Connecting computer to stereo receiver

[EricB]

Hey guys...

I am having a problem with computer audio being sent to my surround sound system. I am using 1/8 jack to RCAs..couple questions if anyone can help.

What I've noticed is the humming on the surround sound. I have changed position of wires, unplugged and plugged components to see if a difference is made, etc.

There are two instances when the humming is more dramatic:

1) The refrigerator pops on which shares the wall directly behind my entertainment system. The humming gets louder for the time that the fridge runs. Not much I can do about this except for moving the entire entertainment sys.

2) While my hard drive clicks away when it is working, I can hear a series of hums that is directly related to the clicks on the hd. If I move the wire around that is near the computer, the humming alternates pitch as if the computer is the main problem for the humming... could this be it?

The humming is only noticeable and bothers me if there is silence or a quiet spot in some movies/music, but in other movies it is nonstop and I can only crank the volume up so high before the humming is too much to take as it begins to drown out the audio.

Do I need a sound card with a different type of audio output to my receiver/amplifier?

Thanks for any suggestions!

a few solutions

1.move your system
2.ground your receiver to computer (last resort)
3. buy 2 ferrite chokes from radio shack and wrap your refrigerator and receiver cord around them
4.is your electrical outlets even grounded?
5.ground the rca shield
6.you might have a defective receiver and the capacitors are leaking(I doubt it though, this sound like a placement problem)

 

[blackmamba]

hey, i bought a ground loop isolator with a 1/8 jack connection from computer to rca on tv. i figured the computer was the cause and not the entertainment components or the fridge because of those hums when the harddrive was working.

it worked perfectly, crisp clear audio now! thanks for the earlier suggestions, i went out and got the isolator that day

joe


ps eric, wish i knew as much as you do about this stuff, still learnin' lol

 

[CODEPOET]

you have a hardware conflict...check for conflicts in the device mgr

 

[EricB]

hey, i bought a ground loop isolator with a 1/8 jack connection from computer to rca on tv. i figured the computer was the cause and not the entertainment components or the fridge because of those hums when the harddrive was working.

it worked perfectly, crisp clear audio now! thanks for the earlier suggestions, i went out and got the isolator that day

joe


ps eric, wish i knew as much as you do about this stuff, still learnin' lol

I use ground lood isolators as a last resort because they strip frequencies while reducing ground hum.

However most people won't notice the difference, so if it works for you that is good to hear