(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best car amplifier installation products

Thanks for the reply. that sucks about the budget, a lot of others found setups that were well within my constraints.

> First, make sure to check all your resources before popping over to your local sound shop and letting them convince you to buy some overpriced shit.

>Amazon and Ebay are your friends! Use crutchfield and sonicelectronix for info and standard >pricing, then check Amazon/Ebay for the BIG discounts. Tell crutchfield or Amazon what you're driving and they'll give you a list of parts that fit.

>Second, even with only listening to rock music, trust me you will want a small subwoofer to fill out your system. Nothing major, it doesn't have to blow your head >off or anything. Just adds a little low end to balance out your sound.

>So, if I were to build a decent budget system for your Ranger, this is what I'd do:

> Head unit (radio). Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC are really the only brands I would consider. Here's a decent Pioneer for the money. ~ $68

> You'll also need a wiring harness for your aftermarket radio to work in your truck. Not a big deal. ~ $4

> Okay, speaker time. Crutchfield says your truck has 5 1/4" in the doors, 6 1/2" in the kick panels and some random speaker behind the seat. For our purposes, let's say you just disconnect the rear speaker as it will be completely unnecessary. Here are some Rockfords for the doors that won't break the bank. ~ $62 / And here's some 6 1/2" Alpines for the kick panels ~ $62

> Subwoofer. Okay, now you may reach this point and say, "You know, I'll be fine with just this! Listen to how much better it sounds!" Trust all of us, a woofer is a good investment. For your purposes, I've tried to leave some wiggle room as far as budget goes to allow for a decent sub, box, amp and amp kit. A lot of these people will say build your own box, and if you're handy and would like to try, then go for it! I'm just not as averse to prefab as most people around here, so I say just find a decent prefab wedge box that will fit behind your seat. A little browsing and Bam! box and woofer. That's perfect for you. ~ $109

> Amplifier. You don't need anything crazy. Keeping with the Rockford theme, here's a decent 250w amp for that sub. ~ $103

> Amp kit. ~ $33

>And the grand total is: ~ $441 ($196 without the stuff for the subwoofer)

>Now, obviously you can play around with the pieces of this system for preference and price, but this was just what I could throw together in 20 minutes or so. Research, research, research. Half of this game is finding parts you like and reading/forming opinions about brands, etc. Hope I helped.

and

>Oh I can answer this one easy. My first truck was Ranger.
>You can easily get a nice sound system going for cheap. Check out Crutchfield for getting equipment. They make >it dead simple to install most components.
>I recommend getting a CD player.head unit that has bluetooth and usb inputs. You can get a pioneer or kenwood for cheap. Or spend a little more for an Alpine.
>Replace the stock speakers with stock sized aftermarket ones. You don't even have to spend a lot of money. Honestly, you could get away with spending less than >$250 on the whole set up.
>You will have a solid system at this point. You can then research adding a sub for the bass.

>Here is some that fit your truck;

>Head Unit

>Door SPeakers

>Additional Rear Speakers - these will need boxes since there is no spot for installation.


>Total of about $220.

I'm sure there can be good setups found for my budget?

It's extremely easy to DIY. I'd strongly recommend visiting YouTube. Most customization shops will likely do it, but AFAIK it's not that common of a task due to how simple it really is to do. There's videos for pretty much any popular car model.

A screw driver, some zip ties and maybe a knife or pair of wire strippers is all you'll likely need to do it right.

In case anyone is curious here's what's involved:

1. Stick camera where you want it (likely behind rear view mirror as high as possible).
   
2. Tuck wire between headliner and roof of car, you can use a little tape if needed, in most cars it's not really needed if there's some tension. You're wiring towards normally towards the driver side A pillar in most cases since that's where the fuse box is, however in a few cars it's on the passenger side. Check your manual it will tell you. Leave a little slack for adjustments by the camera. Just a tiny bit of slack by the pillar.
   
3. When you get to the A pillar, there's normally some clips/screws that you need to remove and the plastic trim comes right off. It's made to easily come off. If your car has an curtain airbags they are here, so a little caution is needed. You can remove the neutral cable from the battery to fully disarm if you're really nervous but they aren't THAT sensitive, it's not like they inflate if you go over one of our many glorious potholes. Just don't punch the damn thing. For almost all cars there's a bunch of wires behind the airbag that go down into the dashboard. Use some zip ties and secure your new cable to those existing ones. The important thing here is to keep your new cable behind the airbag at all times, so you don't obstruct it. Just follow the existing cabling.
   
4. Tuck that cable down the hole at the bottom of the a pillar and feed it down to where the drivers. You may want/need to unclip some plastic down there by the foot well.
   
5. The ground wire can be secured to any metal part that touches the frame. There's always some screws you can remove one and use that to screw down the ground wire. Now you're half wired.
   
6. Now the positive goes into the fuse box. Since you almost certainly won't have spares, you'll need to tap something. No worries that's simple just a matter of what to tap. You can find a fuse tap for cheap on amazon or any auto parts store. Note there's different sizes. Your manual will tell you what you need or just ask at an auto parts store and they can look it up. Look in your manual for what is what, you want to tap something non-critical. Obvious reasons. It's normally a table of each fuse position and what they power. For example the radio. Something that turns off when the car is off, but works when your car is on. Pull the appropriate fuse, put the tap in, then put the fuse in the tap. Then crimp the wire from your dashcam to your tap.
   
   That's really it. All that is a detailed way of saying "thread the wire around your windshield to the fuse box then bolt the neutral to bare metal and put the positive in your fuse box tapping a non-critical fuse that's only energized when the car is on."

First, make sure to check all your resources before popping over to your local sound shop and letting them convince you to buy some overpriced shit.

Amazon and Ebay are your friends! Use crutchfield and sonicelectronix for info and standard pricing, then check Amazon/Ebay for the BIG discounts. Tell crutchfield or Amazon what you're driving and they'll give you a list of parts that fit.

Second, even with only listening to rock music, trust me you will want a small subwoofer to fill out your system. Nothing major, it doesn't have to blow your head off or anything. Just adds a little low end to balance out your sound.

So, if I were to build a decent budget system for your Ranger, this is what I'd do:

• Head unit (radio). Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC are really the only brands I would consider. Here's a decent Pioneer for the money. ~ $68
  
  
• You'll also need a wiring harness for your aftermarket radio to work in your truck. Not a big deal. ~ $4
  
  
• Okay, speaker time. Crutchfield says your truck has 5 1/4" in the doors, 6 1/2" in the kick panels and some random speaker behind the seat. For our purposes, let's say you just disconnect the rear speaker as it will be completely unnecessary. Here are some Rockfords for the doors that won't break the bank. ~ $62 / And here's some 6 1/2" Alpines for the kick panels ~ $62
  
  
• Subwoofer. Okay, now you may reach this point and say, "You know, I'll be fine with just this! Listen to how much better it sounds!" Trust all of us, a woofer is a good investment. For your purposes, I've tried to leave some wiggle room as far as budget goes to allow for a decent sub, box, amp and amp kit. A lot of these people will say build your own box, and if you're handy and would like to try, then go for it! I'm just not as averse to prefab as most people around here, so I say just find a decent prefab wedge box that will fit behind your seat. A little browsing and Bam! box and woofer. That's perfect for you. ~ $109
  
  
• Amplifier. You don't need anything crazy. Keeping with the Rockford theme, here's a decent 250w amp for that sub. ~ $103
  
  
• Amp kit. ~ $33
  
  And the grand total is: ~ $441 ($196 without the stuff for the subwoofer)
  
  Now, obviously you can play around with the pieces of this system for preference and price, but this was just what I could throw together in 20 minutes or so. Research, research, research. Half of this game is finding parts you like and reading/forming opinions about brands, etc. Hope I helped.

