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Mad Scientist IC’s

So in another thread, I described having issues with audible speaker hum when I connected my Jolida dac directly to my NuForce STA-200 amp via a pair of Schroeder-Dueland IC’s.  Lots of discussion regarding the high gain of the NuForce and the output impedance of the dac.  A few weeks ago, I purchased a pair of Mad Scientist HAC+ IC’s from MrTriode (who btw is a great guy to deal with), which after proper break-in, replaced the Schroeder-Dueland IC’s. First off, they sound amazingly detailed and three dimensional in my system.  Second, the hum disappeared altogether.  Going back to the Schroeder IC’s reproduced the hum.  So I’m curious— the Mad Scientist’s use carbon fiber; the Dueland’s, tinned copper.  What difference in the materials used eliminated the hum?
renisnceman

Showing 2 responses by renisnceman

renisnceman OP
50 posts
 
Speakers hum with the Schroeder- Dueland IC’s; they don’t hum with the Mad Scientist IC’s.  No other changes to the system.  
renisnceman OP
50 posts
 
@williewonka the dac is the Jolida dsd non- bluetooth version connected to a Bluesound Node 2 via a Nordost Silver Shadow digital cable with bnc-rca adapters.  Speaker cables are diy silver over copper ribbon 10 AWG with cable lifters.  The hum is not the typical 50/60 Hz- higher in frequency and it increases as the volume control increases on the dac.  Power cables for the dac and Node are Cullen and Transparent for the amp.  Thing is, without changing anything, except for switching back and forth between the Dueland-Schroeder IC’s and the Mad Scientist IC’s, the Mad Scientist are dead quiet and the Schroeder’s hum.  Tapping the Schroeder’s doesn’t add to the hum, but moving them around tends to alter it. The good thing is the MS sound better, but I’m curious as to why they’re silent. At this point it’s more an intellectual exercise, but I wonder if the carbon fiber for the signal conductor in the MS cables has something to do with it.
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