2. amps-preamps
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HUM - you can catch fish in a dingy too.

You can go buy a six-figure bass boat to catch fish, but you can catch the same fish out of a $200 rowboat.

So, I had - HAD - a hum problem in my system that was driving me nuts for about a year. It started out that it was the amplifier making the speakers hum even when the source or pre-amo was disconnected. Then I got a new preamp and the amp was quiet but the hum returned as soon as I took the preamp off mute - basically the hum jumped components, which left me drooling in rage and confusion. I switched sources, switched cables, switched ICs and speaker cables, added a power supply then plugged everything directly into the wall.... Arrrggghh!!!

Finally, in desperation I did something that I don't like for a number of reasons: I stuck a 35 cent cheater plug between the pre-amp and the power supply (which is itself still grounded) and the hum FINALLY went away. $15,000 worth of audio jewelry and it took a 35 cent piece of plastic to make it work right. Sometimes we are too smart for our own good. Just thought I'd share.
grimace

Showing 1 response by newbee

newbee
4,751 posts
 
Cheater plugs are a poorly kept secret I think. I've used them off and on for years usually on a pre-amp/amp combo keeping at least one properly grounded. I disregard the braysayers regarding risks. Interestingly yesterday I was reading a highly regarded amp designer/manufacturer's comments about how to avoid hums - use cheater on pre-amp. And he wasn't the first either.

FWIW I just went thru a hum problem. A real PITA but ultimately I found that the hum was corrected after I used a cheater on all of the sources ahead of the (integrated) amp. I think the amp may have an inherent design issue. I've never had this problem before with either a pre-amp or an integrated amp.
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