How To Eliminate A Subwoofer Humming Problem 

Andrew, this is exactly the sort of question millions of people around the world ask themselves. Many just take the hum as a given; I have... but no longer. Thank you for this information and I'm looking forward to more videos. Perhaps you can adjudicate on the argument about variation in sound volumes between TV/radio programmes and advertisement breaks. Do broadcasters up the volume deliberately during advert breaks (many have denied it)? Surely it can't be our imagination. Whatever, it's irritating and if you know something, please tell.

Thank you so much for this valuable information. I was getting flutter from my subs using my turntable. The heat sinks were actually quite hot from all the movement. I followed your way of eliminating component by component. Just plugging my turntable into the same outlets that most of the other components are plugged in and that did it. The subs no longer flutter and are running super cool. Thank you Andrew.

Thank you so very much!!! I just solved the humming problem on my subwoofer which I had given up on, after trying various things in the past. It was a very very simple fix and this is now solved after watching your explanation.

My sub is literally humming as I watch this. Ill try moving the power cables to the same power strip. Thanks Andrew.

I've never had this problem in home audio. I did on a car Amplifier. I ended up using the high level input to get rid of the noise. Excellent information.

Really good and informative video again. You keep it simple, and nicely explain. Keep them coming about subwoofers...Good work Andrew.

I cut the third prong on my flux capacitor and now I’m stuck in 2024. Thanks for this very informative video.

Disconnected everything in back of my all in one computer then reconnected them and noise from sub woofer has gone !! thanx so much sir !!

Andrew thank you for saving my sanity today, my little SSL 2+ was sending speaker signal out with RCA to TRS 1/4" jacks, I re routed with XLR at TRS 1/4" and BOOM. Now if you can do a video on why the sub woofer pops every time the power switch comes on, does it affect my monitors etc. hmmmm Five Star Review!

incredible ,thank you. For my cheap subwoofer radio ,removing the wire antenna for the radio cut the noise 90%

Andrew thanks for another great video, these little fixes may seem mundane to some but when you have a particular issue it can drive you crazy. For Mark Roze, i had switched tv providers from one satellite service to another and "Bam" instant hum from only one of two subs. I chased it down to the cable box so i called the provider and they came back out and ran a ground wire from my satellite dish to my ground at the meter and instantly problem solved. I have no idea why the first installer omitted this, but according to the service person that came out the second time that should have been done originally. He even came in to make sure the hum was gone. I still can't figure out why the problem was with only one of my subs.

i had a powered definitive technology 15" sub that hummed when new with nothing connected to it. what stopped the hum was to move the internal speaker wires further away from the speaker magnet. i don't understand why it worked but it did so i was happy.

This is a very helpful video! I seem to have a related unique problem now. I have an Elac 3010 sub that integrates perfectly with my system and has no hum issues but I also have a pair of REL T/5i subs and they have hummed since day one and no matter what I've tried, I can't eliminate the hum. I'd rather run the REL's because they're physically smaller than the Elac plus they are a pair, yet the hum drives me crazy!

Great info as always. I have to go through ground loop isolating every time I connect something new. The coaxial coming to the building I live in is old and deteriorated. Sadly my cable company is reluctant to change it, even had them in and showed them it's 100% the coax cable. So I use a Power bar with internal Baluns and have as much connected to it as it will fit. According to my cable company the coax. isolator is bad and not to use it. Sadly that's the only way I can defeat the ground loop.

Hello Andrew. First, congrats on this very direct and instructional video. I’ve learned a lot :) But I need help with a scenario I’m facing, that seems a bit unusual based on things I read around. My subwoofer hums with or without a signal been send. It also hums whenever the RCA cable is connected to it: if I simply turn it on with or without the RCA, it hums. And it really feels like a ground loop issue. I already tried all possible outlets in the living room, including the same where the receiver is connected to, and in all of them the hum persists. The hum is not present only if it I connect it to a power outlet in any other room of my apartment. The thing is, my subwoofer uses a 2 prong power cord, no grounding. And I really don’t have any idea of what to do. If the grounding loop is the issue, how can it affect a subwoofer that uses a 2 prong? Hope I’m not asking too much of you, and really appreciate any guidance on this. Thanks!

Thank you. You made this simple and straightforward and that is much appreciated.

Outside of USA many people don't have grounded electrical system in their house at all, so I doubt it's as dangerous as he mentioned. None of the houses I lived in until I was 20 had grounded system

Thankyou so much you really gave me something to think about. I will not remove the 3 rd prong, but remove everything, and try components one at a time through the same outlet, so there is no change in ground potential. Your awesome and I appreciate you, and your video. Sincerely Eric

Blue Jeans makes a humm eliminator, I got it off Amazon, it works amazingly well. Before i used it on my subwoofer outputs I did everything I could to eliminate the humm. It was almost gone, and this little device took care of the test. I also threw out ALL cords and power strips that were missing the ground pin.

