Ground loop feedback - cable wire issue

TVs are a notorious source of ground loops in an audio system!

This is what solved the cable tv ground loop problem for me, worked like a charm:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1344635-REG/jensen_transformers_vrd_1ff_cable_tv_capacitive_based.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_966mNDx6wIVGU2GCh0JEQEkEAQYASABEgIdlvD_BwE

"You can only do this if the preamp employs a 2-prong AC connection! "


Actually, can be done with a three prong connection as well....just have to switch the live and neutral within a plug of an ac power cord, and resupply the "noisy" preamp or amp ...in some cases the noise will be less........lifting the ground is way to break the ground loop, but is fraught with electrical shock hazard, although it can be a useful tool or trick to determine the origin of a ground loop...some preamplifiers - eg the Herron VTSP series have polarity switching toggle switch at the back to enable this to reduce "noise" in the system.

Yes, there is an HDMI cable between tv and avr.

tv is plugged into a power conditioner.

thanks

@emergingsoul   Is there a TV involved in this setup?

To lift a ground means you remove the ground pin.
You can do this by either removing the ground pin from the plug (not recommended), or using a ground cheater:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheater_plug.
As your Marantz has only 2 prongs, then this is moot.
I will defer to atmasphere with regard as to how to proceed.
He looked at my equipment when I had a similar issue.
Bob

Hi PhD, 

please clarify lift the ground.  Hard for me to follow your guidance.

fyi, my marantz avr is newish 5014, and no third prong.

Just lift the ground of the amp or preamp if they both have a three prong plug, you can do this by using a cheater plug if they don't have a grounding lift switch. System will still be grounded via interconnects as long as one component is grounded.

@ atmasphere, My emotiva xpa 1 gen-2 amp is a two pin ac cord. That is four years old. Do you think, i will have a problem. Mike. :-)

The Marantz must be an older unit. All consumer electronics are required to have a grounding pin in their AC cord **unless** there is no metal of the product exposed to the outside world. 

 the marantz avr I have lacks a third prong vs the external amp which has a third prong.  Why is this?

An unusual trick that can work wonders is to flip the AC supply polarity of the offending device, in this case the preamplifier.

You can only do this if the preamp employs a 2-prong AC connection!


Ground loops occur when different parts of the system share a ground in such a way that noise in the ground is imposed into the signal at an earlier part of the circuit. The best way to eliminate it is to break the common ground- usually at the amplifier end as this is where most of the current usually is. If you can float the amplifier's AC ground at the power cord (using a ground cheater available from a hardware store) and that eliminates the buzz, then there are steps you can take to shut things up.

An unusual trick that can work wonders is to flip the AC supply polarity of the offending device, in this case the preamplifier. Chassis to ground potential difference due to internal transformer current leakage can alter considerably with changing AC supply polarity and can potentially reduce hum/noise.

One can also measure this with a multimeter to determine the optimal polarity.

agree with @fuzztone - it's likely related to cable and those products address those problems quickly if the cable ground is the root cause.

If for some reason that doesn't work it means that your new amp is interacting poorly with another component connected to it and sharing the same ground.  I just went through this with a SET amp I acquired.  Turned out the interaction was with my preamp.  I diagnosed the problem and ultimately resolved the problem using a Hum X to float the ground on the preamp.  

Besides floating the ground on the preamp I found that I needed to make sure my DAC wasn't sharing the same power strip/conditioner with the amp because my single ended ICs connecting the DAC to the preamp enabled the ground loop to remain intact.  Yes, it took several hours to track this issue down.

Also I don't think it's a good idea to float the ground on the amp or use a Hum X -type device directly on the amp (even though it will remove the hum).  The Hum X is only safe up to 6A draw and many amps can spike above that.  My 48W SET amp was drawing 4.5A at idle for example.  It's better to float the ground on the low draw component that's cause the poor amp interaction.  In my case my VAC preamp only draws 0.5A according to my measurements. You certainly don't want to create a safety hazard while addressing the ground loop/

Yup, I went through the same thing as fuzztone with a cable box, and Power supply.
15.00 usd fixed like new, with a great little GL gizzmo. 3 or 4 (options) one was with a wire added to one of the devices, I didn't have to use it..

Safety first, protection second. I always protect MY expensive gear.
I have NEVER suffered SQ loss.

Great power supplies, in equipment go a long ways. Krell, Mcintosh. Pass, and a few others don’t squeeze where it REALLY counts, the Power supply. A ZERO noise floor for me...

A little test....

TURN the volume ALL the way up with nothing playing, on your vinyl rig, SDAC or something.. Is there ANY noise? No noise, you did a good job.. It’s hard to do for some folks.

A LOT of  listeners just say I can't hear it when it's playing so what's the difference... I guess it's just me.. I'm picky, REAL PICKY.  Even my 600.00 special system had NO noise, FINALLY.. Took a day or two..

Regards

It’s just the cable co.
They have a different ground than your house does. Put a Ground Loop Isolator for Cable TV applications F Connector on the cable feed. I have a bunch I paid $8@. MCM used to have them but they’re gone.
Some are on eBay. Best $15 you will ever spend.
Nothin' to do with amps

I have had this issue with my office.
I even sent my amps and preamp to Atmasphere to sort it out, but, to no avail.
It seems some amps don't play well with other equipment.
I think it might be some inherent design issue with the amp, but I am no EE.

Have you tried a 'Hum Buster' or tried to float the ground on the amp?
Bob