Isolation Transformer - Use with Cheater Plug

If you plug equipment into a isolation transformer like a Tripp-lite using cheater plugs, do you still get the shock benefit?

You bet! You could receive an electrical shock if a ground fault condition were to exist under the right conditions.

(The only way I can prevent loud hum is by using cheater plugs on both my preamp and amp. Plugging them into the Tripp-lite without the cheater plugs did not work.)

What happens if you do not use the Tripp-lite and plug the audio equipment directly into the wall outlet? Still have ground loop hum?

According to code, the ground is not isolated by the iso and is continuous. The positive and negative are isolated.

02-21-09: Ngjockey
According to code, the ground is not isolated by the iso and is continuous. The positive and negative are isolated.

And just to add....
For isolation transformers less than 2 KVA, if memory serves me right on the size, the safety equipment grounding conductor from the wall outlet can be used to connect one of secondary winding legs to ground. This grounded conductor, known as the neutral conductor. This connection also becomes the connection for the receptacle/s equipment grounds. A separately derived power system, (an iso transformer), shall have its secondary wired as an AC grounded power system.

In other words the secondary of the transformer can not float. It must have a direct reference to ground.

Forgot about that. That explains a lot about why iso's have gone out of fashion. My wiring has been more creative and with larger transformers. Yes, I should have said neutral instead of negative.

Thanks for the responses. I originally had the pair plugged into the same outlet with the cheater plugs. (I did not have this problem until I replaced my previous power amp.) Without the cheater plugs, the hum is very loud.
Sorry to still be confused - I didn't word my original question very well. Since the Tripp-lite did not solve my ground hum problem, is it at least giving me some protection from shock since I have to use the cheater plugs one way or the other? Or should I just go back to plugging the pair straight into the wall outlet and try something else? (I might try isolating the RCA cords next.) Thx again.