I own a pair of Equator D5 now, and they seem to have a very loud backround noise, specially compared to my Elac Quadriga System together with my Pioneer A605 R, where the amplifier noise is very silent.
Its defiently a problem of the speakers, I buyed new audio cables so that couldnt be the problem. And its defiently not my soundcard, because my headphones dont have any noise...
I run them on a very low gain, and when I turn them up the noise gets so damn fucking annoying...

So I googeld a bit, and found this threat:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-end-theory/798378-equator-d5-making-white-noise-self-noise-problem.html

Just read the first post, he is better in english and therefore better in explaining the problem.

I read some advises, but to be honest: My english isnt well enough to really understand that (or lets say to be sure what they actually really mean)

"Had the same issue (fluctuating hiss) pop up a few days after receiving these as well.

I was able to fix it by swapping out power cable that goes into speaker."

Can somebody tell me what exactly he did?


"I received the monitors and immediately piped a loop of pick noise through them for the day"

Does this really help? I cant really imagine that playing pink noise (I guess he ment pink noise) helps...


"Give the Equators some time. I white noise/pink noised them for days and that radically changed their sonic profile for the better..."

Another one giving that advise... Did I understood something wrong or should I really play noise to avoid noise???


If theres no chance to get that fucking noise less louder, I think I have to get different speakers... Or should I try and exchange them? Maybe I have better luck, it seems like some had better luck...

Its like a never ending nightmare on the road to a good sound...

 

Yeah playing pink noise to break in new monitors is something that's generally done wih higher end gear. Might as well give it a try. I've got relatively cheap monitors and noticed a difference after just using them for a week or two, they sound much better now. There wasn't a hiss tough.

The other suggestion is just to change the power lead for another one.

Could also be a ground loop but those confuse me so I can't really help there. I had a similar noise problem with my windows laptop but no problems with a mac using the same monitors. Macs have grounded motherboards (which stop ground noise) and cheap laptops usually don't. If possible try your monitors with a mac if you aren't already using one.

 

I wrote you earlier, I know you tried everything I wrote, so contact Equator and that fellows on GS, they already sorted all out by now

It happens all the time, just bad luck, even with expensive ones

 

Are you using balanced cables? If you don't, then do.

Also, break in those monitors! Pink noise, reverse one channel (to cancel each other out) and the put the faces of the speakers against each other and let them "burn in" for a day or two with decent volume.

 

I just bought a new PCi Soundcard, and the background noise drasticly changed to nothing (Because I hear nothing with my headphones, and only the amplifier-noise with my HiFi setup)

So just that I get it right, I should do that:

 

Yes, speaker against speaker. They will both move in sync (one is + and one is -), so that the volume out is reduced. Put them about an inch to each other (or closer). The phase cancellation s just to reduce the "annoying noise" for yourself, possible neighbors, family members, etc. Pink noise will get on your nerves quite fast, and is unpleasant to listen to.
Put them in a air ventilated closet, if you can.

 

lol, not this again...
refer to Why running in monitor speakers is a myth.

Of course ignoring the obvious "Why don't the manufacturers do this in the factory so i don't have to keep my neighbours awake for 3 days playing pink noise at high volume?"
If it did anything to improve the speakers, they would...

 

I like listening to pink noise. You can hear the dead people talking. LOL

 

If you read this article on SOS about the Equator Q8

Code:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct09/articles/equatorq8.htm

It complains about noise:

So it seems it's the amps.

 

Hm, its a petty I didnt read about that earlier... There are many good reviews, and then you have to realize after that you only find the bad reviews when you know the problem...
I think I have to return them since the problem seems to be very common for Equator, thats sad but...I need quiet monitors to work with! Really sad because they seem to have a very good sound quality for the price
So lets start the research again Maybe I know better this time and will be able to make more precise researches to find the right monitors for me...

 

you need balanced speaker cable i had the same problem with my KRK's

 

Balanced speaker cables solve most these problems unless its a ground loop.

Best prevention for ground loops is not to plug in to extensions or plug sockets on a spur circuit.
If you plug the gear directly into separate plug sockets in the wall that connected in a ring main then all the connections from the plug ends to the earth are the same so no ground loops.

Ground loops occur when a device has two paths to ground of different length i.e. through earth pin on plug and threw the gear.
Plug extension cables with 3 or 4 plugs on, give the 3 or 4 bits of gear 3 or 4 different earth lengths. Each is only longer by a few millimetres but its often enough to create a ground loop. spur circuits are like built in the wall extensions so create the problem in the same way.

The most common reason for a ground loop when gear is plugged directly in to the wall is 1 speaker in a plug socket in the ring main and 1 plug is on a spur circuit. The difference in ground length causes the system to earth threw the mixer/ sound card using the signal pathway.

Try all gear plugged directly into the wall and try Different plug sockets.


I am writing this Just after 2am and I'm sleepy, be aware for mistakes. I thing it's all right

 

Guys I extra bought balanced cables...

I tested out all plug sockets aviable, changed nothing.

 

It's almost definitely a power issue, if you can, run a dedicated circuit, neutral and ground to your equipment directly from the panel. Or try researching power conditioners, I know APC and Monster both make them, I have the same problem myself. You could try just TEMPORARILY, plugging your speakers into an ungrounded extension cord, that's how I diagnosed a problem that my laptop power supply was causing with my audio interface...