Speaker whine with RPM's

[Frostedflakejake 148]

I normally like to try to figure things out by my own but I'm not sure how to solve this problem.

My front speakers are making high frequency noises that get higher as my RPM increases ever since installing a different amplifier. This is what I've done to try to isolate the problem/ information that may help:

1) Amplifier = JBL gtq200

2) speakers = Boston Acoustic pro60se

3) Before putting the speakers on the JBL, they worked fine for months.

4) I used the same set of RCA's on both the JBL and my other speaker amp (Pioneer). The Pioneer did not recreate the whine.

5) Also used a different set of RCA's on the JBL which did nothing to lessen the whine.

6) More gain on amp = louder whine

7) JBL is grounded to my battery in the back and grabbing power from that same spot

8) That battery is grounded to the frame

9) Pioneer is using starting battery for power and grounded to the frame ( i believe) in the trunk.

10) Head unit is Alpine 9886 with the "defeat" feature on. If I understand this feature correctly, it means the HU isn't doing any equalizing or modifying of the audio signal.

11) Engine off, whine goes away.

12) No RCA's on JBL = no whine.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thank-You!

[nem 2,019]

Sounds like a ground loop on the JBL.

[Frostedflakejake 148]

That's what i'm thinking. Solution = grounding it somewhere else?

[nem 2,019]

I had a ground loop when I installed my SAZ 3000d, so I redid the ground and ran both amp together and things have been fine.

[Infinite913 381]

ya def. ground loop.... relocating should do it

[Impious 1,476]

Noise Troubleshooting Guide

[jonbearsmt 919]

9) Pioneer is using starting battery for power and grounded to the frame ( i believe) in the trunk.

pioneers blow a "ground fuse" there is a name for it.. but they blow and they give wine like what your explaining.

[Julian 641]

Ground your RCA's that typically always works.

[SMpaintball78 58]

i had the same problem awhile back. i swapped out the rca's ad they problem was solved......

[Frostedflakejake 148]

So update:

Tried going back out and just swapping grounds around to see if it worked. Figured it would be quick and easy and worth a shot. Grounded at same place as Pioneer: no luck. Figured i would try to ground it elsewhere too. The same place where my 2nd battery and saz-3000d is grounded (a bolt that connects suspension to frame). Welllllll that didn't go so well, snapped the bolt in half during the process of getting it out

SO basically i have no ground for my external battery and saz-3000. Took positive connections off of external battery and wrapped them all with ~15 layers of electrical tape. Really quite frustrated at this point seeing as if i did ground the JBL there it probably wouldn't have done anything anyways.

Don't have tap set here with me at school. Have to find one to borrow from a kid on campus hopefully.

Impious: I'll go through that

Julian: Ground RCA's? How would I do that?

Lants: Already tried different RCA's

[Impious 1,476]

9) Pioneer is using starting battery for power and grounded to the frame ( i believe) in the trunk.

pioneers blow a "ground fuse" there is a name for it.. but they blow and they give wine like what your explaining.

Pioneer is the amp not the HU.

And AFAIK that is a problem with one particular model line of Pioneer HU, not the entire brand.

[Julian 641]

So update:

Tried going back out and just swapping grounds around to see if it worked. Figured it would be quick and easy and worth a shot. Grounded at same place as Pioneer: no luck. Figured i would try to ground it elsewhere too. The same place where my 2nd battery and saz-3000d is grounded (a bolt that connects suspension to frame). Welllllll that didn't go so well, snapped the bolt in half during the process of getting it out

SO basically i have no ground for my external battery and saz-3000. Took positive connections off of external battery and wrapped them all with ~15 layers of electrical tape. Really quite frustrated at this point seeing as if i did ground the JBL there it probably wouldn't have done anything anyways.

Don't have tap set here with me at school. Have to find one to borrow from a kid on campus hopefully.

Impious: I'll go through that

Julian: Ground RCA's? How would I do that?

Lants: Already tried different RCA's

the outer shield (not the pin) solder two wires together, then ground that wire to the frame.

Have you attempted re grounding your headunit?

[Frostedflakejake 148]

Ordered a Harbor Freight Tap and Die set. Would have rather gone with craftsman but I was too frustrated with their website. How can they list tap and die sets for sale directly and not give ANY information about whats included in the set? No pitch angles, hole sizes, or anything.

