Support Head-Fi.org by
starting all of your
Amazon.com shopping by
clicking here.
____________________________________________________________________
Today's Featured Head-Fi Blog: Jude's Blog
____________________________________________________________________
Please help
support Head-Fi by becoming a Contributing Member
CLICK
HERE -- Contributing Members, thank you
for your generous support! --
That's what I though originally (about the tubes causing the noise) but it only happens with the CD player.
As to my "digital noise" thing... you may be describing what I'm talking about. If I remember what Ray told me, it was that CDs have extremely noisy op-amps. I assume that's digital, but I'm not an engineer. The op-amp issue is what the Shunyata attempts to correct.
The noisy op amps are almost assuredly the cd players ANALOG output stage.
The cd player has an analog output stage that is likely the source of noise. The digital section is very likely quieter than the analog output stage. I doubt very much you are hearing digital noise.
Even the final output noise (analog) on a decent CD player is pretty damn low. The Linn isn't the quietest player in the world perhaps but it manages an SNR of about 108db. By comparison an amp can be a lot noisier, the spec for the B-52 states and SNR of 90db, which is actually pretty damn quiet and inaudible in all but extreme situations, but that is 8x the noise level of the CD player, so any noise from the CD player would be easily swamped by the noise from the amp.
So the thread titled "That night and day thing the cable skeptics fear..." started here:
Originally Posted by earwicker7
I've found it... the holy grail of power cables, one that makes a difference so audible a semi-deaf person could hear it! .... You're going to hear a hissing sound, and it's going to be fairly loud.
Originally Posted by earwicker7
I can't be the only person here who knows about the digital noise thing, am I?
Paused here:
Originally Posted by earwicker7
Maybe others have this hiss, but it is so quiet unless you crank your amp that they just never noticed it.
And now it's somewhere around here:
Originally Posted by earwicker7
99% of people probably wouldn't have even noticed the hiss until it was pointed out.
Originally Posted by earwicker7
I wouldn't say there was a night and day change in actual performance during normal listening, although there seemed to be a small amount.
Even the final output noise (analog) on a decent CD player is pretty damn low. The Linn isn't the quietest player in the world perhaps but it manages an SNR of about 108db. By comparison an amp can be a lot noisier, the spec for the B-52 states and SNR of 90db, which is actually pretty damn quiet and inaudible in all but extreme situations, but that is 8x the noise level of the CD player, so any noise from the CD player would be easily swamped by the noise from the amp.
I agree. My first guess would be the amp itself. That is why I asked inf he changed tubes recently. If he has ruled this out the cd players output stage is my second guess. I think something is being missed as a phono stage universally has higher gain and more noise than a cd player.
One thing I just thought of is .... where are the cd players IC's located in relation to the power cord .... and were the IC's or past power cord shielded. The IC's from the cd player to the amp could be picking up power supply hum from the other power cord whereas the new power cord has a different path or is shielded.
IThe IC's from the cd player to the amp could be picking up power supply hum from the other power cord whereas the new power cord has a different path or is shielded.
Yes, but the OP insists that the problem is Hiss not hum.
The noisy op amps are almost assuredly the cd players ANALOG output stage.
Right, but apparently the type of noise I'm referring to is endemic to digital players. That's what Ray told me, that's what Shunyata and many other cable makers say, and that's (again, apparently) what was cured.
__________________
Power Supply--Nordost Thor
Digital--Linn Akurate
Vinyl--Sota Nova table, Dynavector DV507mk2 tonearm, Dynavector DRT XV-1S cartridge, Ray Samuels XR-10B phono stage, Loricraft PRC4-Deluxe record cleaner
Dynamic Amp--Ray Samuels B-52
Electrostatic Amp--Rudistor Coriolan 2
Headphones--too many to list; current favorites are Stax Omega 2 and Edition9
Cables--Shunyata Anaconda from the wall; Shunyata Python VX to the CD player; the remainder is Cardas
Just goes to show that taking things out of context is a great tool.
My original point stands--I am asserting a night and day reduction in whatever you guys want to call the low level hiss on my CD player, which is a change in sound due to a power cord, which is supposedly impossible. I NEVER said that this made a night and day sound in the music itself. That is a red herring.
__________________
Power Supply--Nordost Thor
Digital--Linn Akurate
Vinyl--Sota Nova table, Dynavector DV507mk2 tonearm, Dynavector DRT XV-1S cartridge, Ray Samuels XR-10B phono stage, Loricraft PRC4-Deluxe record cleaner
Dynamic Amp--Ray Samuels B-52
Electrostatic Amp--Rudistor Coriolan 2
Headphones--too many to list; current favorites are Stax Omega 2 and Edition9
Cables--Shunyata Anaconda from the wall; Shunyata Python VX to the CD player; the remainder is Cardas
Right, but apparently the type of noise I'm referring to is endemic to digital players. That's what Ray told me, that's what Shunyata and many other cable makers say, and that's (again, apparently) what was cured.
I dont see how that is possible and I believe cables do sound different.
Have you tried maxing the volume with the amp alone and no connection to any source?
What gain tube are you using?
Does the new power cord lay/ follow the same physical route as the old one?
Have you lifted the ground on the cd player to rule out a ground loop?
Right, but apparently the type of noise I'm referring to is endemic to digital players. That's what Ray told me, that's what Shunyata and many other cable makers say, and that's (again, apparently) what was cured.
But your CD player really does have a very very low measured noise levels and it matters not how this low level noise gets output, whether it comes from opamps or digital circuitry is irrelevant, the measured noise levels on your CD player are around - 108db, by any rational criteria that is very quiet and objectively much quieter than your amp, unless your CD player is faulty or some external force is interfering with it big time, the noise from your CD player will be dwarfed by the noise from your amp. Do you have any strangely exotic ICs ?
whatever the source of the noise, it seems that the power cord has lessened it. this aligns with my belief that power cords filter and ICs adjust tone. they don't seem to do anything more or less. but to say that they do nothing is absurd to anyone who has spent a lot of time with different types and levels of gear.
There has been something called an "electron pool" that can be enhanced for some components that do not have large ground planes. I have read about small devices that attach to each input and output connected to the ground side just to provide for a larger "electron pool." This apparently does have some effect on those devices with smaller ground planes. Power cables that are design in certain ways can add to the default device ground plane.
I could provide links to these discussions but I think few hear actually want to understand anything about power cables anyway, at least the Flat Earthers don't.
.
Linear Mode
