Monoblock disadvantage or...?

tubes,ground loop

Marakanetz, could be lots of stuff. Do a search at the Asylum if you haven't already. There is a lot of discussion there about hum and how to track it down. No sense reinventing the wheel here. That site has way more techies on it too.

Sincerely, I remain

Sounds like it could possibly be a ground loop. Are they plugged into the same circuit? Even if they are, you still might want to try to float the grounds on the amps with cheater plugs and see if that doesn't remove the hum.

With problems which manifest as a difference between the channels I always start at the source and switch left and right connections until I hear the problem reverse at the speaker. The fault is then easily attributed to the component driving the connection which, when switched, caused the problem to move from one channel to the other.

If you get all the way to switching speaker wire with no change then the problem is the speakers.

Also check if changing the preamp volume has any effect. Some potentiometers (even high quality) often have very uneven channel balance when they're set to very low volumes (like less than 1/8 turn). See if the problem exists at all volume levels.

If the problem is traced to the source, preamp or speakers then I'm at a loss to be able to solve it. IF the problem is traced to the monoblocks try switching power cables to see if this helps. However since the hum is inaudible at the listening position I wouldn't worry.

I bet you wish you hadn't listened for it now ... kind of like listening for wierd engine noises in your car just after the warranty expires .... you hear some wierd noises, you worry about them, but there's nothing you can do except turn up the stereo and ignore them ! Best not to listen in the first place. Bit like hifi test discs ... if you like the sound of your system DON'T BUY ONE ... you'll just risk disappointment.

If you have hum on one channel, often time it is because one of your components is placed close to some electric field such as a transformer or power line. Try to move them around one component at a time to see if the hum changes. I had the same problem when I place a DVD player under my preamp. Once I move it to a different shalf, the hum went away.

If after the above mentioned tests to make sure the problem is at the amplifier, the difference in hum probably results from on amp being a different "distance" from the ground (main). That is, the order that your components draw off the line can affect their ground, and therefore contribute to the hum. Equal hum should result from "equal" distance. Play with the order that things are plugged in, and/or cheater plugs (on other components too) to isolate and reduce the problem. GL problems are sometimes very difficult to solve.

i believe Seandtaylor99 has the best advice. i doubt it's a ground loop issue, or you would easily be able to hear it from the listening position, possibly even the next room... ;~)

doug s.

...I actually checked it problem(pardon to forgot to mention) with all sources+preamp off. Since it's audiable only when I bring ear close to the speaker driver, I will not worry too much although will experiment with cheater plugs arround.
Thanks!
Mara.