[smutnyjoe]

You can use something like iFi Groundhog, or plug tt2 to an external amp (even if not using it), or (I’m guessing) use some grounded power supply

 

[OCC7N]

Request for ideas / suggestions.

I recently headed back to music and treated myself to headphone system. Meze Elite, TT2 and MScaler.

Whilst generally exceedingly happy, I have been plagued with an irritating hum / buzz that occurs if my ears touch the inner grill of the phones. After discussion with Chord, this is some sort of ground loop that can happen with phones that have not insulated / isolated the inner grill. There are a number of ways I can remove the hum:

• lift the phones slightly from my head (ear no longer contacting the inner grill)
• gound myself by touching the amp case
• Use the alcantara ear pads (deeper so ear no longer touching)
• ground myself by touching anything earthed

None of the above seem like an ideal solution, so thought I would enquire here to see if there are any other suggestions.

PS - Chord have been very helpful in narrowing this down, and indeed stated this has been seen before, in early audeze phones, but that was addressed. I have contacted meze but as yet have not had a response.

PPS - same issue with a Hugo 2, no issue with other phones

If you decide to make a ground cable see if you can make it long enough to connect another main than the DAC itself. Does it feel "magnetic/static" to the touch the TT2?
-You could try this for a second:

0. Unplug headphones and other cables than the power.
1. When turning off TT2, make sure you plug out the DC cable before the PSU from the mains/power.
2. Then plug out the PSU
3. Wait atleast 10-15min, atleast. I have tested the charge of the caps, and it is long and it drop voltage slowly

By doing it this way you prevent damage to the TT2

4. Just remember when you turn it on again, make sure to plug in the PSU first and then in the DC slot/TT2

Try this

 

[Reactcore]

Request for ideas / suggestions.

I recently headed back to music and treated myself to headphone system. Meze Elite, TT2 and MScaler.

Whilst generally exceedingly happy, I have been plagued with an irritating hum / buzz that occurs if my ears touch the inner grill of the phones. After discussion with Chord, this is some sort of ground loop that can happen with phones that have not insulated / isolated the inner grill. There are a number of ways I can remove the hum:

• lift the phones slightly from my head (ear no longer contacting the inner grill)
• gound myself by touching the amp case
• Use the alcantara ear pads (deeper so ear no longer touching)
• ground myself by touching anything earthed

None of the above seem like an ideal solution, so thought I would enquire here to see if there are any other suggestions.

PS - Chord have been very helpful in narrowing this down, and indeed stated this has been seen before, in early audeze phones, but that was addressed. I have contacted meze but as yet have not had a response.

PPS - same issue with a Hugo 2, no issue with other phones

You could also feed TT2 and HMS off batteries isolating them from ground.. it gives sound improvement too. Best is to use toslink into HMS and all other electrical inputs disconnected then.

 

[miketlse]

Request for ideas / suggestions.

I recently headed back to music and treated myself to headphone system. Meze Elite, TT2 and MScaler.

Whilst generally exceedingly happy, I have been plagued with an irritating hum / buzz that occurs if my ears touch the inner grill of the phones. After discussion with Chord, this is some sort of ground loop that can happen with phones that have not insulated / isolated the inner grill. There are a number of ways I can remove the hum:

• lift the phones slightly from my head (ear no longer contacting the inner grill)
• gound myself by touching the amp case
• Use the alcantara ear pads (deeper so ear no longer touching)
• ground myself by touching anything earthed

None of the above seem like an ideal solution, so thought I would enquire here to see if there are any other suggestions.

PS - Chord have been very helpful in narrowing this down, and indeed stated this has been seen before, in early audeze phones, but that was addressed. I have contacted meze but as yet have not had a response.

PPS - same issue with a Hugo 2, no issue with other phones

I collected a few posts on the topic together on this thread a week ago, so you have probably already read them, but it can be easy/cheap to cure if you can get away with a cable to earth your system.

 

[realmassy]

Request for ideas / suggestions.

I recently headed back to music and treated myself to headphone system. Meze Elite, TT2 and MScaler.
…

I have the Meze Empyrean and have no ground issue. Strange it happens only on those headphones.

As for me, I finally spent some time with the SRC DX converter, connected to Raspberry PI running as NAA. It definitely sounds different than my other streamer (another PI with the PI2AES hat, using optical). The differences are not subtle but I can’t make up my mind…don’t know which one I prefer.
I need to try different upsampling filters on HQPlayer, the one I’m currently using seems very very smooth but I feel the TT2 has lost some character and speed.

Do you know if the TT2 filters are still active even when the using the maximum input resolution?

By the way, I initially used a 50cm long USB cable between the PI and the SRC converters but I wasn’t happy about the logistics…it looked a mess. I’m now usimg this short USB B to A adapter and I can chain the 2 units and feed nicely the TT2. I’ll take a picture tomorrow

https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/usb-ca...g-converter-adapter-005949-5055383459490.html

 

[OCC7N]

@PeterPan2020

Now that I think of it. It could be ground issues coming from usb/computer

Do this simple troubleshooting.