I love my SyncUP DRIVE because it is able to add a whole dimension to our SUV.

I don't know what it is about FM radio in cars, but the last couple vehicles, the signal and audio quality has been absolutely atrocious. Unless you have that HD Radio feature built-in on your car's entertainment system, it's so staticky and low quality that it's not even worth listening to.

So, I grabbed a second-gen Amazon Echo Dot on sale for $30 and plugged it in my car, with a 1A micro-USB charger and an audio cable (plus a ground loop noise isolator to remove the humming/hissing noise), and now my wife and I are able to stream our favorite FM radio stations via iHeartRadio and TuneIn, not to mention Amazon Music, Pandora, and Spotify. Granted, Amazon streams their audio through an encrypted network connection (akin to a VPN connection), so T-Mobile is not able to downsample it and therefore is not Music Freedom-eligible, so that streaming counts against my monthly data allotment.

We've got the grandfathered Mobile Internet 6GB plan with Binge On and Music Freedom for $40, with a $10 discount for having phone lines, and $5 discount for AutoPay, ultimately bringing it to $25 per month. Surprisingly, there's also another 6GB plan for $25, but T-Force says the discounts are already applied to that, and the plan is tweaked, but not for the better: throttling on these new plans specifically state that they're forced down to 2G speeds, whereas my grandfathered plan says it's just "slowed down." I've never broken the 6GB barrier in a single month, as I use up 4-5GB per month with encrypted music streaming, so I don't know what the speeds are after that. I also have 4G LTE tethering, but I hardly use that as well.

In addition, I also grabbed an Amazon Fire TV Stick for $30 and plugged it into the Rear Entertainment System's HDMI port (and USB port for power), so the kids can watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, and even the SlingPlayer app back to my Slingbox connected to my TiVo at home, so they can watch their recorded shows and live TV. All those streams are zero-rated for Binge On, so they can watch all they want to their hearts' content. No more swapping DVDs and Blu-rays, it's all on demand.

All that, plus vehicle monitoring/tracking/logging, diagnostics, and included Roadside Assistance, this is probably the coolest thing to have on my T-Mobile account.

I would consider installing the equipment yourself. it will save you some money and it is not all that hard to do. That would free up money to get better equipment. As mentioned above 6.5" would be a better option. i would also only do the front speakers. keep the rear stock speakers as fill. Most all of your sound should be coming from the front to maintain good staging and imaging.

Also consider most aftermarket speakers are designed around the fact that they will be amplified (look at power rating). So sound will greatly improve with an amplifier. So i would consider buying a small amplifier for the front speakers as well.

I suggest you listen to the speakers before you buy as sets sound vastly different depending on material used to make them. some are more laid back others are more harsh sounding. If you are stuck on infiniti then i would consider the Kappa series. they are a bit more pricey but sound much better.

This is a nice set for the price:

https://www.amazon.com/Image-Dynamics-ID65CS-Component-Speakers/dp/B01I0QI0RU/ref=sr_1_4?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1478183682&sr=1-4&keywords=Image+dynamics

http://www.woofersetc.com/c-172-speakers/c-10-compon-speakers/c-40-65/p-11153-rip-165s-auditor-65-60w-rms-2-way-component-speaker-system.html

small amp:

http://www.woofersetc.com/c-3-amplifiers/c-28-two-channel/zapco-st-2b-2-channel-full-range-class-a-b-amplifier.html

install kit ( OFC is best but on a small amp and budget set up this would be okay)
https://www.amazon.com/KnuKonceptz-Complete-Amplifier-Installation-Wiring/dp/B017HNIJBY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1478184243&sr=1-1&keywords=amp+install+kit&refinements=p_89%3AKnuKonceptz

dash kit and radio harness:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120955812/Metra-95-5812-Dash-Kit.html?tp=3121

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120705520/Metra-70-5520-Receiver-Wiring-Harness.html?tp=2977

Total around $519 and an afternoon to install.

This doesn't seem to be an uncommon problem. It's likely a ground loop issue related to less-than-optimal shielding. Some guy got his replaced and it came back fixed, however this tends to be a rather common issue with such thin devices, so I wouldn't get my hopes too high on a replacement being much better. I also have this problem, but got one of these and it fixed it wonderfully. While it would be nice to not need an external filter to carry around (though it's quite small), I'm perfectly happy with this solution. I've also found that turning on the 'lower headphone output' option in system settings makes it a lot less audible.

Seems to make sense to me, just make sure whatever you are tapping your speakers can be supported by your amp. (I typically give it a 2.0 Safety Factor for power.) Try to avoid sharing outlets of your audio system with anything else (like PC or other appliances.) If you do, you may need one (or more) ground loop isolators https://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/ref=sr_1_3?crid=VXXU83M8Y6CP&keywords=ground+loop+isolator+rca&qid=1572640221&sprefix=ground+loop+is%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-3

Good luck, building a speaker setup, like a PC is a great learning experience!

Xenyx 802 boards are not a USB audio interface. You would need to plug in your mic into ch1 or ch2, then if you just want to send you Mic input to your PC then you will need to take cable like this one (https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP-153-Stereo-Breakout-Cable/dp/B000068O3C) and plug it into your Main Out then the 3/4 end would plug into your microphone input on your PC.

You may want to use a ground loop isolator as well to ensure a clear and clean transfer of sound from the mixer to the PC. This is a good one (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HJ35F2/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1TOD2ZLXASPZE&colid=CB045PGEL00J). I hope this helps :)

I bought this fan for the llv

https://www.amazon.com/Alagoo-Automobile-Ventilation-Adjustable-Cigarette/dp/B078S9Z6GF/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=cigarette+fan&qid=1563331455&s=gateway&sprefix=cigarette+fan&sr=8-3

Surprisingly it works pretty well, considering there's no a/c but it definitely helps. Best $26 I've spent for this job

Don’t get those garbage kits. The Rockford is a really good enclosure but it’s quiet, won’t get you the hard hitting bass. These will help with that a little

Subs: 2 Alpine type S

Amp: DD audio DM1000a

Box: either get it custom built or get a good prefab like this one which is well over recommended space for the Alpine’s. Measure your trunk first.

