Pioneer HTP 210 HTB Subwoofer Rumbling Strangely (1 Viewer)

[Jeffrey_Rydell]

Here's what I bought at Best Buy:

Pioneer*Dolby Digital/DTS Home Theater Receiver-and-Speaker Package*—*HTP-210

Includes 500-watt receiver, five 2-way satellites and 100-watt sub; Dolby Digital/DTS decoders; 5.1-channel inputs; 6-mode DSP; 2 digital inputs

When I set up my system I noticed a distortion in the subwoofer on playback. With my ear pressed against the unit I could hear a scratchy rumbling. When I turned off what had been playing, I could detect a constant low-level rumbling. I've tried removing wires, swapping it around to other outlets in other houses and still the strange rumbling.

So.

Today I was able to swap out the subwoofer at Best Buy. Taking this new subwoofer around again I can hear another sort of cycling rumble. What's more, it's WORSE - a nasty pop n' hum - percolating.

Is this a flaw in this particular Pioneer system? I tried plugging my subwoofer into the EXACT same outlet as my friend's Sony SA-W305 subwoofer (which does NOT have any audio problems) and still, the same popcorn-like crackling with a persistant hum underneath.

Has anyone out there come across a problem like mine?

AND can you suggest solutions ... or alternate products that come in for $500?

MANY thanks for all your patience and help!!

Happy Holidays!

 

[Clinton McClure]

Possibly ground-loop hum?
By the way - Welcome to The Forum.
The low-level cycling noise you hear when you plug the sub in sounds a lot like a ground-loop hum. I've never personally dealt with ground-loop problems so I do not know how to fix them, but don't fret...There are many here who do.
How does the sub sound while listening to music or watching a movie? Is it pretty harsh or does it sound ok when in use?

 

[Jeffrey_Rydell]

Thanks for responding.

It's pretty harsh on playback. Not SO much so from a distance, but when you get close and listen, the low tones being pushed thru sorta harness and 'play'

the crackly-hum. Makes all that deep bass very directional. I'm really babying the whole system too; overall volume is quite low, and the subwoofer's volume is VERY low, almost off..

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

(I also noticed your post on Mobius but posting is disabled for a couple of days over there)

You say that you've tried it on other outlets, etc. Does the sub make that noise whether it's plugged into the processor or not (not just with no signal applied, I mean physically connected via the cable)? If it does only when hooked up to the processor, then there's something wrong with the processor. If the noise occurs when the sub is plugged in but not attached to the processor, then, obviously, the sub itself is the problem. When you brought it back to BB, did you get a chance to plug it in there and listen for the noise?

 

[Jeffrey_Rydell]

Yep, the noise occurs when the sub is plugged in but not attached to the processor. I didn't have a chance to plug it in at Best Buy, as they were semi-hostile about just swapping the sub for me and were overrun with holiday madness. I'll be dealing with them again soon enough, I guess.