2. amps-preamps
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Hum on Tube Amp - Can't find source

I have a hum (60hz) I can hear on my speakers and it happens with my tube monoblocks (either of them).  With or without interconnects, it even happens on either amp (have tried one at a time) with every circuit on the house tripped/disconnected, every other component disconnected from the wall (including the Internet/CaTV line) and no interconnects.  

One amp has it as soon as it warms up whereas the other one is intermittent.

Hum X doesn't solve it, iFi Ground defender either, AVA HumDinger on powerline  doesn't solve it either.

I have replaced the tubes and both amps were just tested at the factory.  Replaced the circuit breaker, tightened every wire on the breaker box, checked and cleaned all connections to ground rod.  Added a hum eliminator to the internet line.

Hum cycles a bit with the tube glow matching the cycles.

I'm waiting on the power company to come check the power coming to the house.

Thoughts?

ervikingo
dpop
293 posts
 

@larry5729

I read an article and they said tube amps hum. That would drive me nuts.

Lucky you’ve never been there. The sound produced by tubes is many times euphoric, but that hum can drive some nuts (like me). IMO, sometimes there’s a trade-off with tubes. To get that liquidity, you sometimes have to also tolerate (ignore) the hum that sometimes goes along with it, or, if it is present, some don't even notice it.

michaellent's avatar
michaellent
204 posts
 

My Aric Audio push-pull tube amp makes no noise whatsoever! The transformers don’t hum and I hear no hum coming out of the speakers. All tube amps do not hum!

Bent

wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
1,072 posts
 

@ervikingo

Have you prayed to St. Jude? Problems like this are maddening.

When all other breakers were off is there anything else power on the Amp’s circuit?

When you play music does the hum audibly persist?

Did you get extension cords and try different circuits?

 

wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
1,072 posts
 

Audio grade receptacles?

Tube pre? 

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

If not, it's on your mains.  Get engineer in.

Without anything plugged in it is unlikely to be a ground loop.

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