This is further to my post about using a step down transformer. There is a HUGE amount of hum when the trafo and CD player is connected to the preamp.
I disconnected it and then went to another room (my bedroom) and connected it up and listened via the headphones, sounds great and no hum at all. The dealer stated that I had the dreaded ground loop and the only way to get rid of it is to disconnect the earth.
I am somewhat reluctant to do this for safety reasons. Am I being over cautious? Is there another way around this problem? I am wondering if installing a dedicated power point and line from the fuse box would isolate the ground loop from the rest of the audio system. I tutor some kids whose Dad is an electrician and he could easily install a new power line for me if asked.
One other option would be to install a suitable trafo in the CD player but I don't know what specs this would require. The trafo is buried beneath the main circuit boards inside the player so I didn't disassemble it just to have a look but would do so if this was a viable option.
Any advice on solving this problem would be most appreciated.
Cheers
Ian
