[NA Blur]

If you plug the PC, amp, and DAC all into the same power strip you get the buzz?
 
It is definitely a grounding issue and with some audio you want your source/mixer to be the only ground and the amp to not have a ground.

 

[un4rmed]

If you plug the PC, amp, and DAC all into the same power strip you get the buzz?

It is definitely a grounding issue and with some audio you want your source/mixer to be the only ground and the amp to not have a ground.

Yeah, if everything is plugged into the same power strip, I get the buzzing noise. I'm actually getting another amp tomorrow so I can throw that in the mix and see if the same thing happens.

 

[un4rmed]

Pretty sure I figured out the problem now. I bought a new surge protector that arrived today and plugged it in. It has a light on it that signals when it has a ground. Even though the outlet has three prongs, the light isn't turning on. I dug out an old cheater plug and plugged the amp into that and the buzzing is gone now. Is it possible that my apartment doesn't have a ground? If so, shouldn't that be some building code violation?

 

[germanium]

  Pretty sure I figured out the problem now. I bought a new surge protector that arrived today and plugged it in. It has a light on it that signals when it has a ground. Even though the outlet has three prongs, the light isn't turning on. I dug out an old cheater plug and plugged the amp into that and the buzzing is gone now. Is it possible that my apartment doesn't have a ground? If so, shouldn't that be some building code violation?

The buzzing went away because you broke up a ground loop which means the ground in your building is actually intact. The cheater plug eliminates the connection to ground thus breaking the ground loop.

 

[orthogonous]

Not sure if this has been asked yet but are you sure this isn't a driver problem? Have you tried your kit running off your phone as opposed to your pc?

 

[un4rmed]

 
The buzzing went away because you broke up a ground loop which means the ground in your building is actually intact. The cheater plug eliminates the connection to ground thus breaking the ground loop.

 
I read that if nothing is grounded, you can get a buzzing noise. A ground loop shouldn't happen if you're using the same outlet, right?
 
 

  Not sure if this has been asked yet but are you sure this isn't a driver problem? Have you tried your kit running off your phone as opposed to your pc?

 
I'm sure it's not a driver problem. I tested it on a different pc and got the same noise, but it went away when I plugged the amp into a different outlet.

 

[germanium]

I read that if nothing is grounded, you can get a buzzing noise. A ground loop shouldn't happen if you're using the same outlet, right?



I'm sure it's not a driver problem. I tested it on a different pc and got the same noise, but it went away when I plugged the amp into a different outlet.

Ground loops can happen any time that there is more than one pathway to ground. Having everything plugged into the same outlet does help but does not always cure the group loop.

An example of this is you have preamp that is grounded & a power amp that is also grounded, you have the ground from the preamp power cord & ground from power amp power cord plus the connectors between them in the form of the interconnects. You also have a ground through the power cord of your computer & it's interconnects. If they all don't have the same impedance in the power cords ground wire going to ground you can get ground currents going through your interconnects thus creating noise even though you are plugged into the same outlet.