New owner

[ssmith77]

Hi everybody new to this forum and just took the plunge and got my first Rotel setup
RSP 1098
RB 1090
RMB 1095
I spent all last night upgrading in the 1098 EPROM and firmware as had a problem with the com port communicating to the 1098. Finally after about 3 hours I figured it out. it was due to the way my buffer rates where set on my pc. But in the end all was ok.I think as have not tested yet.
Well now i have along week end to play with it all and set it all up. I will be as happy as kid on x mass day playing with all his new toys. Any way will keep you posted over the next few weeks as to how it all goes. Eventually will send in some photos of my setup once I have finished .Well as you all know you never quite finish as some new toy always comes along.
Regards Steve
:P :P

[Bob Knarly]

Steve,welcome,thats a great set up that should sound fantastic,let us know and enjoy.

[Andrew Pratt]

WOW that's some way to get into Rotel gear...great start and welcome to Club Rotel:T

[Azeke]

Steve, that's a very impressive setup.

Congratulations and welcome to the Club :T .

Enjoy your new toys,

Azeke

BTW, is that in silver or black?

[aud19]

:drool: Congrats! :T

Jason

[gd]

It's been said before, but... WOW.

What are your speakers?

[ssmith77]

My speakers

Hi I have a an Australian made range from the guys who made duntech speakers and now make Dunlevy.They split and now the guys here make this range
http://www.sonique.com.au/
I have the 7.5se for the fronts
5.5se for the rears
4.5se for the centre front and centre back
And an EARTHQUAKE SUPERNOVA MKIV-12 POWERED SUBWOOFER
I have also noticed a hum from my two centers and rears which a running of my 1095 if any body has ideas would be much appreciated
Regards Steve

[Jason Brown]

Hi Steve

In case no one's mentioned it yet. . .WOW! Nice setup!

If you look at the last few pages of threads you'll find a few topics dealing with people's issues with the 1095 humming. I haven't had any issues in my house, so I can't be of much help there.

I'm this close to committing financial irresponsibility and getting a 1090 myself. I went and listened to one yesterday, but through quite different speakers than my own, so it's hard for me to draw conclusions. I would love to hear your impressions of 2-channel music listening with the 1090 vs. the 1095 if you wouldn't mind.

Thanks.

[Aussie Geoff]

Probably Ground Loop Hum and here's how to fix...

Steve,

Almost certainly (95%+) the hum is a ground loop hum with a slight mismatch in the mains ground level between one of your your sources finding its way into the RMB-1095 via the RCA cables. The test for this is to run the RMB-1095 with NO RCA cables plugs in. If the hum goes - then it is coming in via them from the RSP-1098. If not (i.e. you have hum with nothing other than the speakers connected to the RMB-1095) you have mains noise and need to consider a high quality mains filter or (desperation only and after an electrician has checked your mains) a cheater plug.

However if (as is likely) it is coming in from the RSP-1098 - then the next step is to fine which component (or components) it is coming from that are plugged into the RSP-1098. One way it to unplug them all (or at least turn them off at the mains) and then turn them on one at a time to see. (Turning them off at the mains doesn't always work as some will still let earth current through their RCA leads even when powered off!.

Most likely culprits are:
* TV Antenna (especially if powered with an amplifier)
* Satellite Box (Foxtel etc)
* Digital Set top Box
* TV itself.
* VCR (from the antenna!)
In complex situations (I had this) part of the hum can be entering the TV Antenna signal from another device in another room (e.g. VCR).

Now, once you find the source then you need the right kind of isolation transformer / ground loop breaker. I used on antenna isolation transformer ($20) on my Antenna signal coming in from the Wall and problem solved. However each device has a different solution. For example some people have had faulty VCR giving out a small mains current on the RCS shielding - needing repair / new VCR.

All this may sound daunting - but it is not really. It's just about being systematic and working your way through from the RMB-1095 to the RSP-1098 to the various devices to see where the mains hum is entering your system (can be two or more places if you are unlucky!). Once you know this the it is easy to fix...

Geoff

[ssmith77]

the hum

Thanks for all that tried replacing the rca one at a time and the hum only comes on when I connect it to the mains the hum goes away completely when not plugged in so a better filter may be in order will have to think about it as the hum is only noticeable when you get very close to the speakers
Regards Steve

[Aussie Geoff]

Steve,

When you say

I connect it to the mains the hum goes away completely when not plugged in so a better filter may be in order will have to think about it as the hum is only noticeable when you get very close to the speakers

What is the "It" you are refering to - the RSP-1098 or the RMB-1095? I would expect the hum to stop if the mains was removed from the RMB-1095 (no power to drive the speakers). If it drops with the RSP-1098 then you are on the way to diagnosing it... Could you explain a little more what you tried and what happened?

Geoff

[ssmith77]

hum

Yes sorry I have the 1090 driving the fronts and the 1095 doing the rest so when I plug the 1095 in there is a hum in all speakers .when I unplug it stops including from the fronts when I plug the 1095 back in the hum comes back to the fronts as well. And I tried replacing the rca 1 at a time it only occurs when I power the 1095.
Regards Steve

[Aussie Geoff]

Steve,

Interesting - are you saying that with NO RCA leads plugged into either the RMB-1095 or the RB-1090 that turning on the RMB-1095 causes hum, even in the RB-1090? If so this indicated a earth mismatch betwen the two - are they plugged into the same socket?

Geoff

[ssmith77]

hum

yes if i have all the rca leads pluged in and the 1095 turned off all is fine the when you turn it on the hum starts on the two fronts and rears as well and yes are on the same power board but have aleardy tried it on diffrent power outlets but same problem.
But when the 1095 is not powered and all the rca leads pluged in and the 1090 is on all is fine and as have statred i have tried one by one with the rca leads and it only happens when i switch the 1095 on
Regards Steve

[Aussie Geoff]

Steve,

It is still hard to tell from your very brief descriptions what is wrong (e.g. is the RSP-1098 powered up at the time etc). However it does sound interesting. There are some possible problems with an amplifer that could cause this (e.g. if the earth shielding resistors in the inputs on the RMB-1095 were leaking a little current out the ground on the RCA of into the RSP01098, which then leaked back into the RB-1090.) We are talking unlikely here but possible - we had one member who needed this done in the USA (bad batch of resistors perhaps). I'd speak to your dealer - get them to come out to the house and try / see what you are doing. You just may need a new RMB-1095 or the resistors changed by the repair shop.

Equally if the RSP-1098 is on when you are testing this then it could be a bad ground loop from it from one of the components as per my first description. I just can't tell from what you have said - but I would get the dealer out...

Geoff

[ssmith77]

the Hum

Hi
Geoff
Went back to where I got it from this morning and they new straight away what it was a ground loop hum coming from the mains all they did was give me another type of lead and all is fine now.thanks for all your help
Regards Steve

[Aussie Geoff]

Steve,

Excellent news.

Just to help for future readers / diagnosis - what was the feature of the new RCA cables:
Shielded vs Non Shielded
OR
Directional Shielding not grounded at the destination (which sounds likely)
OR
Something else?

Geoff