Wiring kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019Z3RCG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mgCLBbE45VETK

You don't need super expensive high-end gear if you're on a budget but I'd still stay away from BOSS/MTX. For your budget ($200-$250) you just won't be able to get a full 2x12" system worth having. You gotta ask yourself what you really want out of your system. Do you really want to be totally rocking the block? If so save up for a bit and go big. If you want something smaller that fits your budget, this is the setup I bought for myself recently:

Amp

Sub

Wiring kit

It's a 5-channel amp so I'm powering my 4 speakers + the sub, which I get the inputs from my mid-end kenwood headunit I received as a gift. I'm not sure what the max volume # is on it, but at "30" it's painfully loud and the bass is enough to shake the shit out of all my mirrors and I can only handle it in small doses. From the outside you can hear everything rattling despite sound deadening efforts on doors/trunk/license plate. I bought a pre-fab box but I ditched it and designed and built my own in an afternoon.

I'm not necessarily trying to talk you out of your plans, but sometimes it's better to get smaller components that are higher quality than a huge 2x12 system with shit quality. I just wanted a "little bit" of bass and got way more than I bargained for with 1x10. I have a friend with a similar 2x12 setup but with kicker 12" subs and he likes the way mine sounds a lot better. Just my $0.02 let me know what you think. If designing a custom box is too intimidating people on this subreddit can design them for you, or you can do like I did and you're tech savvy you can figure it out with calculators/software in a couple hours with no experience.

Infinity Reference 5 channel amp - $239.99

[4 AWG amp kit] (https://www.amazon.com/Rockville-RWK4CU-Copper-Complete-Installation/dp/B019Z3RCG2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1550159767&sr=8-6&keywords=4+awg+amp+kit) - $49.95

9 wire - $24.95

Additional RCAs - $19.99

4 channel LOC - $23.34 - You need this because you're keeping your factory radio

RCA splitter - $7.45 - To get the 4 channel LOC to 6 channels for the amp's input. There's maybe other ways you could do this, but this is what I would do because it'd be the simplest to swap the radio in the future.

Infinity Reference 6.5" for the doors - $56.95/pair x 2 = $113.90

Infinity Reference 3.5" for the dash - $48.70

= $528.37 + Installation which will easily run between $200 - $350

If you'd like to spend a bit more you might ask about sound dampening on the doors. Or you might save the extra and put it towards replacing the radio in the future.

The first link would be the better option. That Planet Audio amp is super cheap in more ways than just price. You'll be better off with the MTX system. Add another $50ish for a wiring kit and you will be set. When shopping for wiring you will want 100% copper (referred to as OFC; Oxygen Free Copper). What you typically see in cheaper kits is CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum) which is cheaper to produce but will not be as conductive as OFC.

This would be a good option.

You will not have any issues with getting low bass out of those subs. A different kind of enclosure will achieve different results. A sealed box like you have linked will be very punchy and tight. If you want something with more boom and perceived loudness you will need to be looking at a ported/vented enclosure.

From reading your other comment, it looks like we do have the same issue.

This was the cheapest ground loop isolator I could find on amazon.ca

Although it's a 4 channel ground loop isolator, it was the cheapest one I could find but for the mains conditioner, I couldn't find a cheap one. Do you mind linking me to one? You original comment had the isolator as the mains conditioner link as well.

Thanks for your help.

Edit: It's in frequently bought together section but I can't seem to find a North American one. Do you think just the isolator will do?

So, here are some common ways to remove "static" from your system.

1. Upgrade your ground wires. (for your car battery, stereo, Alternator, and your amplifier negative connection) Make sure your amp's ground wire is connected to a CLEAN piece of metal on the body, no paint!
   
   
2. Connect a ground wire to the negative side of the RCA plugs going into the amplifier.
   
   
3. Double check how your RCA's are run through the car.
   If you have your main power wire for your amp running on the left side of the car, then you want to have your RCA's and Speaker wires running on the opposite side of the car.
   
   
4. Use "Ground Loop Isolators" on every pair of RCA's going into the amplifier. http://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE
   
   
5. Make sure your positive and negative connections to the amp is clean and solid, not loose or damaged looking.
   
   
6. Make sure you have a nice tight connection on the battery and that the battery connections are tight. Also check both sides of the fuse on the amp's power wire near the battery. Make sure the connections are clean and inserted completely.
   
   Try those. If you still have a noise issue, then we can do a real diagnostic from there.

the other guy is right, you could do with wing nuts or whatever, but these made it easy to solder to on the inside and are super easy to connect to for the antenna. and they look nice!!

Well in that case I think I'm going to just go ahead and order these from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Connector-Binding-Amplifier-Speaker-Terminal/dp/B076J6RTGX/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1524335064&sr=8-4&keywords=binding%2Bposts

From what it sounds like that should work, I believe.

Thanks for the help!

Ahh, hum is quite different. That's likely grounding noise, and would be less common on higher end equipment, but you'd be surprised where this kind of issue rears it's ugly head :/ You can confirm this is the problem by turning up the volume on the amp when the source cables are not connected to another device. If it's grounding noise, you won't hear the hum unless the cables are plugged into a source that is also plugged into the wall.

You aren't too worried about extreme details of sound quality with this system, so a ground-isolation transformer is probably the best way to fix the hum and improve the experience of using the system.

Assuming your sub is not producing a distracting hum, the best place to install an isolation transformer is between the sub and the amp, as these are the devices most likely to be creating a ground loop. The cheapest option I found on a quick Amazon search:

http://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1462919977&sr=8-7&keywords=ground+loop+noise+isolator

I would put two rows of pin headers (of 6 pins each) on a PCB, and then solder a wire along each of them. It is ugly but it is simply the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to do it.

If you want to be fancy you can use 2.35mm screw terminals, but they cost quite a bit more than the pin headers or the 5mm screw terminals.

The actual name of this part is a "bus bar". There is a million different kinds made, in all sizes from tiny to huge. But they cost money and take time to order, so I don't bother with them unless a project MUST look 100% perfect. https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Terminal-Distribution-BUSBARS-Terminals/dp/B07C4W7YKG/ref=asc_df_B07C4W7YKG/?

Something that looks like a bus bar but isn't is called "terminal blocks", where each pair of screw terminals is not connected to the others. You can run a piece of wire lengthwise to connect them however. https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/wire-connectors/12-position-barrier-terminal-block-14-22-awg/3126/

There is also a PCB version called "strip board", that has rows of holes connected by a copper trace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stripboard ...The usual way you use these is you build your circuit on them and you physically cut the traces where you don't want the power/signal to run.

The Adafruit Proto Boards are a small single version of a PCB style called "bus board", that has connected strips in various lengths and orientations: https://www.jameco.com/z/SB404-Busboard-Prototype-Systems-Solderable-Prototyping-Board-SB404_2191402.html?

Right! Also, I only skimmed your post, and since you're using a receiver, and you're only hearing the sound through the sub, one of these between the receiver and sub might be better. I think either will work, as if I understand correctly the buzz is only present when using one of the PCs, but if you're connecting to the receiver with optical or HDMI, the RCA one between the receiver and powered sub is going to be the better option. You could also just get either the RCA or 3.5mm version and just use adapters, but, in my opinion, the fewer connections the better.

