a critical listening session to describe it, LOL!!! That's awesome-still keeping the sense of humor especially after reading that article again from Upscale and the new shot of enthusiasm and hope provided by the incredibly selfless @russ69 ​​​​@dpop! 

Question for @russ69 , why would I need the XLR RCA adaptor in my situation? Wouldn't the XLR 10 db attenuator pad attached to each of my XLR cables work?

Wouldn't the XLR 10 db attenuator pad attached to each of my XLR cables work?

Yes, it would. 

BTW, I had this issue with my Mac402 amp. The attenuator did the trick. 

I had this interference both static and hum. The static turned out to be my cell phone and the hum was fixed by better shielded interconnect cables.

You know what is weird? About 1 1/2  years ago I reached out to Simaudio (I bought my Titan amp used 2 years ago and realizing this piece although in amazing condition and was sounding just amazing, it was approaching 20 years) to see what if anything I should do to care for this unit. They recommended sending it to them for "cleaning and calibrating". So I did. Knowing I was going to be without the unit for a few months I bought a Monolith 5 channel amp as a backup (the price was right at $1599 at the time) to get me through. Once I introduced this unit with my Marantz AV8802A, there was a faint hum/buzz - come to have been thinking about it it was very similar to what I have now - but chalked it up to this being a lower end and knowing it wasn't there with the Sim, I wasn't too concerned. Once I got the Sim back and connected it, buzz/hiss gone. I just remembered this today! And from what I recall it was very faint and didn't change volume wise like this current possession of my rig! 

Just maybe the lifters or the attenuators will be the proper exorcism to get rid of this particular evil entity😂🤞

IMO, both @dpop and @russ69 give you great recommendations, if the XLR ground lift adaptoer works, it will eliminate the hum/buzz noise. Otherwise, an 10dB in-line XLR attenuator will reduce the noise 10dB (since the noise is not affected by the volume control).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_lift

https://www.parts-express.com/Inline-XLR-Attenuator-Pad-10dB-240-412

Once I got the Sim back and connected it, buzz/hiss gone.

Looking at the rear panel of the Marantz AV8802A, I can’t help but notice that the iec power outlet is only 2 prongs; meaning the unit is technically not seeing an earth ground, until maybe a piece of equipment is plugged into it, *giving it* an earth ground. Really, trying to hook up equipment in the home audio world can be confusing sometimes, because you really have to take into consideration what is grounded, and what isn’t, and these manufacturers don’t make it easy. Not to be condescending, but it sometimes takes some knowledge trying to figure out grounds, and ground loops.

I mix both balanced and unbalanced analog equipment in my home system(s), and you have to know when the time is right to ground, lift shields, or transformer isolate. I admit, it took me years to learn all about this stuff.

I used to live on a very busy street in the days of kids cruising the highway with CB radio’s (man am I dating myself). Believe it or not, they were still heavily using CB’s in the early to mid 90’s (so maybe we’re not going back that far 😉). I was even then routing audio through my townhouse (at the time) using balanced audio, but even still, when they would drive past, their CB signal would many times blare through my system. Well, even at that point in time, I still hadn’t learned all I needed to know about balanced analog audio. So it too took me time to learn about shielding, and grounds, etc. etc. My former neighbor across the alley from me lived across the street from a ham operator, and she used to get so frustrated because his broadcasts many times blared through her TV speaker(s). Now that type of interference is tough to get rid of. Working at the radio stations, I used to get a lot of complaints from neighbors when our signals also permeated their home electronics. Not always easy trying to solve those problems.

It’s very possible attenuators might be needed in kingbr’s case. I’ve used them in broadcast studios, but I think it’s unfair to make homeowners research the need for them in a home audio system environment. One thing that bothers me about the Sim amp is that it doesn’t have any gain controls, so to put it one way, it’s wide open. IMO, that means that any little bit of noise on the interconnects will be magnified more than it needs to be (screwing up your S/N ratio). That’s one of the main reasons why I will never purchase a power amp without gain controls on it. It’s very possible that is what’s taking place here, but again, I think it’s unfair to put a home audio system owner through this frustration when purchasing expensive audio gear.

