View Single Post
Old 05-09-2011, 02:49 PM   #23
dungbeetle
Human being with feelings
 
dungbeetle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Ol' Blighty
Posts: 1,151
Default

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.
__________________
dungbeetle

"In the hopes of reaching the moon, men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet." - Albert Schweitzer
dungbeetle is offline   Reply With Quote