Xbox ONE Ground loop issue

Has anyone else experienced this??

I recently purchased a new Yamaha Receiver allowing me to connect all devices via HDMI. My Xbox One is now passing a charge through the HDMI cable, completing a ground through the coax connection from my (Xfinity) cable TV box. It's caused me to be shocked
while handling my receiver and has created a hum noise in my subwoofer. The voltage is present regardless of my Xbox being powered on or off, and regardless of any other device in my system being plugged in. I've verified the voltage across the HDMI cable
directly to the cable outlet on the wall, reading 3.2 VDC.

The voltage is passing through like this: HDMI output From Xbox ----> AV Receiver HDMI Input 3 ----> AV Receiver HDMI Input 2 ----> HDMI output of Xfinity cable box ----> Coax connection to the wall.

I understand that the coax from the cable company is introducing a "new ground" into my system, but should there still be a power output from the Xbox HDMI even when it's turned off? Microsoft customer service was no help.

:)

 

Xbox one

What you are describing is a ground loop issue. A common cause of ground loops is having your Xbox plugged into a different circuit than the cable box is plugged in.

There are quite a few forums that have discussed the issue, but with the wide variety of setups, the ground loop can come from many places. Here is a list in order of what I would try:

1. Make sure Xbox, Cable Box, and TV are plugged into the same circuit.

2. Verify that the Coax is properly grounded (Cable or Satellite technician should be able to help)

3. Try a Ground Loop Isolator on the coax

4. If none of those items work, then there may be a hardware problem inside of either the Cable Box, or the Xbox. Contact support.

Links to other forums dealing with the same issue:

Ground loop when connecting coax to cable box..... | Audiogon Discussion Forum

Xbox ONE Ground loop issue

If you want a VERY technical approach to finding the issue, read this:

http://mickpeterson.org/2014design/Info/EST016_Ground_Loops_handout.pdf

Good Luck!

 

XO4 Headset makes buzzing noise when using XB1 wired Controller

Hello Sonic Emeralds,

A buzzing coming from the mic could be an indication of a ground loop within your electrical system. This is most commonly associated with older houses that do not have a ground for the outlet (2 prong outlet in the US).

I've personally experienced this problem and my workaround to test to see if this is the issue is to plug the Xbox One controller USB cord into another outlet, (such as a USB wall charger), separate from your Xbox One. Of course, it is no longer "wired"
to the Xbox One but this is just for troubleshooting.

You could also test another mic to see if it reacts the same way.

 

Sorry to hear it. This is definitely an odd situation and not something that I've encountered on the forums before. If you are getting a shock from your console then I would definitely disconnect it from the receiver and connect it directly to your TV.
I would also contact the store you purchased the receiver from or Yamaha directly to find out about possible shorts within the receiver.

 

UPDATE: I installed a ground loop isolator (purchase from Amazon) which resolved the hum sound in my subwoofer, however, I recently started having internet modem problems. The modem started randomly rebooting for no apparent reason. I had Xfinity come
test my system, and we verified that interference is being introduced into my cable lines from the XBOX one even though I had the ground loop isolator installed.

I finally checked a loop between the xbox HDMI cable shielding to a screw on the outlet of the power receptacle the xbox was plugged into, resulting in the same 3.2VDC charge. Nothing else connected, just the console, power supply and Xbox HDMI cable.

I will be heading to a local Microsoft store this weekend to process an exchange. Hopefully it isn't an issue by design and just a faulty power supply or console.

 

UPDATE 2: Went to the Microsoft store and duplicated the problem in store (shot 3.2 VDC from HDMI cable, to a ground in the power outlet). Swapped out the power supply for a new one, and no voltage was present on the HDMI anymore. Completed the in-store
exchange, no more issue.