Paradise Builders

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Since casing up my Paradise build it has never been fully hum free but this has been made noticeably more prominent since installing a recently built Aleph J into the system.When music is playing I don't notice the hum but can hear it from my listen position between tracks.It makes no difference if the earth wire from the deck is connected or not.The only thing that stops it is gripping the right output phono plug between my thumb and finger.
Any advice gratefully received.
 
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Joined 2009
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HI M,
what grounding schema did you apply ?


Hi B;I had hoped to post pics but my camera won't charge for some reason.
In the p/s box the mains earth is connected to the chassis and a wire taken from this point to a 7 pin connector and through to the Paradise box where it is connected to the chassis.The +G- wires times 2 connect to the two Paradis pcb's. Grounding in the phono amp consist of a wire from each boards output to the chassis ground along with the deck grounding post which is connected to this point through a resistor/capacitor isolator.
Having relooked at Frans schematics and BK's posts I think? that I have misinterpreted them:rolleyes:
 
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In the p/s box the mains earth is connected to the chassis and a wire taken from this point to a 7 pin connector and through to the Paradise box where it is connected to the chassis.The +G- wires times 2 connect to the two Paradis pcb's.

Thats ok, these wires should connect at the power connector (upper righthand corner, next to the heatsink). If all else fails (see below) you may want to put two power diodes (back to back) between the mains earth and the P/S ground, nelson pass style....

Grounding in the phono amp consist of a wire from each boards output to the chassis ground along with the deck grounding post which is connected to this point through a resistor/capacitor isolator.
Having relooked at Frans schematics and BK's posts I think? that I have misinterpreted them:rolleyes:

IMHO the grounding in the phono amp should consist of two wires coming from the INPUT connection on the PCB (can use the second pair of input pads for that) to te grounding post, and there should be no resistor/capacitor isolator there. Rather, connect the p/s ground to that post as well, making it your star ground connection.

Let us know if that works, thanks
 
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Hi Marra.... simple but effective... do not connect circuit minus to mains earth... leave it floating.... that will cure any hum.

Connect TT arm ground to circuit (minus) (as long as TT arm gnd is not connected to mains earth.

Mains earth should be used only for security reasons and only in the psu case and using two parallel inverted diodes.

Amplifier case should be connected to circuit minus and disconnected from mains eart.
 
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Hi Marra.... simple but effective... do not connect circuit minus to mains earth... leave it floating.... that will cure any hum.

Connect TT arm ground to circuit (minus) (as long as TT arm gnd is not connected to mains earth.

Mains earth should be used only for security reasons and only in the psu case and using two parallel inverted diodes.

Amplifier case should be connected to circuit minus and disconnected from mains eart.

Ricardo, with all due respect, but I tend to disagree, for the reason you cite - security. I think you are setting yourself up for a dangerous electrical accident if you have no connection to mains earth, in your entire system. (And I don't think it is a cure-all for hum problems, either).

I know that many systems do without ground, some have "accidental" grounding through one of the components of the system, etc etc - all examples for not-so-great grounding schemes, in my opinion, apart from the apparent lack of security.

One very effective way is, as you mention, the back-to-back diodes between mains-earth and system ground. And,, these should not be 1N4004's, but big, robust power diodes e.g. RURG80100 or similar, so beefy that they will survive the accident and cause fuses to blow, not the diodes.
 
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One very effective way is, as you mention, the back-to-back diodes between mains-earth and system ground. And,, these should not be 1N4004's, but big, robust power diodes e.g. RURG80100 or similar, so beefy that they will survive the accident and cause fuses to blow, not the diodes.

That is what I meant... maybe I did not explain very well.... The PSU must be connected to mains earth using two diodes back to back, but the amplifier case can be left floating as the voltages there are not lethal.

TT ground should go to the amplifier case and circuit minus, and should be isolated in regards to mains earth to avoid ground loops.

Me and FdW did a good study about that and posted a good solution.
 
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In this case circuit minus is in reality circuit ground, not the negative rail obviously :)

And this is not a cure for all... one should also look for other potential loops in the system.
 

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