I have had very good luck with this.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LYYUJAT/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So, if you are going to use headphones, like at all I would suggest getting this.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L1NP7YI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Handy for any headphone application. I carry one in my edc.

Hi, thanks for the suggestions. Actually, by shopping for din rails i got recommended a "bus bar" which seems to be what I need. See

https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Terminal-Distribution-BUSBARS-Terminals/dp/B07C4W7YKG/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=busbar&qid=1573749715&sr=8-4

Thanks for your help.

I've been using one of these for broadcasting bluetooth audio from my switch. It works pretty well. If you do that and get some persistent buzzing get a ground loop isolator.

It would be ideal if the Switch just had bluetooth audio to begin with, but this has been an okay solution for me so far.

Oh goodie, so that's basically the easiest possible combination. (I was asking about steering wheel controls and subwoofers because you'd need even more adapters for those. And auto climate control makes the din kit a pain in the ass, you gotta import it from Japan. But yours looks like a base model without any of that.)

So you're going to need:

• A wiring harness (specific to your Outback). You want to connect the other end of this to the harness that comes in the head unit's box. Personally I used solder/heatshrink to connect these but "butt" crimp connectors are also an option. Please don't use electrical tape, that'll fall apart through time and heat. https://www.amazon.com/Metra-70-8901-93-Impreza-Vehicle/dp/B0002BEQL6/
  
  
• An antenna adapter (for FM/AM). https://www.amazon.com/Metra-40-SB10-2005-Up-Antenna-Adapter/dp/B000K53QAQ/
  
  
• A DIN kit: https://www.amazon.com/Metra-95-8901-Double-Outback-2005-2009/dp/B00K5D2MYE/
  
  
• The stereo itself: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-XAV-AX100-Android-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B01MF9W0GU/ or maybe https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-AVH-1300NEX-Multimedia-Bluetooth-SiriusXM-Ready/dp/B073BNFTV7/
  
  Crutchfield also has some good resources. The only thing is that the aux port under the palm rest won't work anymore, unless you can find a way to adapt it to the new stereo. Many new stereos don't even support aux anymore. Also the Sony I mentioned (probably amongst others) has a USB port hanging off the back, so you'll need to get a USB extension and run it to somewhere in the car. Like drill a hole somewhere in the center console and run the cable up.
  
  And here's a guide for actually removing the stereo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIyQGdXUxS4

This fan:

Alagoo 12V 6''Car Cooling Fan Automobile Vehicle Clip Fan Powerful Quiet Ventilation Electric Car Fans with Adjustable Clip & Cigarette Lighter Plug for Car/Vehicle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078S9Z6GF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_P3cDDbB5D75KS

Depends on the type of headset you have.

For example: I have a logitech g933. It is a wireless one that uses a usb bluetooth dongle. On the top of the bluetooth dongle is an aux port, and there's an aux port on my monitor that I put smash on. Now in order to get audio for me, all I have to do is use an aux cable, plug it into my dongle, and then into my monitor, however you will hear a low buzz or hum.
In order to remove this, you need to plug your aux cable into a Ground Loop Isolator
That will remove the buzz and hum, and will make it so the audio you get from your monitor (the one you are playing smash on) is clear and clean.


That's just my headset though. Someone else did a handy guide on how they set it up, with pictures. https://imgur.com/gallery/xXDXM


Hope this helps

Amps use the RCA wires for the sound signal so you just need an amp and a sub.

Like the other guy mentioned, the blue is just a 12v signal. When the head unit turns on it just sends 12 volts and the amp turns on.

You'll need a short amount same gauge wire as the red wire to ground the amp to the chassis. The electricity needs some way to get back to the battery. I bet if you look around under the carpet to the side you'll find the ground wire bolted somewhere to the metal under the carpet or along the side.

Like /u/cancerous_anus said, definitely check along the red power wire, probably under the hood, for a fuse. If not most definitely put one in. Get something like this. They use the old style glass fuse.

I added an aux port to my 2006 not too long ago. A ground loop isolator is a must otherwise you'll get a lot of background noise during acceleration and when you charge your device.

I got these parts:

Goliton aux cable for Mazda

3.5mm feed-thru panel mount jack

ground loop isolator

The combination works perfectly. I drilled a hole in the center between the cigarette lighter and the passenger airbag light. There is plenty of space behind it and the part is pretty cheap (less than $20) to buy used on ebay if I must return the car to stock configuration.

You can buy it here it’s like $40. You can get dual lightning or a lightning and aux like mine. Also if you charge from the car you may need one of these to keep the signal noise from the charger from going to the head unit. All in all it cost me like $150 with the mount and cables and in my opinion it’s worth it.

Really? Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Loop-Noise-Isolator-Stereo-Systems-Audio-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1505104449&sr=8-4&keywords=ground+loop+isolator

Definitely worth a try! Thanks for the tip.

Anyway you can bypass VGA? Or try another VGA cable, perhaps one with bigger chokes? (that lump at each end)

​

In theory, you could just buy a pack (pick the right diameter!) https://www.amazon.com/stardrift-10-Pack-Diameter-Suppressor-Industrial/dp/B015RDPNTW

​

But I honestly have no idea how effective any of these are. Keeping the signal digital through the whole path is the best option.

I actually think this is a common issue.
You need something like this: https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Loop-Noise-Isolator-Stereo-Systems-Audio-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI


EDIT: yeah, we posted the same product. lol

That looks like it'll fix the problem! Wondering if it's just a basic Isolator Transformer, or if it has some additional stuff (filtering/processing) to handle other noises. Was considering getting something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YGM5D8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3gGgzb4TBWVH7 which looks to be just the basic isolator.

Looks like I have some options to try now, thanks!

I think you should keep your car and repair it. The $1000 is much cheaper than a new car, and the Corolla will last you many more years.

Could you not repair it, and try something like a 12v fan?
Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/AboveTEK-12V-Electric-Car-Fan/dp/B010CESJTC

Yes. I've had this problem.

You may need to buy a specific device to solve this issue.

Here is more info:
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/5yhpfl/switch_making_unbearable_buzzing_noise_through/

I bought the cable it recommends and it solved the problem entirely. :)

It's induction along the cable. Presumably the MKE400 was plugged in using a shielded XLR which soaked up the radio signal, whereas the Video Mic Pro has a coiled unshielded cable which basically acts as an antennae.

You might be able to reduce it by putting an RFI Choke on the cable just before the plug.

In an ideal world, have people put their phones in flight mode, or move to a new position. If you're clearly hearing GSM noise you're normally less than a few feet from the source.

