Grantly, welcome. If you mean that there was no hum problem previously with the 875 used for power, and if the connections(with the exception of the Crown connection)were the same, then there appears to be nothing new to create a ground loop. It's possible that there's a defect(e.g., rectifier, filter capacitors)in the power supply section of the Crown.

If it would be a ground loop, using a RCA/XLR adaptor wouldn't be helpful. As Alex pointed out, the balanced circuitry is entirely different, and doesn't simply involve the difference between a RCA plug and XLR connector. The sending unit(875)would have to have a balanced output with two voltages(of opposite polarity)rather than one, which the 875 doesn't have. The wiring itself is just one element and is meaningless without both balanced output circuitry and balanced input circuitry.

Incidentally, although you say that the Crown draws 250 watts "max", that's highly unlikely. Unless a power consumption number is specifically termed "full power" or similar language, the number given is an average one rather than max. Typically, 1/8th of full power is used for the average. For example, 1/8th of 500 is a bit over 60 watts, and at 1/8th power class AB amplifiers are on the order of 20-25% efficient(about 50% at full power). 60 watts output would therefore need about 250 watts of consumption. There's no inconsistency when manufacturers show a consumption number lower than the maximum output number.


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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.