Hum issue - driving me more crazy


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Not sure if this should be here, Tech talk or Cables...

Audio Research Ref 2 Preamp, Pass labs electronic Xover, Bryston 4B ST amps (2), MAGGIE 20.1 speakers. All eqpt working OK.

Pre source eqpt left rear of room
spkr amp & XOVER left front of room
spkr amp right front of room

Separate 20 amp circuit for hifi eqpt. Other plugs in rooms for lamps, etc. Many of lamps on dimmers

Singlended IC's (now double shielded)are "under" flooring (pier and beam construction) & has been moved away from other wiring & cross at right angles

Initially some hum from dimmers (on separate circuit), etc. Have learned to leave them off.

But there is constant low level hum - right side only EVEN with preamp and XOVER turned off.
imdoc
In most cases, when components are all using the 3 prong cords, each component in the system has its own ground. Unless all of these grounds are routed back in the electrical system through one point, you get can a ground loop. This is because the components are also grounded by way of the ICs through the other components' ground as well.

If you are going to lift the ground (cheater plugs) try to do that on the preamp and let everything ground through the amps. This is how I get my amp and preamp to play nicely, but my pre has a switch for doing this. I do run a cheater on the QSC amp that runs my bass horns to eliminate a ground issue there.

If you haven't already, try to plug both amps into the same outlet and see if the hum is diminished. Matter of fact, you may need to plug everything in your system into one outlet to see if this helps even more. Use extension cords and/or power strips to get everything plugged into the same outlet and see what happens.

Interesting that you also have one side worse than the other. Try swapping the ICs between amps and see if the hum follows the change. It happens. Just last week I helped a customer with what turned out to be a bad IC, but in this case it was causing the input protection fuses to blow on his amp. Now that's a bad cable!

When you can, try turning off all of the breakers in the house except the one feeding your system and see what happens. This may tell you if the problem is coming in from outside.

Good luck! YOu have my sympathies. I don't think anything is as frustrating as finding solutions to ground issues.
You can probably remove the RCAs from the cables and replace them with XLRs. Most ICs have three wires inside anyway. If they do it's pretty simple if you can solder to attach XLR's. You don't even have to be able to solder with some of the new clamping XLR connectors.
Neutric solderless XLR
"Bringing the IC to the right amp TO ABOVE the floor-> RESOLVES NOISE. In my unknowing frog brain, this implies something is inducing noise in the right sided IC (when under the floor - down about 12-16" is all though)."
05-26-11: Imdoc

Imdoc,

*How long is this IC cable?
*What type of cable supports are used under the floor? Plastic? Metal?
*How often is the cable supported, distance between supports?
*What is the area, space, under the floor? Basement? Crawlspace?
The dimmers must go, off is not good enough.
Have replaced components, cables, used cheaters,aligned cables, changed conditioners and surge, replaced tubes, replaced power cables.
As soon as I took out the dimmer switches, problem solved.
I had the same issue with my Dynaco pas 3 preamp. All I had to do to eliminate the hum was to twist the rca connectors from the phono in the socket until it made good contact. Try this first with all of your rca plugs and see if that solves the problem. It did it for me, no more hum.