Wow great info for us thank you so much for these videos

You soved my problem in less than a min !!!!! Thx a lot !

" How To Eliminate A Subwoofer Humming Problem"? Teach it the words!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Excellent factual and quick info - thank you!

I have a Yamaha RX-A4A and a Yamaha A-S1100 integrated amp, and recently bought a BK-sub. The sub has no hum whatsoever with nothing in it. However, as soon as I connect any cables from my amps to the sub, some noise is always heard. I tried disconnecting the cables from the amps but leaving in the subwoofer and then it's like the first situation, absolutely no hum. So it's not the subwoofer. I then tried to connect SOLELY the RCA sub out to the subwoofer with NOTHING else connected to the receiver, and the LFE-low level input still hums very faintly but only if I put the gain to 100% and in bypass mode. All of this tested with all amps in the same power outlet. I literally tried everything, and nothing seems to work. I tried a RCA ground loop isolator on the sub's RCA cable and that made the hum even louder. Either my receiver is faulty (even though through the main-in coupled with the integrated, I don't have noise coming from the main speakers), or there's something else entirely.

The 2 prong in Europe is only allowed if the chassis can not come into contact with anything electrical at all. It is either plastic or otherwise EU checked/tested ISO thing

Very helpful, thank you.

Thanks heaps! My sub is humming and crackling. I have to go through it like you explained. Cheers from Australia 🙂 👍👍👍. Subbed and liked

I get a slight hum in my Monitor Audio Subwoofer, its due to design issues not ground loop. A lot of home audio in the UK doesn't have a ground/earth connection in the power supply plug, but i think this is due to neutral being tied to ground/earth somewhere outside the house and the cable is double insulated. Quote, "A Class II or double insulated electrical appliance is one which has been built in such a way that it does not require a connection to electrical earth (ground)".

Thank you so much It helped me a lot

Excellent information, thank you

My issue was no humming with nothing plugged in but would hum with all av cables even with the other end not plugged into anything. I'm using a car sub with a car amp, a cheap power supply, and a receiver. I connected a wire to the chassis of my receiver and to the ground connection of the amp. No hum now

Very helpful! Thank you.

Thank you for the information. Can you also address front and rear speaker HUM?

Excellent video thank you I have a Klipsch reference Cinema 5.1.4 that has recently developed a hum. I followed your instructions and when I unplugged everything turn the volume up and then plugged in the subwoofer it started to hum but when I then plugged in the RCA it stopped. This is the opposite of what you described. So what could be my problem thank you

So if it's a ground loop fault and I plug it into an ungrounded outlet, will that fix it?

To plug my subwoofer into the same power strip as my amp means the power cable will run parallel (literally right on top of) the speaker cables. Will having a power cable running right next to the speaker cables that connect to the subwoofer ALSO cause a hum?

What if it buzzes (not hums) and it does that in every socket in the house, with no audio source connected, just the power? When I put my ear on it it sounds like it's buzzing from the inside.

What about when it hums just when plugged into the ac wallet, and nothing else? Nothing changed in the setup and it just started to hum quite loudly!

I have a question about my setup. Most of equipment are plugged into the surge protector but I hear the hum on subwoofer when turning the volume to max. So my current is 7.2 channel with PSB Speakers for the front speakers center channel is totem and the surround speakers are mission lx4 and in the front I psb floor standing speakers. And finally, I have totem subwoofer.

Thank you ❤

I also suffer from subwoofer hum. I did find how to get it to stop, but don't know what to do next. I have an HDMI cable that goes from my cable box to a Blackbird 4K Pro splitter that has two HDMI outputs, one goes to a 55" tv and the other to my 77" tv. I found that when I disconnect either HDMI output cable, the hum stops. But, if I disconnect the INPUT cable from the cable box, the hum does NOT stop. Is the problem the Blackbird splitter? If so, what do I do about this? Any comments/help would be greatly appreciated.

My subwoofer makes ratting sound even if it is not connected to to my receiver . I tried moving my subwoofer to separate room and plugged in w/o any audio cable . still it makes noise. Not sure what could be issue, can you help Andrew?

As you said - I plugged the sub into the same power outlet as the AV receiver and the hum was gone!

hi my subwoffer has a humming sound by just connecting it to the power source :( can u help me out?

Thank you for stressing to NOT break the ground pin off. This isn't a solution it's just creating a much more dangerous problem!

