I have a huge DAC that I was planning to stick a tube amp on top of, but EMI from the transformers in the DAC is causing humming in the tube amp. Lifting the amp, the hum becomes inaudible after I lift it about 6 inches away from the DAC. Both the DAC and the amp are in metal cases, the DAC grounded via AC plug and the amp grounded via the RCA cables. Is there any way I can reduce EMI into the amp other than placing the amp further away? I'm out of room and I don't have any shelves that will fit the DAC. The hum is unchanged with the amp completely unplugged from everything except the headphones.
Is the hum strictly the result of proximity? Or might there be a ground loop exaggerated by the interaction of a magnetic field? If the source of the hum is a ground loop, then consider using an Ebtech Hum X ground line voltage filter. If the hum is caused by a magnetic field then spatial separation is the most practical solution.
As it's about attenuating the field until it's not noticeable for you at the amp, you can always try to fool around experiment with stuff you have in your house. Aluminum foil, or a side of your computer casing if it's metal, the metal plate from the oven... Put that between the amp and the DAC, check if having a piece of paper/cardboard to separate it from the amp and DAC casing improves things or not. Make a layer with coins(ideally we'd go for ferrous stuff I guess, but it's always nice to try things for ourselves). Put some tin can on each foot as elite audiophile shock absorbers and isolating material(the food probably does more than the can). You see where I'm going with that, I have stupid ideas that make people laugh.
I remember some years back a portable amp that would pick up a cellphone signal, security doors, and about anything else. I ended up pushing it inside a box of Pringles and it actually helped noticeably(nobody was as surprised as I TBH). It also made many people laugh so there's a trend here. I still got rid of that amp because it was driving me crazy.
Another cheap thing to try if you're on high gain and you don't really need to, switch it down. chances are that lower gain will mean lower noise. it's not 1certain because I don't know what part of the amp picks up that signal, but again,
Is the hum strictly the result of proximity? Or might there be a ground loop exaggerated by the interaction of a magnetic field? If the source of the hum is a ground loop, then consider using an Ebtech Hum X ground line voltage filter. If the hum is caused by a magnetic field then spatial separation is the most practical solution.
Yes, only proximity. The amplifier is literally unplugged from everything except the headphones. There is no ground at that point. Having it plugged in doesn't change the hum.
Yes, only proximity. The amplifier is literally unplugged from everything except the headphones. There is no ground at that point. Having it plugged in doesn't change the hum.
If that is the case, then if moving the components apart is not an option, then you have to proactively contain the electromagnetic interference with some form of Faraday Cage, see this: https://backyardbrains.com/experiments/faraday
These times are truly the golden age for emf paper. I have seen pieces of emf paper for close to nothing. Also there are materials/cloth with metallic threads in it also...at times you just have to ground them to work.....I read. I use EMF paper on two of my power cables. Over the last 20 years the stuff has gone from a rare and somewhat expensive thing to now a regular everywhere product that costs close to nothing. I don’t have experience with the new material but it seems easy to try?
Remember that crazy guy who made youtube videos where he would whisper and show his eccentric sound system all wrapped up in foil like a Thanksgiving turkey?
Remember that crazy guy who made youtube videos where he would whisper and show his eccentric sound system all wrapped up in foil like a Thanksgiving turkey?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/famous-quotes-by-patrick82.210323/ Patrick82 was a troll.
The videos have been taken off YouTube. He was actually a performance artist and not an audiophile at all. So his videos were actually a joke, and a study in human psychology. There are a few religious subjects as well as audiophile subjects, that when spoken of........it’s a concept that humans can’t differentiate between what’s real and what isn’t. So his videos were actually an exploitative of that phenomenon.
Meaning when done in this way, it is impossible to know if he was sincere or not.
But related to the OPs topic. EMF is a real thing that affects humans in many ways. Also it can affects equipment just as the OP is stating. If you don’t believe that a small sound can be made from placing a DAC to close to an Amp........well? Of course there can be issues. Also issues can be solved with EMF paper or cloth.
Simply buy a piece and wrap your phone in it and your prove it to yourself if it’s true or not. Now days we have 100s maybe 1000s of products which address the issue.
The trolling was all over the web.
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Of course it is loud. Appliances have been disrupting audio since the invention of the LP, and before. I have not purchased any cloth/paper in a long time. But if you have seen the videos it is a regular issue. The spectrum is a wide range so finding a material best suited to your needs may be simple, maybe not. Obviously a meter will show you the exact frequency that is being emitted but who wants to invest in one of those. Maybe someone who reads this thread can chime in, who has also had the problem and cured it with the cloth?
I have a huge DAC that I was planning to stick a tube amp on top of, but EMI from the transformers in the DAC is causing humming in the tube amp. Lifting the amp, the hum becomes inaudible after I lift it about 6 inches away from the DAC. Both the DAC and the amp are in metal cases, the DAC grounded via AC plug and the amp grounded via the RCA cables. Is there any way I can reduce EMI into the amp other than placing the amp further away? I'm out of room and I don't have any shelves that will fit the DAC. The hum is unchanged with the amp completely unplugged from everything except the headphones.
Mu-metal shielding. In the industry I work in, we use Mu-metal to block EMI from 10,000RPM motors from interfering with very sensitive electro-magnetic signal pickups. Sorry, I'm not gonna explain what I do for a living.
Grounding will do nothing. You need shielding or physical separation. The hum will of course exist as long as field interference exists.
If you were to get scientific about it you could try a conductive "cage" arranged 90 degrees to the field and then grounded but then you're blocking your dac front panel and would have to cut holes to route your back end.
Physical distance i.e. a non-conductive/non-ferrous rack is the best and most practical solution.
Edit: this will only work if your transformers are not toroidal. Still a hard EMI/EMF "box" is your only choice if you refuse to physically move them apart.
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