[BShaw]

Mixing AES/RCA or balanced/unbalanced causes this stuff too, especially in big chain on a bunch of circuits. Audio pro told me this about my 2 10-2 lines that this is an issue in cases. Balanced end puts pressure on the coax end and the tube amp picks it up, swapping interconnects, optical and different things can help too if there is this issue in the chain and reduce or fix it completely. This applies to big chains particularly, I never saw these issues with smaller chains but I can have up to 5 DACs/5AMPs+ on 3 circuits and it can do it if stuff isn't separated and can't flow out right. The grid is unhappy, clogged grounds, and resetting it will get rid of it in cases too. Grounds just get trapped and no where to go slight electrical imbalance inside the chain is a big issue then. Electricity is very fast and can't find a way out in the mess of things. Buzzs/hums from balanced end will hit unbalanced end of the chain and you can turn off equipment and it will jump to the next one if it's bad enough, it's quite funny actually to me.

Sounds like you will be able to find a way to get it to a good enough place. It's certainly lots of trial and error and despair at times! Interestingly I've seen it hum before I turned everything off, cooled it all down completely, shut off the grid and the hum never came back for a week plugged in exactly the same as well. I worried the other day when my tube amp had a tiny noise in it that there was an issue and I cooled it all off and it has not come back for several days. Tube amps are extra freaky about this issues for sure, they get hot they can do weird things so can other equipment when I run it for 8+ hours type of thing. I use 2 RCA sets to my tube amp so if there is an issue it will usually surface for me and I have to fix it which has had me running around in circles a number of times. All part of it I say

Seems like the topic of bad power, grounds, hums really need a dedicated thread for this. So many need to discuss this stuff. Trying not to be off-topic here completely but it's generally in the mix of power conditioning what people are attempting to deal with as much as it is to get lower noise floor ect.

Thanks again phoneslave, there's some pretty interesting tidbits in what you wrote. I did make some new ICs with Xangsane 9003ag, RCAs to the tube amp, and it surprisingly dropped the hum by an easily noticeable amount, I was actually surprised. But I floated the shield at the amp end and connected it at the active crossover side, so this may have something to do with it, I don't know. I'd love to be able to plug the tubes back into the 156, but for now it stays plugged into the wall. Will eventually run a new circuit to this room or chain off another circuit since the extension cord trick definitely works. Thanks for the input.

 

[phoneslave86]

Thanks again phoneslave, there's some pretty interesting tidbits in what you wrote. I did make some new ICs with Xangsane 9003ag, RCAs to the tube amp, and it surprisingly dropped the hum by an easily noticeable amount, I was actually surprised. But I floated the shield at the amp end and connected it at the active crossover side, so this may have something to do with it, I don't know. I'd love to be able to plug the tubes back into the 156, but for now it stays plugged into the wall. Will eventually run a new circuit to this room or chain off another circuit since the extension cord trick definitely works. Thanks for the input.

Glad your making progress. If one stays dedicated you will always get there some day. Remember to write down the exact setup when your really happy with it or you will forget changing and rolling things. Even small things can really make a difference to the entire chain when it's just right like a USB cable. I take photos or write it down.

 

[LucianoBadoe]

I'm having "hummmm" noise from my speakers if connect GM in my DAC or amplifier (using RCA conector).
One simple test shows that are possible a ground loop with my functional ground. I have all the outlets grounded and if I cut off the ground signal from the outlets the noise goes away.
If I disconnect the GM from the dedicated rod even with the outlets ground connected the are zero noise.
Some tip about this?

 

[Somatic]

Quick update. I prefer the Dave + Farad3 off the PSM1512 than off a surge protector with no filtration. More engaging, detailed sound. Logically thought a unfiltered power would be better to feed into the LPS but I was wrong.

 

[Jake2]

I'm having "hummmm" noise from my speakers if connect GM in my DAC or amplifier (using RCA conector).
One simple test shows that are possible a ground loop with my functional ground. I have all the outlets grounded and if I cut off the ground signal from the outlets the noise goes away.
If I disconnect the GM from the dedicated rod even with the outlets ground connected the are zero noise.
Some tip about this?

