Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater More amp woes

My system is actually on 3 different circuits right now. Most everything is on one, but the left sub is on it's own, and the ButtKicker on another. No hum or ill effects at all.

It's just that if you get hum, that's one of the first things to check.

If your buttkicker gets a ground loop hum, does it just tickle a bit?

I've actually thought about that.

Charles - As a test to determine if you have a ground loop, or some other grounding issue, try using a ground isolating adapter. I don't know the proper name for it, but it's an adapter than eliminates the ground wire and allows you to plug a three pronged cord into a receptacle that only uses line and neutral wires. Every one of my external amps has created a 'hum'. I've had to chase down the source, which can be quite frustrating. The adapter will at least let you know if you can eliminate one possibility.

Charles, I still don't have any new suggestions, but I'm puzzled by all the discussion relating to ground loops. Unless I misunderstood your first post, replacing the A1400-8 with the Onkyo receiver as the power source resulted in no hum. If so, there's no ground loop issue, but an amplifier issue, as I previously commented.

I'll have to find one of those cheater plugs. I think my dad has one or two somewhere. Otherwise, I'll pick one up. That's what you're talking about, right? So I should just hook the amp up to the wall with one of those to see if the hum goes away?

And yes, no hum with the receiver powering the speakers. No appreciable hum, anyway. If I turn the volume way up, I can hear a tiny bit, as you'd expect. The hum on the amp is unrelated to volume level.

I'm also waiting to hear more from JC who's been talking to Andrew. I really appreciate all of the help, guys.

If you have a 65 year old house like I've got, those 3 to 2 prong plugs are laying around all over the place.

The house is old, but the electrical was completely redone a couple of years ago, so at least there's that.

John, my dad did have a cheater plug, and the hum remains when I use it.

Sure, Charles; the use of a cheater plug is meaningless when a ground loop isn't the problem, and nothing that you reported indicated that it might be.