Hum / distortion / ground loop
AnsweredHi,
Connected a brand new Node 2i direct onto my Primare 33.2 amplifier. First of all I had no sound at all, just a low but very noticeable distortion coming from my speakers. No music, just a ticking hum. Replaced my high-end RCA cables with the standard cables from the box and presto music was coming. But the distortion/humming sound was there to stay.
Had my Primare checked at the dealer and that unit was not the problem. Tried different Power Cords, separate wall outlets, etc. Problem remains. When trying additional earthing it led to the Node 2i. When applying an earthing cable on the analog out, the humming disappears. But how do I fix this permanently? I am expecting to buy a device that works flawless and out of the box. Please help me to sort out a solution.
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Official comment
Hi Ronald
Ground loop issues are always troublesome to locate and can be caused by a number of factors.
When applying an earthing cable on the analog out, the humming disappears.
I think you answered your own question. That being said, I have forwarded your feedback to our Quality Assurance team as they are always looking at ways to improve the experience.
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Hi Tony,
Thanks for your answer and it was indeed cumbersome to locate where it came from. But that does not say how to get rid of it, therefore the SR. As I cannot apply an earthing cable permanently at the spot where I need to plug in my audio cable. The hum seems to come from the chassis of the RCA terminals, do you have a resolution for that?
Ronald
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Hi Ronald
3 basic things to check...
1) Change your RCA Cables
2) Change your Analogue input cable running to the NODE
3) Ensure your Analogue source is in fact grounded properly
Either way, you must find out where the circuit is open and close it.
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Further investigation shows the root cause is the mains in my house, what the electrician should and will fix. So it is not the Node to blame although it is the only device that really was getting distressed about it. It is quite sensitive to bad mains. Honestly thankful to find out, since I am an advocate of proper power for audio (having 3 separate 16A glass fuses main groups installed for audio only).
Thanks for the support which is great!
Best regards,
Ronald
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WOW!
Glad to hear you found it Ronald
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Hi Ronald
I get exactly the same issue plugging it into my XTZ Edge a2-300 Class D power amp and Roksan M2 Power amp Class AB via RCA outputs (high frequency sound this time). The Node (3rd gen) is the only streamer/dac to do it out of other streamer/dacs that causes this issue. Although you mentioned it's not the Node, what exactly did the electrician do to prevent this noise? Was it as simple as replacing the fuses?
Regards
James
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Hi James,
In my case it turned out to be a Powerline adapter from my Internet/television supplier (Ziggo), which uses the power network to cast the television signal to a 2nd TV. It introduced a noise on the power where the Node was quite sensitive to. Even having completely seperate groups for audio, homecinema and the rest of the house didn't prevent it from happening. So ditched the P2P powerline overall which solved the issue. Check if you have some HF distortion on your power as well (TV- or WiFi repeater)?
All the best
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