Am I asking too much?


I've spent the last three days chasing a ground loop/hiss issue.  I have unplugged and replugged every combination possible, have tried different type of grounds to phono stage, tried different phono stages, different lines into the amp, different turntables and still when I crank the volume with nothing playing, have this hiss.  At lower volumes I don't hear it, but if I turn it up, it's there.  I probably would never listen that loud, but still worry that at base levels the sound is compromised.  I've had this system connected for a month and don't know if the hiss was always there, or if, when I had to rearrange and reconnect due to Christmas and the wife factor, something changed.

My system is a Line Magnetic LM216IA tube amp, a Heed phono stage, a Rega Planar 3 TT (which doesn't have a ground wire) which plays to Audio Physic bookshelves and a JL Audio e110 sub. One of my biggest concerns has been the lack of ground with the Planar 3.

My system is plugged into a Torus Power Conditioner, so I thing I have that base covered into a dedicated line.  With all these electrical precautions am I expecting too much asking for a black speaker background?

Will be interested to hear similar ground loop stories or thoughts on whether there are other issues that I haven't considered.

udog

Showing 2 responses by udog

Thanks for all the comments and help.  With your assistance and more experimentation, it is pretty clear that what I have is hiss and not a hum.  I guess it is an amp related problem caused by tubes. Not sure where to go from here or whether it is something I have had and never noticed or if it can be rectified.
You'll feel for me more after you hear this one.  So, I'm trying to get my tube amp out of the rack to check out the tubes, disconnected the speakers (or so I thought) and dragged the amp to another rack when my audio physic bookshelves toppled and I got the second ding in a month.  This one to the still pristine speaker which I've had for a month and a half.  Aaaaagh!  I'm beside myself for the second time in a month.  $3000 speakers all banged up.  Will deal with the ****ing tubes tomorrow.  I do think the tubes may be the culprit.  To answer some of the other posts, at low levels I don't hear the hiss, but I know it's there and don't know exactly when it creeps in.  I'm trying to demo a Symposium isolation platform and my heart isn't into it if I don't have a good base level from which to compare.  
Aaaagh!