I thought maybe somehow going from the 2 prong Marantz to the 3 prong Mac may have had something to do with it. I had no idea how or why that would have an affect but it was something I thought could be playing a role…

I thought maybe somehow going from the 2 prong Marantz to the 3 prong Mac may have had something to do with it.

Yes, it’s possible that eliminated the possibility of a ground loop. My continued thought here is this is all ground related, but I’m also concerned about 29 dB of wide open uncontrolled gain on the Sim. Correct me if I’m wrong @kingbr there’s no remote control with the Sim, correct? And there’s no volume control of any sort on it, yes?

Hi @dpop!

No, no volume, no remote with the Sim...

OK thank you kingbr for confirming.

I know that some of these cable manufacturers charge an arm and a leg for some of their cables (which I will never pay for), but the construction of each, between manufacturers, is not always the same. Where one might put more emphasis on their shields, another may put more emphasis on the conductors carrying the signal (in balanced mode). Unless the cable manufacturer posts pictures of inner cable construction, you really never know what you’re getting until you try them, and how they will perform in your environment. Having already dealt with so much interference in the past (CB’ers, radio station RF, neighborhood ham operators, etc), I know that a well made shielded cable (like a Gotham), and a low impedance star ground system is always what’s needed in my audio systems, and audio systems that I build for others. For me, shielding takes top priority. Next on my list is (low) capacitance. I’ve already found that when I upgrade to a lower capacitance cable, I can almost immediately hear the improvement. I am also fortunate and thankful that I can make my own cables.

Thanks again @dpop! I have always found Transparent cables to be more “my taste” if you will. I have used several others but there just seems to be something extra once I bring in the Transparents. I love the speaker cables and IC’s, however I don’t care much for their power cables. On that I’m strictly Shunyata. I have no scientific data to prove any of this, just my ears😬! 
 

The ground adaptor I ordered from Amazon arrived late today so I won’t have a chance to connect that until tomorrow AM. Also the 2 ground lift cables from Parts Express I ordered via the link you sent are arriving tomorrow…I’ll have an update on the Amazon one in the AM and will update also again after trying the 2 cables from Parts X…

So you mentioned Ned that high gain of the Sim amp. Might a 20db attenuator be needed? I did see a few of those while I was browsing?

Ned??? I have no idea where that came from😂! Damn auto-incorrect!

@kingbr 

Are you sure what you are hearing is an actual faint buzz, not a hiss coming from the speaker's tweeter? And you only heard it within half a foot away from the speaker, correct? And this only occurs with your Mac but not with the Marantz you had previously? It's possible that the Mac preamp's output gain is higher than that of the Marantz but it still shouldn't be buzzing IMO. 

But if the faint buzz is audible only when you put your ear right up to the speaker I wouldn't sweat it if I were you and as long as it doesn't distract from your listening to music or movies. And you said it isn't audible at all from half a foot away from the loudspeaker. Are the buzz on all speakers or just the front main LR speakers? 

I have exact same experience as you do with my current Cary Audio SA 200.2 ES stereo power amp (solid state). it's a faint buzz and is only noticeable when I put my ear right up to the speaker. This didn't happen when I had the Classe Sigma Amp2 power amp, it was dead silent. But when I swapped the amp to Cary with everything else unchanged I could hear a faint buzz when I put my ear right up to the speaker, and it's only audible within less than a foot away from the speaker. Apparently this faint buzz is pretty common with this Cary SA 200.2 ES amplifier design. I had discussions with other Cary SA 200.2 ES users on different forums and some could notice a faint buzz but some don't. 

I wouldn't sweat it if I were you as long as the faint buzz doesn't grow louder over time and as long as it doesn't distract from your listening to music or watching movies. You aren't alone in this.

Hi @dilatante , thank you very much for sharing. And yes what I am getting seems exactly like yours and is through all 5 speakers. @dpop ​​​​@russ69 also believe it is the higher output gain of the Mac/Sim combo. 
 

