New Balanced IC cables related hum on one channel

[Jazzy5]

Today, I connected a Dynamic design Heritage GS one meter interconnect from MCD 350 CD/SACD player to AR ref6 preamp. As soon as Right AMP turn on you could hear a buzzing sound/humming, no problem with left cable(marked Black) or AMP and no buzzing on left channel.
I know this is Cable connected to right channel since I donot hear any buzz when i use. different brand cables.
Any idea what is going On? Ground loop, terminal disconnection ??

Thanks,
Sami

[AnotherJohnson]

Bad cable, bad connection, dirty rca jack, interconnect is close to an AC line, and/or ground loop. If everything is plugged into the same power strip and if you’re not running that interconnect near an AC cord, turn everything off, clean the RCA jacks on the cable (both ends) and try it again.

[admin]

Sounds like a bad cable if it doesn't happen with other RCA cables. You can flip the right and left cables to see if the issue is restricted to the one cable in the pair.

[AnotherJohnson]

I missed that it was balanced since CJ doesn’t have balanced inputs or outputs. I thought I was the only guy asking about ARC here. Sorry.

That makes it a higher probability that the cable is wired wrong or broken, but the cleaning and seating issues are still possibles.

And, of course, it could be internal to one of the components being connected.

[AnotherJohnson]

FWIW, in my Krell gear, which I ran balanced, and even vertically biamped (which required a balanced Y configuration from the preamp to the amps, so custom built cables), whenever hum came up, it was the failure of a component, most often in the preamp. Filter caps in either amp or preamp, DC offset, yada yada yada.

I can’t remember ever getting a bad cable, and I had several companies build custom Y configurations to try. The best I found that I could actually afford were AudioQuest McKenzies.

[AnotherJohnson]

I had plenty of lousy cables. Just none that were broken per se.

[roberto]

Or the balanced cable was not inserted all the way in, that could cause that horrible sound. The ground (pin No 1 in the cable connector might be broken or unsolder. Check this on both terminal cables.

[Jazzy5]

Thank you all,
Roberto that is strong possibility as DD is demo cable bought at discount and terminal just slide in but do not lock in or snap on one end; I have MIT terminator II extended IC ,that i am going to insert to find out if it eliminate the Buzz.
just for completion sake, I flipped cables but hum was always localized to right speaker.it did not matter if preamp or CD player was on or off,Hum started as soon as amp warmed up.(AR monoblocks).and stopped as i turned off RMB .
I tested Mono block(RMB) with another CJ Preamp and RCA cables ----no issue.
My ref 6 just retuned after SE upgrade so i thought Right channel might be an issue; but when I plugged it in to another system with Chord Etude amp - no buzz
so i think RMB, ref6 are ok
I suspect it might be loose or broken cable cable from MONOs to preamp and not from CD to preamp
I have 2 set of DD balanced cables/IC one from CD to preamp and other from Preamp to Monos.
IC from preamp to amp is the one that is not snapped/locked.
so i go on my quest to confirm it.
also electrical interference is possiblity as i have a mumbo jumbo of cables and power cords and IC crossing; but it has never been an issue before

[Jazzy5]

Hi Roberto, it was loose IC between preamp and amp causing horrendous Buzz. i pushed it all the way in and problem solved, i will send cable back for terminal repair so it could lock in place.

[admin]

Glad it was the cable and not a component. Should be an easy fix.

[roberto]

Glad it worked...
Happy listening!