Ground loop issues; Will a balanced DAC fix this?

[milksage]

Hi all,

It appears I'm having a ground loop issue with my setup which is causing a hissing/mechanical sounding noise when I turn the knob past 12 o’clock on low gain. I currently have my laptop -> Topping D10 -> SMSL SP200 as well and my laptop -> external monitor. Both my external monitor and my SP200 are plugged into the same outlet (which supposedly fixes most ground loops but not mine). When I unplug my monitor from my laptop the noise goes away. Will a balanced DAC (maybe Drop SDAC Balanced?) fix this issue?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Plugging into the same outlets helps cause ground loop issues.
You want to plug the devices into separate outlets to help solve ground loop issues.
And get separate surge protectors if possible.

 

[milksage]

Plugging into the same outlets helps cause ground loop issues.
You want to plug the devices into separate outlets to help solve ground loop issues.
And get separate surge protectors if possible.

I've tried plugging my monitor and amp into separate surge protectors and outlets. It helps a bit but is still there if I crank the volume. I've also realized my usb hub caused some additional noise so I am now plugging my D10 directly into my laptop. Note that this issue doesn't occur when I plug my phone into my amp using an adapter and rca cables.