How close is the dedicated ground rod to your house’s safety ground rod, if close I wonder if this is a factor? Mine are 5-10m apart and no hum issues related to the GM.

 

[Somatic]

Can someone let me know what the GroundMaster City actually does vs stock ground in an outlet? Thanks.

 

[Somatic]

Anyone selling a grandmaster city? Please PM. Thanks.

 

[LucianoBadoe]

How close is the dedicated ground rod to your house’s safety ground rod, if close I wonder if this is a factor? Mine are 5-10m apart and no hum issues related to the GM.

Yes Jake, this seems to be the issue. I will rearrange my dedicated rod but in meanwhile a friend give me a good tip to use GM in then system safety ground and I try it. The ground wire goes to the black bindpost and the green wired to the system outlets.
I was using it for just some listening hours and convinced that are a good result with better stage (more wider and 3D maybe) and the bass has more deep and punch in a more controlled way.

I'm happy to be tried this.

 

[BShaw]

Yes Jake, this seems to be the issue. I will rearrange my dedicated rod but in meanwhile a friend give me a good tip to use GM in then system safety ground and I try it. The ground wire goes to the black bindpost and the green wired to the system outlets.
I was using it for just some listening hours and convinced that are a good result with better stage (more wider and 3D maybe) and the bass has more deep and punch in a more controlled way.

I'm happy to be tried this.

Apologies Luciano I understand English probably isn’t your native language but I’d like to understand what you just wrote because I’ve been having similar issues. Jake, maybe you can clarify?

 

[Jake2]

Apologies Luciano I understand English probably isn’t your native language but I’d like to understand what you just wrote because I’ve been having similar issues. Jake, maybe you can clarify?

I’m not quite sure what Luciano’s fix is, perhaps reversing the terminals on the GM to which his components and ground rod were connected? My suggestion was that maybe his two ground being close together was the cause of the issue here.

Re hum generally, even after using PSM156 which stopped dead my amp’s low level hum through through the speakers, my R26 DACs transformer hum/buzz reduced a lot but was still audible from a few feet away.

I just realised it’s now gone entirely (even with my ear right on the chassis above the LPS, nada, whisper quiet) an unexpected benefit of encasing both my DAC’s toroidal transformers in MuMetal* last night. This on top of the greater dynamic scale ( incl subwoofer like bass from my stand-mounts, oh yeah!) and an easier, more natural, grain-free, non-fatiguing flow you can hear from another room. A quick google suggested transformer core saturation as the hum culprit which stray DC can exacerbate, and the Puritan’s DC blocker helped with I guess. So effective it was, right up there in bang-for-buck scale, the main cost is the time which will lessen with practice. And I’ll get more practice.. just pulled the trigger on 4 more sheets to do more components, incl space permitting, double or triple layer shielding which is supposed to be the bees knees.

*Ok not MuMetal TM but an off-brand formulation of equivalent composition. I measured its effect with a Gigahertz Solutions magnetic field analyser - it’s the real deal.

 

[LucianoBadoe]

Hi @BShaw, the English really isn't my native language but I can try again clarify the scenario.

If I use GM connect to a dedicated rod and the DAC or amplifier I have noise (typical ground loop noise) in the speakers.

Jake suggested that the rods of the booth ground systems (safety and functional) are too close and I believe that can be the reason.

I will work to put the GM rod away from the safety ground but for now, I suggested another away to use the GM in the safety ground with very good results. I don't have the PSM but luckily I have two GM and will use they in the two ground systems.

Hope I was a bit more clear.

Luciano.

 

[BShaw]

Capisco Luciano, grazie.
I had the same suspicion about the location of my 2 dedicated ground rods, which are 6 meters from the house safety grounds. I even tried adding a third leg and running an extra line to my incoming copper water line, no dice. I definitely have a ground loop issue and will relocate the rods when I have the time. An electrician friend agreed this might be the problem. I’m having a new panel installed this summer and will move the safety ground rods outside the house then, at the moment they are in the basement. Household electricity can be a dirty mess with all kinds of leaks so hopefully cleaning things up will help. I just hate the noise coming from my horns!