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How to get rid of Hiss

I have what I consider a really nice set up by all accounts it should sound perfect but it seems that as I save my cash and add "better" and "better" components the noise just gets worse and worse.

I do not have a dedicated circuit... yet but I have a horrible ground or power buzz not a hum but a very loud buzz when I connect my Cable box coax to the wall.

I had the cable company out and they hooked my Manley's up to a power inverter via there truck Vol-a ground/power hum gone.
The guy says I have a powered ground somewhere I checked every outlet in the house with a continuity testing plug and they all read OK.

My current set up comprises of the following
Merlin VSMs
Signal cable Double run Shotgun speaker wire
Manley Snapper monos Powered via an MIT Z-Isolater
CJ PV15 pre via a Tice Power Conditoner
Purist Audio Collosus IC through out (Re-terminated by Frank at Signal Cable)

These are my problems
When I switch on the Manley's I have a loud hiss from the speakers even at low volume could it be the tubes which are Electro Harmonics less than a year old.

I also have hum when I turn on the CJ this is different from the coax hum the CJ is also supposed to be filtered through the Tice power conditioner all my Power cables are ether Signal or MITs

Any Thoughts?
Thanks
punkuk
7 responses Add your response
jea48
4,446 posts
 
I had the cable company out and they hooked my Manley's up to a power inverter via there truck Vol-a ground/power hum gone.
That was quite nice of them to do that. Use a floating AC source that does not have a reference to ground. What they did was mask the problem of their ground problem of their cable system. You have a ground loop problem caused by a difference of potential, voltage, between their cable ground and the ground of your homes AC Grounding Electrode System.

You can install a simple signal isolation transformer between your cable and your cable box. Check the archives here on Agon.
[url]http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&1111512370&read&keyw&zzground=loop=hum[/url]

[url]http://www.jensen-transformers.com/an/an004.pdf[/url]
[url]http://www.jensen-transformers.com/an/ts_guide.pdf[/url]
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 
Assuming you add a cable isolation transformer like the Jensen or the Magic Eye, most hum/buzz problems from preamp are usually resolved by relocating the pre and its ICs away from AC transformers (Tice) and AC cables.
riffer
362 posts
 
Ha Ha!, nice obfuscation from the cable company - per Jea48, it is the cable coax.

Just put the Jensen on your coax and the problem will be solved. I don't know what the official count is, but I think close to 90% of all hum problems posted on the various audio/video forums are cable coax related.
soda14a6v
10 posts
 
Hi,

You have a lot of mods that could be causing the problem (power conditioner, shotgun speaker wire, etc., etc.) If I were you, I would go back to basics...eliminate all mods as a starting point. If the problem goes away, start adding back the mods, one by one, until the problem returns. When it does, you have found the culprit.

Quoting your own words in your initial post "as I save my cash and add "better" and "better" components the noise just gets worse and worse." I think you may have answered your own question.

Good Luck,

HG
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
>>How to get rid of Hiss<<

Tell funnier jokes.
joeylawn36111
574 posts
 
Thanks, Henny. ;)
punkuk OP
52 posts
 
Ok following Sodas idea.
If I run a dedicated line to my Power amps I would assume that if I still have a "Noise" problem it would point to a more obvious cause (as I am running a dedicated line)

I also plan on a separate dedicated line for the head units including a TT, CD, HT recever, pre amp and phono pre amp via a Tice power block

Soda I will say that the Hum is more pronounced at least 100% louder when I plug the Manleys into the wall or use the un-switched side of the MIT Isolator it make the system un listenable.
It sounds more like a line voltage than a background ground hum
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