Julian: Haven't tried swapping the grounds on the Head Unit. I will try to do everything i can in the trunk first and then try relocating the head unit ground after. My trunk is already all torn up anyways.

Thanks to all who have helped!

[TCAS 1]

try a rca with a drain wire. you can make these your self. you want to have a 3 conductor wire 20 gauge, and you take the neg and drain wire and connect them together on 1 side of the rca. usually the source side, and the other wire is positive obviously. then run to back to amp, but on that side, you do not use the drain wire, you would want to cut that off so it wont be able to make contact with the ground conductor on the rca. the drain wire is uninsulated so its easy to identify. or if you have a 4 conductor wire, just leave 1 out unhooked.

[CrownVic 15]

try a rca with a drain wire. you can make these your self. you want to have a 3 conductor wire 20 gauge, and you take the neg and drain wire and connect them together on 1 side of the rca. usually the source side, and the other wire is positive obviously. then run to back to amp, but on that side, you do not use the drain wire, you would want to cut that off so it wont be able to make contact with the ground conductor on the rca. the drain wire is uninsulated so its easy to identify. or if you have a 4 conductor wire, just leave 1 out unhooked.

So whats the purpose of the "drain" wire if you connect it to the ground on the source end, but connect it to nothing on the other end?

[TCAS 1]

It acts as a shield for interference. If it was hooked up at both ends it would just be a ground. Its typically used in situations like this.

[Frostedflakejake 148]

Grounded the RCA cable - no success.

Going to go through the noise troubleshoot guide that Impious put up.

[pmureika 31]

try a rca with a drain wire. you can make these your self. you want to have a 3 conductor wire 20 gauge, and you take the neg and drain wire and connect them together on 1 side of the rca. usually the source side, and the other wire is positive obviously. then run to back to amp, but on that side, you do not use the drain wire, you would want to cut that off so it wont be able to make contact with the ground conductor on the rca. the drain wire is uninsulated so its easy to identify. or if you have a 4 conductor wire, just leave 1 out unhooked.

So whats the purpose of the "drain" wire if you connect it to the ground on the source end, but connect it to nothing on the other end?

Its still aground one or two ends.

[MatthewMoran 0]

I had this problem when my RCA's were too close to one of my power wires. If you have an extra set of RCA's try running them over the seats and away from the power. If that works then just re run your RCA's. I usually run my power up the driver side and my rca's up the passenger side.

Edited November 29, 2011 by k1llj0y

[Duran 387]

I had this problem when my RCA's were too close to one of my power wires. If you have an extra set of RCA's try running them over the seats and away from the power. If that works then just re run your RCA's. I usually run my power up the driver side and my rca's up the passenger side.

Nope.

[Frostedflakejake 148]

So I finally got around to this. The amplifier is playing a roll, which makes me sad because I was looking forward to using it

Switched out the amp and it works just fine. No whine on either the 3552 or the Falcon.

Can someone explain why that is?

[Skullz 8]

I just got a boston acoustics gt2300 that i had to send back cause i got serious engine noise along with a high pitch whine with the engine off, possible like mine you had a cold solder somewhere on the board causing the noise.

[Frostedflakejake 148]

I just got a boston acoustics gt2300 that i had to send back cause i got serious engine noise along with a high pitch whine with the engine off, possible like mine you had a cold solder somewhere on the board causing the noise.

Thanks that's good to know. That's actually something I know how to fix. I'll wait for more input but in the mean time i'll take my magnifying glass and head lamp to the board to see if I can find anything!

[95Honda 486]

Alternator whine comes from a ground loop (difference of voltage potential) like most every one has said so far, with the only exception normally being defective equipment.

There is no type of RCA, shield or drain-wire that will do anything to help this. The reason is, when there is a difference of potential voltage bewteen equipment due to different ground potentials, the potential attempts to find a least path of resistance to equalization... This is almost always through the low level signal chain (RCAs).

If you put everything at the same potential, the noise will go away. If you do not, it won't. It is as simple as that...

[Frostedflakejake 148]

So Honda, seeing that nothing other than amplifier was changed, would you say that the amplifier was defective?