Need Help eliminating hum on a Aikido headphone amp

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Could the incorrect value of R15 cause such a hum?

I do need to increase R15 a little I was calculating. From 79K to 82.5K. I could use a variable resistor and fiddle.

I will check all grounding again.
 
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Last night I was rearranging the wiring so the HV and input signals were well separated. I changed tubes, checked all grounding again.

BUT still loads of hum. 😕😕😕

C3 (1800uf) connected. Jumper for R8.
C11 (0.1uf).

Lifted ground (0.01uf).

Maybe C5 could be removed to see the effect.

Might try removing the PIO bypass cap (maybe faulty?). Thinking of anything here.


If all fails guess I'll have to try a new power transformer. 🙁
 
Was testing with my valve psu last night. Hum present and realised I had the virtual tap connected to the ground instead of the heater bias:spin::spin:

Hum diminished significantly when fixed connection.

So decided to try the solid state rectifier I designed originally. Hum back again🙁😕

Increased heater bias to 50V but still hum. Seems to be eminating from around the volume pot also. I have it grounded and with shielded cable😕

Would it help if I increased the heater bias? 90V instead if its current 50V?

Also I will try putting back the valve psu tonight.
 
As I see it C5 (or C3 in RevA) is a decoupling cap... can't tell you in scientific terms what it does but it doesn't affect hum.

In my pre amplifier (not built by me) this decoupling cap is an entire bank of highest quality capacitors, sort of as an energy reservoir before the actual circuit.

I have it grounded and with shielded cable

Have you grounded the shield, and on one side only? Sorry for asking, but I did that (grounding both sides) in my very first amplifier and had trouble to find the source of the resulting hum... 😀
 
HI Stixx,

As I see it C5 (or C3 in RevA) is a decoupling cap... can't tell you in scientific terms what it does but it doesn't affect hum.
okay good to know.


Have you grounded the shield, and on one side only? Sorry for asking, but I did that (grounding both sides) in my very first amplifier and had trouble to find the source of the resulting hum...

Grounded on one side only.🙂
With the alps I found I had to also ground the metal casing.

This humming is making me lose sleep. 🙁

think I will breadboard everything and clearly separate all parts and wires.
 
Now this is fustrating.🙁

Re-wired, separated all heater wires, HV wires and signal wires. Tried with a valve power supply and solid state but both hum. Tried different tubes also.

I'm thinking its the transformer causing this noise now.

Maybe time for a new one.
 
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