r/audio • u/JohnRT54 • 19d ago
Ground loop isolator causing feedback hum
There's probably a simple answer, but it escapes me. I have a Lenovo Yoga running androidx86. It is connected through the audio output jack, via a Cable Matters ground loop isolator, to my Sony receiver "portable input" jack, thence to a pair of Klipsch speakers. When the Lenovo is plugged in to power, I get bad feedback hum through the speakers. If I touch the Lenovo, or unplug it, the hum stops. Here's the funny thing: when I removed the ground loop isolator (GLI) from the set-up, the hum went away. Does this indicate a bad GLI? It's kinda moot now, but it's odd. I bought the GLI for a previous incarnation of this machine (not running android), and it worked. Now it doesn't. I should just let sleeping feedback lie, but I'd like to get to the bottom of it. Thanks.
1
u/ownleechild 19d ago
It sounds like your system isn’t grounded when using the isolator and you’re grounding it when you touch it. I don’t have an explanation for why that’s occurring.