Types of Interference
A distinction is made in electrical engineering between line-conducted interference and electromagnetic interference. Line-conducted interference, also known as push-pull interference, can be caused by switching devices on and off, via dynamic or synchronised consumers and power sources. This interference overlaps with the useful signal, propagates through the connected cables and enters the hi-fi components directly. Electromagnetic interference, also known as common-mode interference, can be generated by mobile networks, WLAN networks and Bluetooth devices, among other things, and propagates in the form of airborne electromagnetic waves. In this environment, every device and cable acts like an antenna and generates a voltage potential depending on the field’s magnitude. The component’s dimensions and the distance away from the source of the interference are a few of the factors that determine the magnitude
of the field and the resulting potential. As a result, each component of an audio system generates a different interference potential, which leads to equalising currents travelling through the connected cables. These currents, in turn, interfere with the useful signal.