You don't need to slip over the connector, the heat shrink is already on the butt splice. You crimp then heat and it shrinks down and seals everything. There's a coating of glue the melts and oozes out. But you need to make sure you have a good crimp too, cheap ones will break or cut the heat shrink when you crimp. The glue also helps hold the wires in place. If you shrink it down without crimping, you'll still need to apply some force to rip the wires out.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Heat-Shrink-Connector-Piece/dp/B008HMHJDO

If can judge the noise is caused by ground loop power supply ,I recommend this device to eliminate the noise ,I tried it ,it is cost less than $8 and it is very useful .
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019FC6ZQQ

I started with this guy which goes for around 60 bucks. Add in this mic though you can find much more budget mics, I got that used for 35 bucks at a Guitar Center. Some balanced XLR cables, probably 20 bucks of RCA cables and 8 dollars of RCA-f to TS-m plugs from ebay and one of these to eliminate the ground loop on my mixer since my house is old and has poor grounding, it gets rid of that hum. I spent around 150 bucks for rather boss audio. I have since upgraded to an audio interface and a bigger mixer, but the 802 was a wonderful buy.

I've just bought Takstar 82 PRO and I'm liking them so far. However, I have an issue when I connect those headphones to my old Technics amplifier (SU-V550, from the 80's). I hear a constant white noise when no audio is playing. The white noise volume increase with the volume knob, it's not audible when I play mp3s or flac or during movies (and youtube). Didn't have this problem whith my and cheaper Sennheiser HD201.

How do I fix it? Is an headphone amp the only way?

edit: could something like This solve my issue? Or does it make the sound worse?

I use these at work in marine environments:
http://www.amazon.com/3M-Heat-Shrink-Connector-Piece/dp/B008HMHJDO
Over that I apply more heat shrink. Holds up pretty well.

There's also ground loop isolators, what do you think of them?

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLGI35T-8-Inch-Stereo-Isolator/dp/B004HJ35F2/ref=pd_sim_auto_18?ie=UTF8&refRID=1M93G0HTVE1NX2EXVBE7

I got this awhile ago and it's works pretty well.

For my setup I use a male to male 3.5mm cable to plug my Switch into my PC's line in port. That way you get both the game audio and Discord audio through the same headset. Also had to use a ground loop isolator to get rid of some noise, but now it works beautifully.

These are the the ones I bought, but there are a million to choose from:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0171PQLB8/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NO73Q84/

ground loop isolator

I was doing a ham radio project and all was well until I placed the radio on the charger and I got a crazy hum. Putting this inline resolved all the issues. Best $8 I've ever spent.

Or a 12 volt fan, like this or this.

Yes I do have a cartridge copy but I am sure it is the 3.5mm cord since it only happens when I use that (I have tried a few cords) thinking about trying this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L1NP7YI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yep, inline barrel fuse. Looks like this one

Tap a fuse - 1st fuse protects your vehicle, 2nd fuse slot protects your dash cam - allows you to tap into the fuse, and power your dash cam.

That should be fine. It's possible to find it as a single cable too:

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PCBL43FT6-Stereo-Y-Cable-Adapter/dp/B004G87FLY/ref=sr_1_16?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369358512&sr=1-16

You may find you get a lot of hum or buzz, more than you do listening to the PC alone. This is probably caused by a difference in the ground between the PC and mixer. These sorts of devices can then be a very helpful addition:

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLGI35T-8-Inch-Stereo-Isolator/dp/B004HJ35F2/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369358835&sr=1-8&keywords=ground+loop+isolator

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-HEM-462-Eliminator-Audio-Integration/dp/B0042ZVZZ8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369358647&sr=1-1&keywords=ground+loop+isolator

Did you pick up a wiring harness adapter to splice into the Pioneer harness? The colors should just be a straight up match.

Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Metra-70-8901-93-Impreza-Vehicle/dp/B0002BEQL6/

Maybe a grounding issue? Every time I've had buzzing issues it was fixed by a Ground Loop Noise Isolator. They sell them on amazon for like 10$

​

EDIT: I have this one Ground Loop Noise Isolator

I don't know, IIRC you can pretty much just hook up a plug straight to your radio with no further electronics or anything because your older radio supports that, but you'll probably still want one of these

No splicing the factory harness... but it does require splicing into two of the wires that connect to the button. The connectors snap over two of the wires to the button (unless I can find a connector that matches the button connector).

Power comes via an add-a-fuse connector, the ground connection works on any screw / connection to the vehicle body, and the button wires are tapped via snap on T-Tap connectors.

An additional benefit is that only changes the startup state - the button still works to turn it on \ off if there's ever a situation where you wanted it on.

I went and bought a ground loop isolator for 15 on Amazon and it works perfectly fine. Here is what I bought https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_kWKVj3VWRUdgk


Edit: It gets a lot worse if you are using the 3.5mm as an input into a pc through line it. That's why I needed the ground loop isolator.

These things might help: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004HJ35F2/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1404586418&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

These connectors are the best type to use, especially if it's exposed to weather. I even tape or shrink wrap over these sometimes but it's not necessary.

If I have time and the project is appropriate or I can't spare extra bulk in a wiring harness, I'll skip covered connectors and use solder with bare metal connectors and shrink wrap.

This happens to me too, but only when I’m plugged into aux and charging at the same time. You could try a ground loop isolator, which supposedly solves this problem but I haven’t confirmed myself.

You could try something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/

or

https://www.amazon.com/ART-DTI-Transformer-Isolator-Eliminator/dp/B0009GUOQA/

But, if that doesn't work, you're probably gonna need an electrician to install a grounded outlet.

Could be a ground loop. There are commercially available ground loop breakers that use transformers. Eg. https://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/

Could be the integrated soundcard. Guaranteed that a decent USB DAC will sound better, and it will probably negate the need for the above noise isolator. There are countless USB DAC's Eg: https://hifimediy.com/DACs/ready-made-dacs/sabre-dac-uae23?sort=p.price&order=ASC

Something like this
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019Z3RCG2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491491803&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=4+gauge+amp+kit+ofc

Ideally, use balanced cables (with a balanced source)

But barring that, just buy a ground loop isolator for your unbalanced system.

• https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Ground-Isolator-Stereo-System/dp/B019393MV2/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-System-Isolator-Electric-reducer/dp/B002YGM5D8/
  

Looks like the guy in this post was having the same problem, and he fixed it with one of these.

Last thing you could try is plugging the switch and PC into the same outlet/power bar.

If that doesn't work, and there's no 3.5mm output on your TV, that noise isolator would probably be the easiest solution.

I am assuming that the reason you want to hardwire the dashcam is because your cigarette lighter is live all the time, even when the ignition is off. If that is the only reason, you do not have to hardwire it, you can purchase a switched lighter adapter and keep the dashcam plugged in all the time and turn off the switch on the adapter when you leave the car.

I am just saying that because you have not indicated that you are interested in hardwiring because you want to use the dashcam in parking mode, and because you have said that you have no experience in car electronics.

However, if you want to go ahead with the hardwiring, I urge you to watch some videos on YouTube demonstrating how to hardwire. Here's one, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I9FZL8btqc

As to the fuse to use in your car, I see that you have 3 fuses that are spare. You can use any one of those provided that it only becomes live when the car ignition is turned on. The only way you will know that is by testing it with a circuit tester.

