[xzvf]

Hello!

I'm feeling frustrated with my audio setup, and hoping someone can help. I have a pair of Noble K10 CIEMs which I am using on my smartphone (OnePlus X). I also have an Oppo HA-2 amp/DAC which I sometimes add to the mix. Unfortunately, neither setup is satisfactory.

If I don't use the HA-2, then I get a really strange whishing noise on certain very quiet jazz tracks (a single note on a piano is accompanied with this odd electronic noise).

If I do use the HA-2, I don't get the electronic whishing noise, but instead there is a slight background hiss all the time. (It's silent if I just plug into the phone.)

I'm not sure what to try next. A different amp/DAC? A different phone? I would prefer to not have to use a separate DAP--it would be ideal to only have to carry one device.

Thanks for reading!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hello!

I'm feeling frustrated with my audio setup, and hoping someone can help. I have a pair of Noble K10 CIEMs which I am using on my smartphone (OnePlus X). I also have an Oppo HA-2 amp/DAC which I sometimes add to the mix. Unfortunately, neither setup is satisfactory.

If I don't use the HA-2, then I get a really strange whishing noise on certain very quiet jazz tracks (a single note on a piano is accompanied with this odd electronic noise).

If I do use the HA-2, I don't get the electronic whishing noise, but instead there is a slight background hiss all the time. (It's silent if I just plug into the phone.)

Noise from the smartphone seems to be due to airborne interference, ie, because it's a smartphone. Noise from the DAC-HPamp might be due to the gain - did you try the amp at low gain settings, as well as replacing the cable? I've used my Pangea HP101 for months thinking it has a relatively high noise floor (doesn't kick in until well past my volume setting for listening, so it wasn't really a problem unless I'm comparing it to Meier, O2, Violectric, etc) but when the OTG adapter (I'm assuming you use digital transmission from the phone to the DAC-HPamp) finally broke my new cable has much lower noise and I really have to crank it up to 3:00 on the dial to even begin to hear it with no music playing. Also make sure the charge function is disabled on the HA-2.

 

[xzvf]

Thanks for weighing in!

I checked the Oppo... I have the gain set to low, and it's not possible to use it as a charger and amp/DAC at the same time. That's interesting about the cable. I'm using the OTG cable that came with it, never tried another. Which cable did you get when you replaced the old one?

Re: smartphones... so do you think that I would encounter the same airborne interference with a newer phone that is supposed to be better at audio (e.g. the LG V20 with its ESS DAC)?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

That's interesting about the cable. I'm using the OTG cable that came with it, never tried another. Which cable did you get when you replaced the old one?

All I used with all my DAC-HPamps are generic cables either bought locally or from Amazon. It's a mixed bag with those.

Re: smartphones... so do you think that I would encounter the same airborne interference with a newer phone that is supposed to be better at audio (e.g. the LG V20 with its ESS DAC)?

Hard to predict if it will or will not but on my Note3 and Note4 the noise is reduced by switching to Airplane Mode.

 

[xzvf]

Yeah, I figured as much with the cables. Thanks for the tip re: airplane mode. It makes a slight difference, but there is still enough noise to keep me hunting for other options.