Clean power supply?

Discussion in 'Modifications and Tweaks' started by manbear, Apr 1, 2016.

  1. manbear

    manbear New

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    My desktop setup (Fiio X3ii feeding old DAC-19 via coax -> Nuforce HA-200) has had an annoying buzzing sound ever since I moved into a new apartment. Considering I live in chiraq and my apartment building is a piece of crap, I'm wondering if this buzzing is caused by noisy AC--that's a real thing, right? FWIW, I leave both the DAC and amp on all the time. Each is plugged into a different outlet in the same room.

    Would some kind of power conditioner or power supply fix this? I'm just looking to get rid of the buzzing--I don't expect it to make my setup magically sound better or anything. Can anyone recommend a reasonably cheap, non-voodoo product?

    Or is it possible that I have a ground loop? Never really understood how those work... Sorry if this is a stupid question :mad:
     
  2. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    @manbear , call this company and buy this power strip:
    http://www.napaacoustic.com/E_Product_NA_3900.html

    Make sure they have a return window. If it doesn't work, send it back.

    The owner demoed it for me at a show and I was bloody stunned with the noise floor cut. He had a device that amplified the noise in the circuit through a speaker. He showed me the line noise with and without the power conditioner above that sells for $240. He sold his last piece that day already otherwise I would have come home with one despite owning the Exactpower EP15a (regenerator) and Exactpower SP15x4 (Balanced Power) units.

    EDIT: Apartment power is the absolute worst. Everyone is sharing the line....AC, Refrigerators, Fish tanks...u name it. It is the worst power one can have in a residential situation. Get SOME conditioner for sure.
     
  3. 3X0

    3X0 Friend

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  4. manbear

    manbear New

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    Thanks for the link 3X0
     
  5. auri

    auri Facebook Friend

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    I haven't had ground loops when DAC and amp are on the same outlet. I've really had to separate my PC from the DAC, however.

    If you have any kind of powered USB hub, make sure your DAC is plugged into that. Fortunately my monitor has one.
     
  6. trl

    trl Acquaintance

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    Try reversing the polarity for one of the devices (DAC or amp) and see if this resolves it. If not, try purchasing a ground lifter (a safe-one, with diodes, caps and resistors inside!) or an isolation transformer. If you like the DIY area, check some of Meiers Corda's schematic and see how he does the ground lift properly inside his amps/DACs.

    Anyway, I'm using an isolation transformer and this does the job perfectly for me.
     
  7. auri

    auri Facebook Friend

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    Wait, are you talking on the power line? So, flip a wallwart upside down, sure. But please don't go hacking up IEC cables or inside the chassis to reverse the polarity... Live and neutral AC leads are not like audio +/- leads that can be changed at will, you'll defeat all of the internal protection circuits, and with a grounded chassis especially that is just bad news.

    Please just buy an EBTech HumX.

    Year old necro bump woohoo!
     
  8. trl

    trl Acquaintance

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    I meant to actually reverse the plug in the outlet, nothing else...just plug the outlet vice-verse and see if noise decreases, no need to explain me how phase/null works. :)

    I've seen a HumX inside and it has a great design: huge powerful diodes, decent resistor etc. Anyway, if voltage drop is higher than few voltages on the ground pin then an isolation transformer would be better.
     
  9. winders

    winders boomer

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    Why dig up an old thread with a problem no one, in the thread anyway, is currently complaining about?
     
  10. trl

    trl Acquaintance

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    Lot of people have hum & buzz noise and spending thousands on expensive equipment to suppress such noises might be not the best idea.
    I was facing ground loops and noisy grounds for several times and making people aware of devices like Hum-X and isolation transformers could help.
    Also, Google is indexing SBAF, so providing a pertinent answer here might help some.
    Thanks for understanding!
     
  11. SSL

    SSL Friend

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    This is already all covered in the thread linked above. Thanks for understanding.
     
  12. winders

    winders boomer

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    There is no good reason to resurrect dead threads. You have done this with multiple dead threads. Leave them alone unless new questions are asked.
     
  13. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    Wait, so because google I indexing this site you see it as your duty to being old threads to life?
    There was a question asked, as a reply a good link was provided to a thread on this forum. That's that.
     
  14. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Minority Opinion... Dredging up old threads can serve a purpose: it brings good information back to the surface. Forum ploughing!

    But doing so just to repeat what was said before, or to ask the same, answered, questions, over again. No. That is not useful.

    It is almost as not-useful as arguing as to whether or not the thread should have been resurrected.

    A special case that does deserve comment. So maybe this reply of mine is not useful! :rolleyes:
     
  15. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    I've been using an APC H10 for years - zero issues. How it compares to the Isobars or Emotiva I couldn't tell you unfortunately.
     

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