[Raymond Kim]

I just received these headphones today and I think they sound great.

But I've noticed one problem, however...

It seems that the headphones give off a high pitched ringing noise AFTER I play sounds on the cans. It is the same type of ringing noise you get in your ear after you listen to music really loudly. I know the noise is not a result of listening to music loudly because I can hear the ringing noise dissipate as I turn off my headphone amp (Total Airhead - Yea, I know, I should get a better amp), and I can hear the noise while I listen to music at very low volumes. I've tried connecting the cans to a regular headphone jack instead of the line out of the cd player and I can still hear the noise.

Is this a defect on my MDR-CD3000? Is this innate among all CD3000s? What else could be the problem?

Any input would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Ross]

I've never heard a ringing noise in my CD3000s. Sounds like a defect or an amplifier issue.

 

[Tim D]

Are you saying that you also tried listening to the player without the TA? Try a different player, or eliminate the TA from the chain. You should be able to easily figure out if its the player or amp.

 

[Raymond Kim]

Hmm...

I just connected the headphones to the jack on the computer sound card without the TA. The high pitched ringing sound isn't there.

Does this mean my TA is FUBAR? Or is the ringing sound the result of the cheap components made out of the TA?

::Sigh::

Please don't tempt me into buying a more expensive amp.

 

[bakhtiar]

Sony MDR-CD3000 is a very sensitive cans and easily can pick up noises from your audio device, such as computer's sound-card. This cans should be used with a very good amp to take the advantage of it's quality.

 

[mcbiff]

I'm pretty sure the noise is coming from your computer, I had the same problem myself when I used my Grados on the comp. Sad but true.

 

[Raymond Kim]

I don't understand how the sound could be coming from my computer? I wrote on my previous post that I connected the headphone straight onto the soundcard jack and there was no noise...

This means the TA is the cause of the noise, right?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Raymond Kim, the TA actually amplifies the noise that's already in your soundcard - so that you may not have heard the noise from just the soundcard, the noise is there all right - and TA actually amplifies all that noisy crap!

 

[Raymond Kim]

Ok, I just did another test...

I connected the cans to the TA, and the TA was NOT connected to any source. I turned it on and wham, the sound is there. I don't know why I haven't done this test before...

Any other comments? Now I've narrowed it down to either my CD3000 or my TA... Which takes the cake?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Raymond, which revision of the TA do you have (or, put it another way, how old is your TA)? The "old" revision was notorious for that noisy crap. Headroom claims to have "fixed" the problem on new TA's manufactured in 2001.

 

[joelongwood]

My vote goes to the TA as being the culprit. I just connected my CD3000s to the TA and heard nothing but silence, except for a slight hiss at close to full volume setting. Since you only hear the noise with the TA, I'd say there's your "ringer." Hope this helps.

 

[Raymond Kim]

I'm not exactly sure which revision this is. I received this TA a few months ago...

All I know is that it has a gold plate that has the "Headroom Total Airhead" on it with the 800 # and all that.

I never really noticed the ringing noise when I used the Sennheisier HD-580, which I sold a half a month ago, on the TA.

 

[dhwilkin]

Makes sense the 580s didn't pick it up, as they are definitely not as efficient/sensitive as the 3000s, so they tend to make a higher noise-floor listenable. Might want to give Todd at Headroom a call. You can probably get a replacement.

 

[beowulf]

I notice no ringing noise from my CD3000. In fact, I was just telling someone today how happy I am with these cans (I have them for about 4 months now).

They are indeed very sensitive, and the quality of the source is very important.

 

[Raymond Kim]

Before I e-mailed Todd to get a replacement TA I thought that the batteries could have something to do with the ringing noise from it.

Well, lo and behold, I put in new batteries and no ringing noise.

Sorry for all the trouble - I appreciate all your advice.

Ray