In the packaging chord has provided a toslink cable. Plug out USB and try that on.

If it goes away do like me and treat yourself with a good DDC with optical out

 

[Amberlamps]

Request for ideas / suggestions.

I recently headed back to music and treated myself to headphone system. Meze Elite, TT2 and MScaler.

Whilst generally exceedingly happy, I have been plagued with an irritating hum / buzz that occurs if my ears touch the inner grill of the phones. After discussion with Chord, this is some sort of ground loop that can happen with phones that have not insulated / isolated the inner grill. There are a number of ways I can remove the hum:

• lift the phones slightly from my head (ear no longer contacting the inner grill)
• gound myself by touching the amp case
• Use the alcantara ear pads (deeper so ear no longer touching)
• ground myself by touching anything earthed

None of the above seem like an ideal solution, so thought I would enquire here to see if there are any other suggestions.

PS - Chord have been very helpful in narrowing this down, and indeed stated this has been seen before, in early audeze phones, but that was addressed. I have contacted meze but as yet have not had a response.

PPS - same issue with a Hugo 2, no issue with other phones

For schiits n giggles, turn the screen of TT2 to dim mode, and also see if hugo 2 acts the same when in dim mode. I’m just saying this as I get a humming noise when the displays are bright. I cant remember if its from Bright to nothing on the screen, or if its just from bright to dim mode. As I used to get a buzzing noise that changed with its screen brightness.

Maybe your just unlucky and some parts of your system dont play well together, like me and my sisters old barbie dolls, however i’m sure other members can give you a better insight into ground loops and rocket takeoffs with the highest apogee. Then its all down hill from there.

 

[PeterPan2020]

Cheers all. Help and indeed the explanation of 'Watts going on' much appreciated. ifi groundhog ordered. Fingers crossed.

 

[OCC7N]

Cheers all. Help and indeed the explanation of 'Watts going on' much appreciated. ifi groundhog ordered. Fingers crossed.

Try the optical port please. Chord has included one for free. This could have saved you the money(groundhog) if it worked

Also it sounds a little better imo(with Wireworld Supernova 7)

 

[PeterPan2020]

Try the optical port please. Chord has included one for free. This could have saved you the money(groundhog) if it worked

Also it sounds a little better imo(with Wireworld Supernova 7)

The noise was present when no source connected, ie TT2 plugged into the power outlet, Meze in the 6.35 only. Waiting for the hifi groundhog with high expectations.

 

[PeterPan2020]

Another request for advice:

After having returned to music and purchasing TT2, Scaler, Meze elite I am wondering the 'best' way to feed it.

I am an expat living in China and rather limited in terms of source material. My only practical streaming option is Apple Music. (other services are regionally blocked from either an account perspective or by the china firewall). A little research has shown that there seem to be two ways to go:

1) iOS device (hi res, auto switching) then lightning to USB to mscaler
2) airplay 2 (capped at 48khz) into a streamer then spdif to mscaler

Neither solution feels perfect, but would value any advice before heading down the rabbit hole of optimising either one (usb cables, ddc etc for route 1) or purchasing a good streamer for route 2.

I suppose this boils down to:

• Have I missed an option on how to get Apple Music into the system?
• Would it be 'better' to optimise a usb connection (good cables, matrix ddc - optical - mscaler for example) or use an airplay 2 streamer and optical connection?

I would value any thoughts / experience

ps - currently listening through stock cables out of an iPad and it sounds pretty ok, just wondering if I'm missing a little or a lot.

 

[PeterPan2020]

Just to close the loop (pun intended) - ifi groundhog arrived - issues solved! Many thanks for the guidance.

 

[MgMGM]

@PeterPan2020

Now that I think of it. It could be ground issues coming from usb/computer

Do this simple troubleshooting.

In the packaging chord has provided a toslink cable. Plug out USB and try that on.

If it goes away do like me and treat yourself with a good DDC with optical out

NEWS FLASH MY FREIND ' Treat yourself with a good DDC with optical out ' Jeez...... Were all SKINT. Get down local high street , buy some bell wire and ground that way. Cheap as what chips used to be. We should'nt be looking for excuses to spend brass all the time.

 

[PeterPan2020]

NEWS FLASH MY FREIND ' Treat yourself with a good DDC with optical out ' Jeez...... Were all SKINT. Get down local high street , buy some bell wire and ground that way. Cheap as what chips used to be. We should'nt be looking for excuses to spend brass all the time.

groundhog - yeah lazy I know, but a little more 'pretty' than bell wire if indeed no more effective.

But thanks for the DDC/optical vote.

(in China - going anywhere, let alone the local high street not so easy... ordering a branded product online, that is easy)

 

[realmassy]

Is anyone using the TT2 with the HD800s? I tried it briefly a couple of days ago and didn't like the pair, everything sounds a bit sterile.
I'm not concerned as I the ZMF Atrium has taken in its place in my rotation, but the same Atrium (dynamic with similar impedance) works great with it. I guess it's the headphones flaw, but I never experienced it before with the FA-12, I thought the Sennheiser was fine.