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Robaye

Occasional Visitor
Hi..

I am getting sound static on my Cambridge PC speakers as soon as I plug in the network cable to the PC from powerline. Got new Belkin surge protector with noise filtration, didn't seem to help much.

Usually does not seem to impact headphones, interestingly.

Tried both motherboard sound and a sound card, same result. No static, though with wireless or direct connect to my Asus router. I tried swapping the powerline devices on the wall plugs, no difference.

TP Link TL-PA8030P. Gigabyte motherboard. Wonder if a power filter would work, but I don't want to spend a hundred plus bucks if don't have to. (Presume the power filter would replace the surge protector.)
http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/categ.../av-power-filters/av-power-filters/_/N-rnvwz7

Putting Ferrite Choke Cores on cables seemed to make no difference as well.

Wonder if a different brand of powerline product would have same problem..
 
Last edited:
Hi..

I am getting sound static on my Cambridge PC speakers as soon as I plug in the network cable to the PC from powerline. Got new Belkin surge protector with noise filtration, didn't seem to help much.

Usually does not seem to impact headphones, interestingly.

Tried both motherboard sound and a sound card, same result. No static, though with wireless or direct connect to my Asus router. I tried swapping the powerline devices on the wall plugs, no difference.

TP Link TL-PA8030P. Gigabyte motherboard. Wonder if a power filter would work, but I don't want to spend a hundred plus bucks if don't have to. (Presume the power filter would replace the surge protector.)
http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/categ.../av-power-filters/av-power-filters/_/N-rnvwz7

Putting Ferrite Choke Cores on cables seemed to make no difference as well.

Wonder if a different brand of powerline product would have same problem..

are you plugging the speakers into the same port as the headphones ?

Are the speakers a shielded type ?
Are they powered by the PC (passive) or separate wall wart power supply ?
try getting an extension cable and move them 10ft away. Does the static decrease ?

it sounds like either the speaker internals are picking up emi or the cable to the speakers or both. It might also being coming in via the wall wart power to the speakers if they are powered.
 
are you plugging the speakers into the same port as the headphones ?

Are the speakers a shielded type ?
Are they powered by the PC (passive) or separate wall wart power supply ?
try getting an extension cable and move them 10ft away. Does the static decrease ?

it sounds like either the speaker internals are picking up emi or the cable to the speakers or both. It might also being coming in via the wall wart power to the speakers if they are powered.
--
*Speakers are fairly old but not cheap-FPS 2000 with subwoofer and power.

*I connected the headphones to the pc front panel which is connected to the sound blaster audigy fx header.

*I hear more computer noise feedback while surfing. Once Network cable is disconnected from back of PC, the static goes away.

*I tried with some cheap passive powered speakers as well and also get static.

*Per link below satellites are shielded but woofer is not. I just moved the subwoofer away from the other devices but noticed no improvement.
http://assets.hardwarezone.com/2009/reviews/others/fps2000/fps-2000.htm
 
Hi..

I am getting sound static on my Cambridge PC speakers as soon as I plug in the network cable to the PC from powerline. Got new Belkin surge protector with noise filtration, didn't seem to help much.

Usually does not seem to impact headphones, interestingly.

Tried both motherboard sound and a sound card, same result. No static, though with wireless or direct connect to my Asus router. I tried swapping the powerline devices on the wall plugs, no difference.

TP Link TL-PA8030P. Gigabyte motherboard. Wonder if a power filter would work, but I don't want to spend a hundred plus bucks if don't have to. (Presume the power filter would replace the surge protector.)
http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/categ.../av-power-filters/av-power-filters/_/N-rnvwz7

Putting Ferrite Choke Cores on cables seemed to make no difference as well.

Wonder if a different brand of powerline product would have same problem..
---
Just read this article:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-howto/31316-slow-homeplug-try-a-powerline-filter

After reading I am inclined next step is a power filter, but I probably will not get one right away. Cannot find any chargers or anything interfering. I do however have a fish aquarium in the same general area of the finished basement. If it does not work, suppose could take it right back to the store for return.

Nearby MicroCenter products:
http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntt=power+filter
 
---
Just read this article:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-howto/31316-slow-homeplug-try-a-powerline-filter

After reading I am inclined next step is a power filter, but I probably will not get one right away. Cannot find any chargers or anything interfering. I do however have a fish aquarium in the same general area of the finished basement. If it does not work, suppose could take it right back to the store for return.

