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What Silenced the Ground Loop?

I have a ground loop in my system that is audible from the speakers as the volume is turned up higher. I have a Blue Circle integrated, and one of my sources is a Raysonic CD128. I've had the Raysonic connected single ended. I purchased an inexpensive XLR interconnect just to hear the sonic difference since my Blue Circle has balanced cd inputs and the Raysonic has xlr outputs (not truly balanced).

Once I connected the xlr cables between the Blue Circle int and the Raysonic, the ground loop is gone. Total silence. I can turn the volume on the integrated all the way up and the speakers are silent.

What is it about connecting via balanced inputs on my integrated to not truly balanced outputs on the cdp that killed the ground loop? Thanks for your thoughts
foster_9
foster_9 OP
1,638 posts
 
No I did not have hum with the DK except when I had it connected to a particular AC regenerator I had previously. By the way, there is no problem having the rcas and xlr's connected at the same time. Each has there own sonic signature. And the xlr's are inexpensive Belden wire with Neutrik connectors(Blue Jeans), but they sound pretty darn good and aren't fully broken in yet. Thanks for the thoghts Tvad. I'll consider trying a reversal a set of the AZ's.
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herman
2,253 posts
 
Directional means the ground is floated at the load end (in other words, the ground is not soldered to the RCA outer ring at the end that connects to the preamp).

That is incorrect. A cable can be directional if there is an outer shield that is only connected at one end but you have to have the ground (outer ring) connected at both ends. It can also be directional if there is a terminating network on one end.
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audphile1's avatar
audphile1
4,916 posts
 
Also, try disconnecting the single ended ICs from both the BC and cdp. There are some preamps and integrated amps that do not like having only one input connected and will hum until one other input is connected as well. Give it a try, see what happens.
And yes, the Blue Jeans XLRs are really good. Their single ended cables are excellent as well, although not quiet as detailed and do not do the soundstaging as well as AZ Matrix Ref II.
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