And yes it can only be heard by putting my ear within about 2 inches of the tweets and is certainly not audible when anything is playing even at low volume. And it certainly cannot be heard from any normal listening position. So it is not intrusive and I know it’s common and many people live with it, but my OCD knowing it’s there when it wasn’t before won’t allow me to let it be until I’ve exhausted all feasible options, you know😬? I have a ground lift XLR adapter arroving tomorrow I’m going to try and then a 10db XLR attenuator arriving Friday. I’m really hoping/thinking one of these just may do the trick🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻! If not, as I’ve mentioned I’ve got St John’s The Evangelist church on standby to send in the exorcist😂! I know that’ll get rid of this evil entity I’m just not up for the mess I’ve seen these things create😂! In all seriousness I know it’s something I can live with and if all else fails I’ll be fine…I literally connected the Mac (bought it used but new to my system) and my brand new 5 Revel’s at the exact same time expecting nirvana and as I was pulling the grills off I heard it😳😳! It was like that scene near the end from Jeepers Creepers when the Creeper literally punches a whole right through the cop-that’s how I felt😳😂

Thank you again for sharing and taking the time to reply👍🏻😊!

I have always found Transparent cables to be more “my taste” if you will. I have used several others but there just seems to be something extra once I bring in the Transparents.

...and I can respect that @kingbr. In my discussion of cable construction, I’m just wondering what amount of emphasis Transparent incorporates into their balanced interconnect shielding. Looking at their website, I see no display of it, or they don't boast about it. In your particular situation, it would be interesting to see how different XLR cables affect this noise that you’re hearing (possibly then related to shielding performance). I also can understand what @dilatante is mentioning about output gain from the Mac. It might be greater than your Marantz, which may be the reason behind you now hearing the noise with the Mac, compared to the Marantz.

Might a 20db attenuator be needed?

Keep in mind that these fixed attenuators will act like fixed volume controls. I don’t know how loud you play your system, but for every -dB of attenuation (5, 10, 20, etc.) that is used, you’ll lose that in volume when playing your system, so starting off with a -20 dB attenuator (or pad) might be a little high. Starting off with -10 dB attenuators, like @russ69 suggested, would probably be the better choice. Also, in your situation, and because of this noise, I would place them at the Sim inputs, and not the Mac outputs.

I also notice that there’s a Volume Limit adjustment in the Mac (choices are 60, 70 or 80). I might suggest switching between those (as they might be built in pads), and see if that changes anything. There’s also a Mute Level adjustment (-40 dB, -20 dB). I’d also try adjusting that to see if that makes any difference in this noise you’re hearing. It looks like the Marantz has these same setting adjustments.

Looking at the manual, this is the stated output level of the Mac (but at what volume level?):

Rated Output Voltage
2.5V Unbalanced Outputs (Main Zone)
5.0V Balanced Outputs (Main Zone)

Here’s the stated output for the Marantz:

Rated output: Unbalanced RCA pre-output : 1.2 V Balanced XLR pre-output: 2.4 V

I would hope that both would be 0.0V with no audio playing, or the volume turned all the way down.

What I like about power amps with volume/gain controls is that you can balance a system; not allowing a wide open amp when it’s not needed. I’m almost positive you would not be hearing this noise if the Sim had some sort of volume/gain control incorporated into it.

Don’t forget, we’re still interested in hearing if hooking up the RCA cables changes anything.

@kingbr 

So the only reason I didn’t hear the buzz with the 1 cable plugged in was because it was the rear and I didn’t listen to that one speaker. As I plugged the 2nd rear in that’s when I caught on that as soon as the XLR cable is plugged back in the buzz comes back in that particular speaker/channel…

I did catch that in a previous mention, but thanks for mentioning it again, so everyone reading this can absorb it, if they missed it.

There’s also a Mute Level adjustment (-40 dB, -20 dB). I’d also try adjusting that to see if that makes any difference in this noise you’re hearing.

To clarify, I'd also try turning ON the mute (trying either of the settings), to see if this has any effect on the buzz/hiss you're hearing.