I honestly think its normal i bought a vizio surround sound plus subwoofer they both hum. I tried everything

I have a question my subwoofer will humming just plug the power in. no other cable hook up yet so do you know why please let know

Why does my mic preamp (LA-610) make my subwoofer roar when i turn the mic pre level up to high??

In my case, my subwoofer actually plays sound/music from a radio station "while" I am playing music. I have tried everything to remove or stop it.

Question : bought brand new Klipsch 120sw 12 in sub all i get is hum. I"m stumped i did what you said and unplug ALL wires on sub and yes hum gone. But as soon as i hook banana plug ( 16 gauge speaker wire) to rca ooutlets ( LFE) hums. So what do i do now that's the cause of the hum.

is that the same as coil whine? As soon as i switch on subwoofer i hear a 'hum' like electricity is making something vibrate...cant hear it during movies etc obviously, but when dead silent i hear it

I plugged it into the same strip as the system. So i thinks normal 😊

Great video, but I still have the hum. It's a new Klipsch sub and it hums as soon as any RCA cables are attached, but they are not attached to anything. If I touch the outer ring, the hum almost completely disappears. I've tried 3 different pairs, and they all sound the same. I've plugged the amp into multiple outlets and no change. I've had three other subs in this room with zero problems. Yamaha, Sony and Onkyo. Also, with this sub it destroys my FM signal whenever it produces sound, as in from music playing through it. The only thing that helped a little was using the existing single sub connection from my Yamaha receiver and coiling it at the subwoofer. The plan is to run the sub with a Kenwood KR-6050 through a Kicker line-out converter but this hum seems invincible. The line out setup seems to work great otherwise. I'm pulling my hair out with this one. Is this sub just junk?

My subwoofer is grounded but my amp isnt is that a problem?

So I'm getting a constant low hum that I can always hear, especially when it gets quiet at night time. I have two 2.1 speaker systems (for my PC) and both of them hum like this. All I do is plug in the power, no signal cables at all. I've tried a power conditioner, an AC ground loop interrupter, and even buying a universal plug adapter so I could reverse the prongs when I plug it in, NONE of that has changed anything. I've tried it at another house as well. It must be something to do with the cable or satellite connection, or just something loose or improperly grounded with our main breaker box. I doubt that both of these subs have bad capacitors. I could probably test it by flipping the breaker that powers the cable/satellite box....if I can figure out which that is. Good god this is aggravating.

Hi, sadly this did not help but I’d like to detail my issue here because I’m getting desperate. I have three components along which a ground loop seems to be: an av receiver, a subwoofer, and a projector. They are all plugged into the same power conditioner. The projector and subwoofer have ground prongs on their plugs but the receiver does not and honestly I’ve never owned one that did. The projector is connected to the receiver via hdmi and the subwoofer is connected to the receiver via rca. If either of these cables are unplugged, the hum goes away. Interestingly, I noticed the hum was reduced but not eliminated if I used a different hdmi cable that was longer and thinner, but the one I got that is well shielded and the right length for the job carries the ground loop. I also noticed if I run the subwoofers power on an extension cord to an outlet on a different circuit, the hum is reduced significantly but not completely. There is a ground post on the av receiver (specifically for the phono preamp, I don’t know if it grounds the whole unit) that I attached some speaker wire to and ran it to the subwoofer but there is nothing conductive on the exterior other than the plugs themselves. So I held the wire to the outer metal of one of the rca plugs and heard a slight reduction in hum but again not an elimination. Also, the hum does not start until the projector is on. I am at my wits end and don’t really know what to do to resolve the problem. Any suggestions? Side question: while I agree it is a bad idea to cut the ground prong from a plug, I recently got a new klipsch subwoofer for another room and it does not have a ground prong either. So out of curiosity, why would it really be that dangerous to use a ground lifter on my sub, if klipsch seems to think they don’t need one? Especially if my sub runs on a voltage conditioner/surge protector, and both do.

Great vid! Not sure if this caused the "hum" in my subwoofer but it started after I disconnected and plugged back in the RCA cable from the subwoofers LFE input , which then made a loud "popping sound" ... unfortunately, I didn't realize the sub was powered on at the time; perhaps this exacerbated things and the hum has been there every since, albeit very faint..unsure! Troubleshooting: I noticed that the sub does not hum after disconnecting the RCA cable from the sub.. I also tried plugging in the main power into another outlet , no change + Swapped the output on the processor to the second rca sub output, no change Could it be the RCA cable?

I do not realize the subwoofer hum issues until you raise this topic. It seems that your treatment to curb the subwoofer humming is similar to the elimination of humming picked up by the phono. Is a subwoofer is as sensitive as a phono, though one is an output and the other is the source. I do not want to go deep into technical theory. But for the electric shock danger, I found the ground pin of an AVR is not metal made. The phono plug has no ground pin. With these plug designs, it has long been a mystery to me how interference can propagate through the third pin.