Nearby MicroCenter products:
http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntt=power+filter
If you plug the PC directly into the router and do not get the noise, then the issue should be the powerline adapters leaking on the the ethernet cable. If you bought them from MC, the return them and get a different brand. i have netgear and have not had any issue with either my PC + speakers or stereo on the other end. i don't have the ones with the built in filter either. Mine are Netgear AV500 with the gigabit single port.
One difference between my setup and yours is that on both ends i go through a gigabit switch. If you have a switch around, try connecting to it from the powerline and from the switch to the PC.

otherwise, i would swap them out for something different.

If you want to try to track down the noise source -
http://www.ctdxcc.org/powerlines/
 
Well, broke down and got an APC C2 power filter/ conditioner online. Tried connecting things a few different ways. I have C2 plugged into wall the TP-Link Powerline plugged into it. (I have my Belkin surge protector also plugged directly into the wall there as well.) This gets rid of 99% of the hiss/ static. Often if it's real quiet when downloading content, I can barely hear some static. I may get a Furman conditioner for my entertainment center some day.

Interestingly, when I connected the PC speakers into the other C2 plug, I got static again. Maybe because of proximity to the TP-Link.

Here are a couple related product links, and check out this You Tube frying surge protector demo!
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...=lowerfunnel&utm_content=display&utm_term=2x2
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Furman/M-8X2-Power-Conditioner.gc
 
I am getting sound static on my Cambridge PC speakers as soon as I plug in the network cable to the PC from powerline. Got new Belkin surge protector with noise filtration, didn't seem to help much.

Usually does not seem to impact headphones, interestingly.

Tried both motherboard sound and a sound card, same result. No static, though with wireless or direct connect to my Asus router. I tried swapping the powerline devices on the wall plugs, no difference.

TP Link TL-PA8030P. Gigabyte motherboard. Wonder if a power filter would work, but I don't want to spend a hundred plus bucks if don't have to. (Presume the power filter would replace the surge protector.)
http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/categ.../av-power-filters/av-power-filters/_/N-rnvwz7

Putting Ferrite Choke Cores on cables seemed to make no difference as well.

Wonder if a different brand of powerline product would have same problem..

That's really odd - because the freq's that PLC work at are very high - only thing I can consider perhaps in the PSU in the PC directly, but even there, doesn't make much sense... OFDM in basically whitenoise,,,

But for the speakers... might be them directly - esp. if they're amplified speakers - but even then, depends on the DC power supply there and ground, and there, it's dependent on the vendor for switching noise (e.g. static), but I'm guessing this is more on the mainboard of the PC, and not external networks.
 
I am pretty sure I had connected a laptop and heard hissing with that as well.
 
I am pretty sure I had connected a laptop and heard hissing with that as well.
From the Furman page
Noise attenuation: Transverse mode: Greater than 23dB, 200Khz to 10 MHz
That is not a lot of noise reduction. And it is not in a key area - 60Hz, 120Hz which are common power line / switching circuit noise frequencies. This device must assume that there is good 60 Hz filtering in the circuit as well. Since most devices run at around 60 (or 50) Hz, it would seem likely that an unshielded cable or device would pick up RF at 60 Hz or a multiple. The recent snafu with the poor design of the LG 5K display marketed for Apple is a classic example of what happens when you don't properly shield a system. In that case it appears to be WiFi signal that is being picked up on the traces or one of the chips. Proper grounding/earthing matters as well as noise can be injected by any difference of potential on the line.

Here is a paper that provides some explanation and may help you track it down
http://www.controlledpwr.com/whitepapers/ipnoisa1.pdf

You need a friend with a scope to figure this out. If it is at 60 Hz you may be able to use an analog volt meter to see if there is a beat frequency on one of the lines.
 
Thanks for all the help. I think I am going to call it good with help of the APC C2.
 
PLA works at frequency much higher than the electrical lines but still within the limits of what my oscilloscope can measure but i would however have to attach my oscilloscope to a backup power supply if i wanted to measure.

You should connect your powerline before the filters and make sure your audio isnt near the power cablings. If you are getting noise its not the fault of the PLA or the filters but the fault of the PSU of your gear as its supposed to filter out noise to provide smooth DC output.
 

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