ARC D-100B power amp For fun I connected the LS9 to two other power amps (Yamaha and Vincent). Dead silent. I then connected an old Yamaha pre amp to my D-100B. Silence. Same place, same cables. So, neither the LS9 nor the D-100B are faulty, but together they, or one of them, cause a pretty loud buzz. I’m going mad here! Any ideas? Thanks!
Apples and oranges. Circuit grounding designs of the Yamaha and Vincent unknown.
Looking at the schematic wiring diagrams for the ARC D-100B power amp and the ARC SP9 the B- and signal ground are connected directly to the chassis and thus to the AC mains safety equipment grounding conductor. A poor design. Was a prime cause of ground loop hum.
(AC safety equipment grounding conductor shall be connected directly to the chassis. Circuit ground, B-/signal ground, does not.)
Also I noticed on the preamp two capacitors are installed from each of AC Lines to the Chassis/safety equipment ground. They could be leaking AC voltage to the chassis possibly causing ground loop current through the signal ground via the ICs to the safety equipment grounded power amp.
ARC D100
https://www.arcdb.ws/model/D100ARC SP9
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/audio-research/sp-9.shtml
Fix?
The easiest thing to do is to lift the equipment grounding conductor at the preamp. Either at the AC plug or inside the preamp where the power cord equipment grounding conductor is connected to the chassis of the preamp.
Check for ground loop hum.
For electrical safety to prevent the possibility from an electrical shock hazard install a minimum #16awg copper wire from the chassis of the equipment grounded power amp to the now non safety equipment grounded preamp chassis. Make sure the connections of the wire to the the chassis are to bare metal for a good 100% ground connection. (The single equipment grounding conductor from the power amp to the preamp ties the two chassis together by the single equipment grounding conductor from the power cord of the power amp.
Check for ground loop hum.