Just got the Polk TX12 sub, and I get the buzz no matter what socket/unplug everything/no cables plugged in it.

I got my subs stacked and i got the audio system on a power saving outlet im guessing its one of thoes?

Hello! Unless I missed something, the only thing not addressed is my issue: nothing is plugged in to my subwoofer - just electricity, via a kettle plug. I have a persistent hum, and volume control doesn't change it - the only thing that will, is turning it off. Is this a job for an electrician, or is there something I can try? Thanks very much, really appreciate you. :)

I disconnected everything. Still hums

Hi. I hope you read this comment i have 2 or 4 question 1. why speaker smell and burn?( the Best reason and 2nd reason please ) 2. if I put too much power on a subwoofer will it burn out or smell ? in case 1 (30 w RMS MORE THAN NORMAL POWER) in case 2 ( 80 W RMS MORE THAN NORMAL POWER, this will afect ?) 3. how i can masure the real power a speaker can hanndle or push out ? 4. How i can masure the real power a amplifier can push out ? PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO WITH ALL OF THESE ❤️❤️💯🤙

So how do you get rid of a ground loop caused by the cable box? My hum is caused by my cable box. When I disconnect the HDMI cable connecting the cable box to my Denon AVR the hum goes away. But I don’t know how to get rid of it. I tried using a cheater plug for the cable box. I also tried one of those ground loop isolator filters you connect between the cable line and box but neither worked. Should I try plugging the cable box into a different outlet on another circuit? Or is there an affordable product I could buy to eliminate it?

I haber my subwoofer plugged and unplugged and still makes that “static” noise I even tried to plug it by itself in different outlets of my home and still the same :/ is that probably the actual woofer that might be damaged?? 🤔

I've found that when I have humming it's because of a loose connection. My current sub is a klipsch 110 sw from 2014 how much longer will it last?

This is not my problem... I think the rca jack on the back of my subwoofer has a short... I used to be able to stop the hum just from jiggling the cord but now it is always humming. Time for a new subwoofer I think.

What does it mean if the hum continues even when everything is disconnected except for power?

Hi .I get hum noise from my active subwoofer (edefier s550 5.1 audio system.) If I keep volume upto 40 there is very low hum and if increases the volume above 40 the hum noise increases. Wat is the soultion..it's disturb the audio quality. ..u get all the time headache to listen.. Thanks do reply

Yes, it makes a noise with NO input at all!

use the correct cable

I've had humming before I've fixed it by tightening the connection, when that didn't work it was a sign that the sub was quitting. My current sub klipsch sw 110 I bought 8 years ago how long will it last?

Can my AMP be causing the ground loop? When I plug the interconnects that are going from my "Loop Back" ports on my amp to the inputs on my sub - that is when it starts to hum (very low level). The Sub-woofer can be powered on but, it will not hum unless it is connected to my AMP. I have to set it up that way according to Parasound. Thanks.

So what is causing the hum if its still there with only the power cord and nothing else connected?

Hi. I have a bad subwoofer hum problem and it's driving me crazy so hope you can help? The source system is a PC and is 6m away under my stairs connected to an AV amp. The amp then connects to surround speaker and sub (via coax) in the living room. When it was installed it worked ok but over the years the sub started to hum intermittently (it seemed a loose connection as wiggling the part coming from the living room wall caused more hum). So I soldered the rca connector again (both centre pin and shield) but now it buzzes very loudly and unusable. It tested and there wasn't a short, but I can't easily test end to end as it's to far apart. The subwoofer is quiet when disconnected and turned up, and the sub sounds fine when connected directly to the AV amp, suggesting it's the cable from under the stairs to the living room.. My question is, how can I prove if the problem is the cable and if there is noise from induction from other cables can that be resolved? Should you always connect the centre pin and shielding at both ends? If I can't fix the cable (it runs behind the wall) and I continue to need to have the AV amp and sub in different places, is there any solution you can recommend such as audio over cat5 or something? I'd rather avoid rewiring as it's in the wall :( Oh lastly the sub buzzes quite loudly if disconnected but I touch the centre pin of the rca lead into it with my finger. Seems very sensitive. Is the sub at fault?

Did not help. Same outlet, unplugged everything.

It could kill you? I believe you. How did you come to that view? Does that mean all two prongs will kill you? How many people have died from this? Should I not use a sub?

That’s interesting I never had a subwoofer that made a humming noise

I plugged the sub into another outlet on another wall and the hum went away. Problem solved.

Dont take a sub buy good speakers 😅