Quote:
Originally Posted by reedlaw 
I just built a Pimeta v1 (before this I have only built a CMoy) and I tried using some thin wire-wrap wire as hookup wire because it seemed to be of good quality. When I listen to the amp with no audio source I get a loud hum. Moving around the wires seems to lessen the noise, but the noise is most dramatically reduced by lifting the entire amp off the table and holding it in the air. I don't have an enclosure yet for this amp. Could the noise be coming from the hookup wire, the lack of an enclosure, or both?
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I use the 30 guage wire-wrap wire on pretty much everything and don't have such a problem. I even use it unshielded for interconnects. For unshielded wire to pick up hum from the transformer it has to be very close - almost right against it. An early headphone amplifier I built has the input wires going past the toroidal mains transformer within 1.5 cm and still no audible hum can be detected.
An enclosure will help, especially if it is thick aluminium, but you should be able to get it working OK out in the open first. There are lots of reasons for getting hum and I have found different causes at different times, but have never had to resort to shielding connecting wires.
Some possibilities are:
1. faulty wiring
2. ground loops
3. electromagnetic coupling to transformer at mains frequency
4. ripple on DC power supply
5. finger touching circuitry!
You could have incorrectly wired the signal return or power ground - re-check every connection point against your schematic.
Do you get the same hum in both channels?
Does it occur at all settings of the volume control, or only at max & min?
What are you using for a power supply?
Can you measure AC voltage on the DC power rails?
Does the hum disappear when you have a source connected?
Have you checked for sources of AC in the vicinity (e.g. soldering iron transformer, power supply, flourescent lights, etc)?
Your bodily presence will affect things too, so try raising the circuit up by putting it on a box or some books, so you don't have to touch it. Sometimes even waving your hand near a circuit can make a difference (the enclosure would help in this case).