So, along with the circuit tester you will need to buy a 'add a fuse' such as this https://www.amazon.com/HitCar-Vehicle-Circuit-Profile-Holder/dp/B00U61OO50/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1468810452&sr=8-9&keywords=Add+a+fuse

Make sure that the blades of the fuse are the same as what is in your car.

Be very careful when working in the fuse box that you don't short circuit anything. It could be bad news.

This is a very common problem. It actually happens nearly every time in a car when you hook the charger and the AUX cable up to the same device. I'm not sure why your post doesn't have the answer yet given that there are already 9 comments, but the easiest way to fix this is with an optoisolator. Here's one for the car. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031U1ATQ/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0015G2EZ2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=19ZBRBAAJVPRFV1VREQ5
Just search for something similar with RCA jacks at the other end.

Here's another one that you could just put inline: http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLGI35T-8-Inch-Stereo-Isolator/dp/B004HJ35F2/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_4

And, if you feel like wasting a bunch of money, here's a monster branded one (note the 3rd review, BTW): http://www.amazon.com/Monster-MPC-ISM-201-XLN/dp/B0009RWKKM/ref=pd_cp_e_3

Try this or get different cables to use this, because that works fine for me.

I have one from [Aukey] (https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI)

Edit: apparently the 14.50 dollar isolator from Kript is better at handling bass according to the top review, but it's also more expensive.

These are a godsend when working with laptops and other mains-powered portable devices (like phones, iPods/MP3 players etc plugged into noisy chargers) - I keep about 6 in my stage audio cabling kit.

Ground loop isolation transformers. Example on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Shack-270-054-Ground-Loop-Isolator/dp/B002YGM5D8/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1411741856&sr=8-14&keywords=ground+loop+isolator

You need a ground loop isolator, like this one

Be aware that in a lot of situations you may hear a humming/buzzing noise caused by ground loop issue. You can fix this(as i have) by getting a ground isolator like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L1NP7YI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is very true, especially with many of the cheaper USB bluetooth dongles. My solution may be overkill, but I had one of those inverters to charge a laptop from the car, plugged the dongle into that and it eliminated 100% of the noise... which makes sense.

I believe the loop option is called a ground loop isolator.
(Example: https://www.amazon.com/ZIOCOM-Isolator-Eliminate-Buzzing-Completely/dp/B019FC6ZQQ)

you need an audio filter. I run one of these with all my docks. it's because of a lack of EMF shielding or electromagnetic field shielding. see, when electricity runs through a circuit it inherently 'leaks' an EMF field. This field is then absorbed by other components (if they're unshielded) and those components absorb the field and this creates what's called 'noise' on the channel. this noise can manifest itself as hissing, cracking, or popping when heard by human ears.

most EMF noise is harmlessly absorbed and accounted for by components when doing day to day operations. but audio chips and ethernet cables are most impact by this. that's why ethernet cables are shielded. but cheap audio chips aren't unfortunately. getting a 'filter' will remove the 'noise' off of the audio 'line'. can't recommend them enough.

There's hundreds of these on Amazon but you could start here: https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1537908837&sr=8-13&keywords=3.5mm+noise+filter

I ran a 3.5 mm cable from the headphone port of my Switch to the audio in on my motherboard with a ground loop noise isolator in between the two. You don't need the ground loop noise isolator if the Switch is in handheld mode but if it's docked, you'll get some wicked buzzing and potentially mess up your motherboard if you don't have the isolator. Works like a charm but I'm not sure how you'd accomplish that with the PS4.

Pick you up some ground loop noise isolators for your 3.5mm connections. I had the same issue and these completely solved my issue.


https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=ground+loop+noise+isolator&qid=1573793214&sprefix=ground+loo&sr=8-7

This may be worth a shot

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI

I had similar issues with a car audio setup, where I wasn't able to properly ground my amplifier due to it being a cheap Japanese car with no solid metal anywhere near the trunk. I bought an inline ground loop isolator and it really made a big difference. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ground+loop+isolator&qid=1556836405&s=gateway&sr=8-5

This one works fine for me: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B019FC6ZQQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here's the one the other guy mentioned:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01LX0H29W/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_opB0CbHJXRZGH

1. Cut the old connector off
   
   
2. Strip about 1/4" of insulation off the vehicle end wire
   
   
3. Do the same for the new pigtail end
   
   
4. Use 3M butt splice (get the good ones that are heat shrink too) https://www.amazon.com/3M-Heat-Shrink-Connector-Piece/dp/B008HMHJDO
   
   
5. Tape up the new butt splice with electrical tape or some type of protection

It can either be two things:

1- a ground loop issue, which should be fixed with a ground loop isolator, like this one

2- an internal interference to your sound card caused by electro static interference when plugin the HOTAS. If so, maybe you'll need an external DAC to avoid such interference. Does maters where you plug your HOTAS (any USB port, through a USB hub, etc)?

Edit: please, have in mind that ground loop isolator can have an impact in audio quality, although, if you are using skullcandy headphones, you would probably not notice it too much.

I don't know about a video, I did my research on google, but I'll try to explain. Here's the setup:

Switch > aux > ground loop isolator > aux > PC (line-in, the blue one on the back)

Windows machines (and I assume Linux and Mac can do it to), allow you to listen to a recording device (such as a microphone, or line-in) on your speakers/headphones so you can hear what is coming through. In this case, if we're using Discord or Switch App emulated, we need to be able to hear game audio. This link tells you how to enable it.

There are a few problems with this however:

• Firstly, we have a ground loop if the Switch is docked, which causes a buzzing noise. This is caused by a loop of electricity due to the Switch and Computer being powered on the same grid (in this case, the cables in your home). To fix this, we get a ground loop isolator, which removes the extra voltage causing the buzzing.
  
  
• Secondly, I had to turn off audio enhancements on the line-in device, not sure why. I wasn't able to hear the line-in audio otherwise.
  
  
• Thirdly: Using line-in rather than microphone (this works with a microphone/redpink port also) helps avoid confusion when setting up voice chat in Discord. However, if you have a laptop (or even an older motherboard in your desktop pc) you may not have enough audio ports (or the necessary line-in port), especially if you have a headset that uses 3.5mm jacks and not usb. This can be easily solved with a USB sound card for your headset (which will also help with sound quality). Oftentimes, when you plug an audio device into a laptop, you'll get a screen like this, in which case we want to select line-in.
  
  Might I ask exactly what your setup is? This way I could tell you exactly what you need to get, and what to plug in where.

https://www.amazon.ca/Metra-70-8901-Wiring-Harness-Subaru/dp/B0002BEQL6

This is the one you want, I think. You can always look at the back of your factory deck to confirm.

Assuming the cable hasn't been damaged, plug it into the motherboard (not the case, those cables are poorly shielded) and use one of these:

AUKEY Ground Loop Noise Isolator for Car Stereo Systems and Home Audio Systems, 3.5mm Audio Cable Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pNF.AbX24XD8K

Try this:

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1518727416&sr=1-4&keywords=ground+loop+isolator&dpID=41ExfY%252BETVL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I use it and it really cleaned up the noise.

