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Old 05-10-2011, 04:21 AM   #26
BigFella
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 255
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dungbeetle View Post
Well, I finally managed to try out both the ground loop isolator and the star grounding method over the weekend.

The isolator definitely improved matters, reducing the noise through the speakers to an acceptably innocuous hiss. Interestingly though, it only seemed to do its job while the amplifier volume was set to around 75% or less. Any higher than that, and it was as if it could no longer take the strain and all the nasty noise came bursting through again.

The thing that surprised me about this, was that it wasn't a gradual increase in noise when it eventually gave up the ghost. Tweak the dial to just over 75% and POW!, the floodgates opened and all the noise broke through. Turn the volume back down again and all is good. Strange.

With regard to star grounding, unfortunately it didn't seem to make much difference for me. I suspect that either I'm doing it wrong or there's just too much electrical equipment plugged into the lounge ring main, wreaking havoc.
If the isolator is connected to the input of the amp then the volume the amp is set at should make no appreciable difference to the isolator.

If you set up the system with amp at high level and run the laptop on battery what is the result?
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