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Solution to ground loops

post #1 of 3
7/31/09 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
Hey all!

There is a hum through my speakers and my stax lambda pros when I hook them up. I checked some stuff, and here it goes: it is up when nothing is hooked to the amplifiers, and doesn't change level when I adjust the volume of the preamp. It is up also when my sub is hooked through speaker-level inputs between the amps and speakers. It has equal intensities on both speakers using various speaker cables.

What could I build, hook, solder, check, pray to or seduce in order to fix that problem?
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post #2 of 3
8/1/09 at 3:38am
Is the hum new or has it always been there? If it's new, what's changed, if anything, in your system? Have you moved recently?
When you say that nothing is hooked up to the amplifier, does that mean that you have also unplugged and removed all the audio cables?

Anyway, these suggestions are the shotgun approach and may be out in left field, but here goes.

If your amp is tubed, try changing the tubes.
Have you tried putting some distance between your amp and other electronic components?
If your amp is plugged into a power bar/surge suppressor, try plugging the amp directly into the wall outlet.
If your amp's power plug is 2 prong non-polarised, try reversing the polarity.
Try plugging the amp into a different wall outlet on a different circuit. Sometimes appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners and occasionally tv's will piggyback noise along the mains.
This is not recommended as a solution for safety reasons, but as a test. If your amp's plug is 3 prong, can you connect it to a 2 prong adapter and plug it into the wall to see if the hum disappears?

Good luck.
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post #3 of 3
8/1/09 at 4:16am
Is there an AC cord or transformer by an interconnect? Keep power cables away from the line level signals.

Use a meter to check the interconnects for a short.

Try turning the lights in the room off.

Did you change the lights in the room to CFL? Is there a dimmer switch in the room?

Starting from the source component and work your way to the speakers- changing ONE piece at a time.

Try changing preamp inputs.
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