McIntosh MA7900 (via unbalanced RCA outs...no balanced so unbalanced my only choice) to MC275 tube amp.
If things are hooked up with my 89 dB. speakers...can only hear it if in a DEAD quiet room and my ear is right up against the tweeter, there is the faintest noise I can barely hear. However, on my sensitive, no-crossover, full-range driver speakers (which are brutally revealing), I get some annoying hum. The hum is the 60 cycle ground hum (as validated by some YouTube clips).
--If the speakers are connected to the SS amp (MA7900)...nothing
--If the speakers are connected to the MC275 and I switch off the MA7900, goes away 100%
--It is not volume, input sensitive (same level from speakers no matter what, even if I mute the MA7900 or shut off the output to the amp).
--If I power off and/or unplug the MA7900, the hum goes away, and instantly comes back when I switch it in (even during its ~10 second warm up where it is not outputting any signal)
--Both power cables are connected to the same bank on a Panamax 5300 power conditioner
--If I unplug the RCA to one channel, the hum goes away 100% and remains on the other channel
--I tried plugging both directly into the wall outlet and it didn't change (meaning there was nothing else within 10' plugged in to power, including anything like phone, coax, etc.)
If it were not for the sensitive speakers, I would never have noticed. Even with the sensitive speakers, it is just *barely* noticeable from listening distance, but feels like it should not be there at all.
However, I now have that 'itch' to try and fix it and curious where to start. Based on the above, can you help me isolate where to start, what to try? If the answer is get a real preamp with balanced connections...well that would work!
Thanks!!!