[jswallac]

I know this is going to sound strange, but I think my Squeezebox is causing a ground loop like hum.  The Squeezebox is a third generation Sqeezebox with Vinnie's first geberation analog mods (the ones with the big caps on the outside).  The hum has taken me some serious work to track down, but I have finally isolated it to the squeezebox.  When the squeezebox is removed (either pull the rca's or remove the AC power) the hum goes away.  The hum is only present, strangely, when I have my integrated (Creek 4330) set to phono.  No hum on any other input and no hum on phono without the squeezebox connected.  I have swapped out cables, reversed the wall wort in the AC plug, etc.  Any idea of what is going on?  I guess the good news is that my table, amp, and phono stage appear to be blameless.  Not that I have not already pulled them all apart trying to track this down!

[Vinnie R.]

I know this is going to sound strange, but I think my Squeezebox is causing a ground loop like hum.  The Squeezebox is a third generation Sqeezebox with Vinnie's first geberation analog mods (the ones with the big caps on the outside).  The hum has taken me some serious work to track down, but I have finally isolated it to the squeezebox.  When the squeezebox is removed (either pull the rca's or remove the AC power) the hum goes away.  The hum is only present, strangely, when I have my integrated (Creek 4330) set to phono.  No hum on any other input and no hum on phono without the squeezebox connected.  I have swapped out cables, reversed the wall wort in the AC plug, etc.  Any idea of what is going on?  I guess the good news is that my table, amp, and phono stage appear to be blameless.  Not that I have not already pulled them all apart trying to track this down!

Hi jswallac,

Hmmmmm (or should I say hummmmm  )....sounds like a ground loop.

Are you using the stock SB3 5V power supply?

[jswallac]

It is definately a ground loop.  My quick and dirty solution was to use a 3 to 2 prong converter for the Creek power cord.  Hum is gone.  I also have an Anthem Integrated 1 with a phono stage so I connected everything to it.  No hum.  It seems there is some conflict between the plug in phono stage in the Creek and the Squeezebox.  I am going to check with Creek to see if there is something internal I need to do with the plug in board.  Strange that only the Squeezebox and the phono stage have the conflict and not my CDP and the phono stage.  Oh, the answer is yes, I am using the stock power supply.  Perhaps I need to go to battery power.

[Vinnie R.]

Perhaps I need to go to battery power. Perhaps I need to go to battery power.

That would certain solve the ground loop (among doing other good things!)