Product Review - The UNHUMMER - August, 1995

By John E. Johnson, Jr.

The UNHUMMER. Device for reducing hum in audio/video systems. Connects between cable TV wall jack and input jack to television. Size 1"H x 3"W x 2"D. Weight 2 oz. Price $18.95. Clearview Engineering, Inc., P.O. Box 1868, Snohomish, Washington 98291. Phone/Fax (206) 668-2409.

We have seen numerous postings to newsgroups asking about hum problems in home theater systems. The problem can often be traced to the connection with cable TV wiring. Therefore, we decided to test one of several units available on the market. The UNHUMMER is a very inexpensive device ($18.95) which is designed to eliminate hum that can be heard in audio systems which have cable TV in the circuit.

We found that there was some very audible hum in all 4 channels of one of our home theater surround sound test setups that has a connection to the cable TV jack. When the UNHUMMER was inserted between the cable TV wall jack and the television's cable input jack (a short length of cable TV wiring with plugs on both ends is needed for this), the audio system hum was substantially reduced. The unit is very small and light, and can be placed in any position behind the TV. Although there is a slight loss of video signal, this occurs only with weak channels and is not noticeable with channels that have strong signals.

There is not much more we can say about this unit, except that we consider such devices a "must" if you have your hi-fi audio system connected to a cable TV. Because of the low price, the UNHUMMER is a best buy.

Summary (Five stars is highest rating):

Sound Quality:
Video Quality:
Construction:
Value:
Pros:	It works very well. Small, light, and inexpensive. Easy to hook up.
Cons:	Slight loss in video signal from weak stations.

John E. Johnson, Jr.
Editor-in-Chief

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