Interesting Opportunity..

Hooked up Empeg thru Pioneer Elite VSX35 Home theatre reciever(Via RCA), have a hum from both of my Paradigm A20's ( Self amplified). Keep in mind that the pioneer is acting as a pass through preamp to the A20's. If I connect the RCA's directly to the A20's things sound great no hum... Hmmmmmm.
Tried the volume game and the empeg maxed out (+10 Overdrive) has less hum but it is still there.

Is this a gain issue where output of empeg is not really compatible with home stereo?

For the FAQ police (Tony!) I checked, and my pioneer doesn't have a phono input, the rca's are inputted to the CD.

I've seen my Mark2 do a similar thing: Fine when plugged into some home systems, hum when plugged into others.

It's a standard ground loop, as described here. Home stero/home theater systems can get ground loops, too.

My own home theater system does quite well with the empeg plugged into it, but once I brought it over to someone's house and got the ground loop when I plugged into their system.

Mess with all the different connections in the whole system (not just the connections between the empeg and the tuner) and see if you can narrow it down. One thing to try is plugging the player into a different AC wall jack in an attempt to get it on a different circuit.

You could also go with a digital output on the Rio, when it becomes available (I hope I will finish it soon). The board will have an isolation transformer to prevent ground loops in the digital cable from leaking into the analog sections of the receiver. Isolation transformers seem to be rare on coax SPDIF connections these days, so thank your lucky stars I didn't cut corners.

Stu

AIB,

I had a home stereo hum with my IEC 2-piece AC adapter (3-prong IEC cord), but not with the compact AC adapter. I have since exchanged the IEC for the compact, and all is well.

You might try using a ground lifter, if you haven't already.

- Chris

Interesting!

Did somebody say that the International store sells the compact ones now?

/me heads off to grab one before the store shuts down.

Hmm. Photo at the store shows two-piece unit, which I already have. I was interested in using one of the compact units that others have described, simply because it was more compact. But since you say it might also eliminate a ground loop, now I really want one.

Rob, does the international store sell the compact ones or the two-piece ones?

Hmmm I have both the 2 pc nd the compact adaptor I shall try the compact adaptor with the home setup.

BTW I too have a 1995 M3...hoping to install empeg sooooon tuner willing hint hint nudge nudge

Let me know how the compact one works for you.

Hah, I haven't installed mine in my M3 yet. I've just been playing around with it on my home stereo. Not having an internal amp in the empeg means I really have to get my ducks in a row and decide what I want to do with the entire system (speakers? crossovers? sub?) before I tear into this. It isn't just a simple head-unit swap like my Blaupunkt Toronto was.

- Chris

The only adapters left in stock are the compact plug top US version. The pictured IEC adapter is all sold out. The clue is in the text:

Only USA (compact plug top) adapters left in stock



Rob

Well I swapped adaptors and the compact one has no ground loop (hmmmmmm) I'm pretty certain it's the fact that the brick type has a grounded (3 prong ) plug. Problem solved.

When I had the ground loop hum with my brick (3-prong) adapter, the first thing I tried was a ground-lifter plug, and that did not solve the problem. So if there's an issue with the brick adaptor, it's not the type of cord, it's something else.

I sure did. I wonder if they still have any....

Yea, I was very surprised (pleasantly so) when I got the compact one instead

In my experience, hum has always turned out to be a problem with cable tv wiring. Unplug your CATV from any of your components in that room and see if it goes away.