[these] (http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLGI35T-8-Inch-Stereo-Isolator/dp/B004HJ35F2/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1405986076&sr=1-6&keywords=ground+loop+isolator) are what I got. They're very cheaply made, but they worked for me. Bought two... one for the left channel and another for the right channel.

I used a ground loop isolator*when I had issues with my headset and microphone and it fixed them.

I have, here's my install: http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/8943153-post48.html

My add-a-fuse: http://www.amazon.com/HitCar-Vehicle-Circuit-Profile-Holder/dp/B00U61OO50

This is the cure bruh: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010CESJTC/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_kmGCxbA0VTMAK

Had the same issue. Bought a 10 bucks ground loop isolator and the humming was gone.

Hey KyleDavies,

Something similar to this one.

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=19RGM3D3Q8J49&keywords=3.5mm+ground+loop+isolator&qid=1567713334&s=gateway&sprefix=3.5mm+ground+loop%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-5

Fans?

You can also do it through your PC. That way you don't have to use the xbox controller. I have it set up so the HDMI is connected from my switch to the display, then I use this ground loop noise isolator and an aux cord to run the sound through my PC into my wireless headphones.

Will do! I actually found this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K50HJE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1#customerReviews

Think this should do it?

That's because it isn't grounded properly and you need an aux cable that specifically grounds the signal.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L1NP7YI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Try this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sxts_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517562621&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

It reduced my noise issue a LOT.

Yup!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010CESJTC/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0171PQLB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

for my video game setup but people in the reviews say they use it for their car aux to eliminate white noise. They say it negatively affects bass tho.

People have fixed it by using one of these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L1NP7YI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For the sub package
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_117791_JBL-Series-II-550-Watt-RMS-Dual-12-Bass-Package-S21224-GTX500.html
For the box:
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_72853_Belva-BBX212BK-BLACK.html
Rear speakers:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000P0NJOO/ref=ya_st_dp_summary
Front speakers:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004VSTYI6/ref=ya_st_dp_summary
Wiring kit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017HNIJBY/ref=ya_st_dp_summary
Amp for the speakers:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BF6HYAW/ref=ya_st_dp_summary

You might get a buzzing noise (ground loop hum) but you can eliminate that with a ground loop noise isolater.

I run the 3.5mm through one of those and into my PC's line-in so I don't have to move plugs around or change headsets, and I haven't had any issues.

Probably a ground loop issue. Check that you've got a good ground connection on both the audio lead and the power connections. If possible, have the amp and PC connected to the same power bar or double socket. If that doesn't help, isolate the systems by using digital audio out if your amp has that, or use an optical ADC powered off a separate supply, or use an audio isolation transformer https://www.amazon.com/Smof-Ground-Isolator-System-Stereo/dp/B0171PQLB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483921456&sr=8-1&keywords=3.5mm+isolation+transformer

Basically it's a filter that goes on the power line going from the car into the head unit. In my case I cut the large yellow and black wires in the adapter harness and wired in the filter (this will at least involve crimping or soldering).

If you're not comfortable cutting wires you can always try traditional RCA ground loop isolators like this. I tried these as well and while I did notice a decrease in the noise it was still present. These don't require cutting, just plug the RCA plugs on the harness adapter into the isolators, then plug the RCA plugs on the isolators into the radio.

Three ideas in increasing order of complexity:

1. Sometimes this is resolved by unplugging the power cable from your phone if one is connected (or plugging one in if there isn't one connected).
   
   
2. You can also try getting a ground loop isolator. I haven't tried one myself, but here's a $10 one on Amazon.
   
   
3. Redo the wiring in your car to eliminate any ground loops or other causes of electrical noise.

A ground loop isolator, this is the one I bought

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519603050&sr=8-4&keywords=ground+loop+isolator

First, try plugging the power for your computer and Receiver in the same power outlet. If that doesn't work, then get a ground loop isolator. Here is an example:

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLGI35T-8-Inch-Stereo-Isolator/dp/B004HJ35F2

You can get these with different types of connectors (RCA, 3.5mm, etc.).

That said there is a constant whine when the car isn't running and the amp is on as well

I've tried this and my next item is this

I have the ground loop isolator connected between my switch and microphone jack on my laptop

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0171PQLB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just gonna leave a link here to the one I got to solve this problem a while back in case anyone needs it. $8.50 and no more noise.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0171PQLB8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's either noise on the power line which would need a power noise filter or its in the ground loop and needs a ground loop isolator.

https://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2RTC4VV2KB4UE&keywords=ground+loop+isolator&qid=1550033811&s=gateway&sprefix=ground+loo%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-6

Some amps pick up noise.

Are you using the line in on your PC? You need a ground loop isolator. It'll do this with any headset you try.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L1NP7YI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had to ground everything to everything:
Phono<->Preamp<->Rcvr

Alternatively, you can isolate the phono with one of these transformers:
https://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-Noise-Isolator/dp/B000K50HJE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?

Keep in mind that you might have electrical/ignition-noise related whine. If so, this will take care of it, putting it inline with the aux jack:

https://smile.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Loop-Noise-Isolator-Stereo-Systems-Audio-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI

I use the Anker bluetooth-to-aux adapter and had to get one of these to get rid of the whine in the background when I hit the gas, etc.

Buy a $10 ground loop isolator and most likely your problem will be solved. It beats having to constantly replace your units.

Piling on to agree. I play mostly docked through a monitor with no audio output, so I've always got headphones in while docked. Definitely got some buzzing/feedback, but solved it with this isolator and have had no problems since.

a ground loop isolator should do the trick. i had a similar problem when i bought my HS5's. something cheap like this should do the trick.

There is no such device that takes an optical signal and turns it into USB to connect to your Schiit Fulla. When connecting over USB, it requires drivers and your operating system to interface with the DAC.

You could try something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K50HJE to see if it will help for fairly cheap but unfortunately you may need to replace your dac with one that takes optical natively, or the scarlett 2i2 and try TRS to XLR cables.

You need an AuKey ground loop hum remover. They are real cheap and will totally handle this problem.

Recent USB stuff causes this issue a LOT.

All my synths with USB connections cause it. I had to get one for each synth before it stopped.

It works tho!

This lil fella: AUKEY Ground Loop Noise Isolator... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1NP7YI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I had the same problem in my 06 sr5, I ordered a ground loop isolator and it made a huge difference. This is the one I used.

AUKEY Ground Loop Noise Isolator for Car Stereo Systems and Home Audio Systems, 3.5mm Audio Cable Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_k8aKBbE70D60J

Alternatively, invest in some Heat Shrink Butt Splices

Much less messy and far sturdier than twisting and wrapping with electrical tape. You just insert each end of the wire, crimp, and hit it with some heat to seal it. This way is weatherproof, electrical tape isn't.

Important to note that if you DO do this method you might have some crackle from the Switch. That's because Nintendo is incompetent and doesn't use high quality parts for their headphone connector.


If you do have that crackle/static, you can get around it by using one of these.

I have a 1993 MR2 that I've installed a (somewhat period correct) Nakamichi MB-75 in. I got it NIB off eBay because I always wanted one. I'll probably upgrade to something more modern soon, but it looks awesome in the dash. It sounds great when the car is in accessory mode, but...

​

Onto my moronic questions: The power steering pump is electric on the MR2 and the HU makes a significant whurring noise as a result. Things I've tried:

• It's definitely the power steering pump as I disconnected its power and the noise stopped.
  
• I've isolated the noise to the HU -- if I run RCAs directly to the frunk (front trunk) mounted amps (ACM-4.300 and ACM-1.300), they don't have any noise.
  
• I've tried grounding everything to the frame (ground wire, chassis, antenna) and different grounding points. It has no effect.
  
• I ran power directly from the battery to check that with no effect.
  
  I ordered some of these noise isolators to try as they are cheap: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K50HJE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  ​
  
  Any other ideas? Would a DSP take that noise out? I am ready to stab my eyeballs out with this project.

Welcome to noisy grounds, hissing and spitting since 1969.

Buy an RCA or 1/4" TRS ground loop isolator, run it between your sound device and the input of the monitors. Problem solved.
For TRS

For RCA

They are about $15. It breaks the ground over the RCA connection which will instantly stop the noise from your computer and DAC. Switching USB ports, and using USB filters are not the best solution and might not even resolve it. Isolation is a common thing to do when running 2vRCA between any 2 pieces of equipment (or using xlr)

The ground the speakers amplifiers have, the ground on the audio cable connected to that amp, the ground of your audio device whether USB DAC or pc, all of these grounds are different, they carry different stray currents and noise, and since they are not a common ground, they act like an antenna rather than a noise blocker.

By isolating the ground over the speaker cables you break the antenna in half and remove the noise.

You've actually just ran into the real reason why XLR connections are preferred in pro-audio. Because the out of phase wiring, allows a signal wire summation that cancels out the noise. RCA and TR don't do that though. TRS (can) do that as it's 3 conductor just like XLR, but it would need to be 3 conductor TRS on both sides of the cable. I know the 305's are TRS, but what you're plugging into probably isn't unless it's a mixing deck.

I have a 2011 C250, does the C250 you are looking at have the aux jack in the glovebox?

I have a USB powered Bluetooth-to-aux streamer, got it from amazon for $20 or so, and it lives plugged in to a cigarette-to-USB adapter in the cigarette/12v plug also in the glovebox. I also have a line filter, because tehre was some whine when nothing was playing.

This is the bluetooth adapter: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0140QCYNU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the line filter: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004HJ35F2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You could employ an audio isolation transformer between the NUC audio jack and your amplifier. For example : https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_13?crid=23LV06AA5GLO4&keywords=audio+isolation+transformer&qid=1564415768&s=gateway&sprefix=audio+iso%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-13

I had a similar problem going from the line out of my Fiio E10k into a power amp. Put this in the 3.5mm run and it fixed it.

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa

For anyone that's having a similar issue, I bought this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K50HJE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and the problem is gone.

I purchased a similar cable harness online for my 2006 3 hatchback, and it works really well. However, old 3's and 6's produce a lot of EM feedback, so you're going to need a ground loop isolator with 3.5mm jacks like this on Amazon. . Otherwise, if you're charging a phone or accelerating hard, the noise will be beyond irritating! I got one with a long cable so the people in the back seat can connect their devices.

I'll show you my setup to see if it will work for you.

Dashcam - https://www.amazon.com/V1-Dashboard-Recorder-G-Sensor-Recording/dp/B00X528FNE/ref=sr_1_4?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1484000259&sr=1-4&keywords=dash+cam

add-a-fuse connected to an always hot fuse under the passenger side - https://www.amazon.com/HitCar-Vehicle-Circuit-Profile-Holder/dp/B00U61OO50/ref=sr_1_1?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1484000314&sr=1-1&keywords=add+a+fuse

12 volt to 5 volt adapter cable https://www.amazon.com/WheelWitness-Hardwire-Installation-Dashboard-Charger/dp/B00TGQ1Y3Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1484000362&sr=1-3&keywords=12+volt+to+5+volt+adapter

Run that to the dashcam, add a 64GB microSD and record at 720p.

You should get around 6 hours of footage before it erases the older one. You can spend a little more to get a dashcam that will support 128gb SD cards and get 12-14 hours out of it.

If you connect it to an always hot 12v fuse, you should have no problem keeping the dashcam running 24/7.

Note: In Texas, temp near the windshield can exceed 110 degrees so make you get a capacitor based dashcam if you live somewehre that gets really hot or really cold

You need a ground loop isolator likely because when charging the speaker(s) there’s a ac/dc conversion happening. Check this out. It has helped others with same problem. https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI. Some say this ones better https://www.amazon.com/Isolator-Audiophile-Frequency-Without-Distortion/dp/B01N10AQ76/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3RV5RXTNPJ09E&keywords=krypt+ground+loop+isolator&qid=1555458843&s=gateway&sprefix=krypt+g&sr=8-3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

Googling around that seemed to be one of the possible issues.

I'm very ignorant when it comes to these things, but where would I attach this ground loop isolator? To the main AUX? The RCA? Or both?

Also, would this one work? https://www.amazon.it/Isolator-isolatore-eliminare-completamente-riproduzione/dp/B019FC6ZQQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Could be hardware issues in your setup. Higher end motherboards usually account for this, but some lower end models have the audio power on the same loop as the rest of the motherboard (from the 20/24 pin). If you don't have a high rated PSU, you could be getting "dirty power" which is known for giving whining sounds or buzzing sounds. A very simple fix is to feed a ground loop isolator, they're like 5 dollars or so I'll link you one, they basically just are low end filters for that unstable power coming out of a headphone jack.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0171PQLB8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7SFFzb5QMXFK3

Basically plug the included cable into your motherboard audio out port and one end of the isolator. Plug the Sennheisers into the ground loop isolators other port and it's like having a lil filter. Hoping this cheap solution helps, it helped my brothers problem when I build his PC from my old parts.

You might want to look at a ground loop isolator, I had to get one when doing the same as you. Without it, there was bad static, You plug the aux cable into it then into the aux in on the transmitter.

​

This is what I have used, I also use one to run sound From one PC to the Line-In on another PC.

​

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Ground-Isolator-Systems-Included/dp/B01L1NP7YI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1P34HN84BXN9D&keywords=anker+ground+loop+noise+isolator&qid=1551128533&s=gateway&sprefix=anker+ground+%2Caps%2C235&sr=8-5

Did you sand the paint off the ground location? What your hearing is the alternator. Could be caused by a number of things. Faulty rca cables, bad ground connection, power wires run alongside rcas. They do make a noise isolator that may help as well.


Just a first step in troubleshooting. Unplug the rcas from the amp. Start the car and see if there is whine. If there isn’t you know you have a rca/head unit problem.

If you want more info I would suggest posting over at r/carav. There are people who are more knowledgeable than me.