[peepr]

I bet the Schiit Wyrd would resolve your issue. Look it up.

 
I was just looking at the wyrd and wonder if that may solve my issue. Depends if the power surge is being carried through my PC or through my outlet direct into the Magni.
 
I may try listening to a CD through my blu ray player and seeing if the noise still happens when i go blu ray -> rca cables to Magni. This should tell me its my PC carrying the signal.

 

[ThurstonX]

  I was just looking at the wyrd and wonder if that may solve my issue. Depends if the power surge is being carried through my PC or through my outlet direct into the Magni.
 
I may try listening to a CD through my blu ray player and seeing if the noise still happens when i go blu ray -> rca cables to Magni. This should tell me its my PC carrying the signal.

 
Fully agree that you should try to isolate the problem before throwing good money at new gear.
 
Good luck with your testing.

 

[johnjen]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I'm using Schiit gear so here goes.

Every time my Air Conditioning is about to turn on I can hear an audible crackle/static/wooshing type sound in my headphones. I live in an apt with central air. It's like I am hearing the initial power surge associated with the AC turning on. Basically I know the AC is about to turn on before I hear the air start blowing.

When the AC turns off I can also hear an audible noise. There doesn't appear to be any constant noise in between startup/shutdown.

Setup: PC -> Modi -> Magni -> D2000. The PC PSU is connected via a power strip. Magni is plugged into a Belkin power outlet. 

Question: what exactly am I hearing and what is carrying this signal? Is it being carried straight from the outlet through the magni or is it from the beginning of the chain at my PC?

If it's the Magni, is it simply the quality of the amp in it's ability to filter?

How can I address this? 

Your buildings central A/C is the source of the noise.
This implies that ac power distribution has induced noise either thru the neutral, the hot, or the ground, or some combination therein.

This can be, at least partially tested for by 'lifting' (disconnecting) the ground into the dac, the amp or both to see if that is the predominant path for the noise to enter the system.

Isolating the netral and hot are a bit more difficult in that a UPS would be needed to isolate them from the ac mains.
And yes the usb signal path could be a source and the wyrd would/could isolate the source of noise if that were the path into your system.

But using a 'cheater plug' (which lifts the ground) would be the easiest and least complicated 1st approach.

JJ

 

[peepr]

 
 
Quote:

Your buildings central A/C is the source of the noise.
This implies that ac power distribution has induced noise either thru the neutral, the hot, or the ground, or some combination therein.

This can be, at least partially tested for by 'lifting' (disconnecting) the ground into the dac, the amp or both to see if that is the predominant path for the noise to enter the system.

Isolating the netral and hot are a bit more difficult in that a UPS would be needed to isolate them from the ac mains.
And yes the usb signal path could be a source and the wyrd would/could isolate the source of noise if that were the path into your system.

But using a 'cheater plug' (which lifts the ground) would be the easiest and least complicated 1st approach.

JJ

Thanks JJ I forgot I actually have a stinger ground loop isolater from a separate issue with my HT setup. I added it to my loop and tested with my AC, no noise!! Thanks m8.
 

 

[johnjen]

If it were me, I'd take this one step further.

I'd float either the dac or the amp from ground and then use your regular IC's and see if there is any signal degridation by using your ground loop isolator.
Just because I could…

Of course the noise might also return, in which case I'd try lifting them both, but I'd also try tying their grounds together, just to see if there was a particular combination that was optimal.

JJ

 

[bretemm]

Will Schiit ever make a amp/dac that can handle low ohms IEMs?
I like the se846 that's at 8ohms,
So those wouldn't be good to use with the Valhalla2 right?

 

[cuiter23]

Will Schiit ever make a amp/dac that can handle low ohms IEMs?
I like the se846 that's at 8ohms,
So those wouldn't be good to use with the Valhalla2 right?

Turn the amp on low gain. You will be fine.

 

[madwolfa]

Will Schiit ever make a amp/dac that can handle low ohms IEMs?
I like the se846 that's at 8ohms,
So those wouldn't be good to use with the Valhalla2 right?

 
Most if not all Schiit amps can handle low ohm IEMs without any issues. I've used SE846 with my Asgard 2 on low gain setting.

 

[Lupino]

Will Schiit ever make a amp/dac that can handle low ohms IEMs?
I like the se846 that's at 8ohms,
So those wouldn't be good to use with the Valhalla2 right?

According to Nick at Schitt the Valhalla can be fairly noisy with low ohm IEM's.

 

[KLJTech]

   
Most if not all Schiit amps can handle low ohm IEMs without any issues. I've used SE846 with my Asgard 2 on low gain setting.

 
Agreed, the Asgard 2 has no issue with low impedance IEM's. 

 

[bretemm]

Great, but tho, I like the Valhalla2 more kinda then my magi and modi, would the Asgard be good to get to use sensitive IEMs with?

Most if not all Schiit amps can handle low ohm IEMs without any issues. I've used SE846 with my Asgard 2 on low gain setting.

 

[RCBinTN]

   
Most if not all Schiit amps can handle low ohm IEMs without any issues. I've used SE846 with my Asgard 2 on low gain setting.

 
I've used my SE535 with the BiFrost/Asgard2 on low gain setting.  The SQ was great!

 

[bretemm]

So, if I got the Asgard2, could I still get "tube sound" if I used the valhalla2 as a pass through to the asgard2?
Thanks

 

[KLJTech]

With the Asgard 2 I've used every Klipsch I have on hand, the S2's, X5, X7 and X10 and all of them play great with the A2 with zero background noise. That's not always an easy trick with IEM's as I have other headphone amps on hand that cost a lot more that you always have a bit of hiss/noise floor in the background. The IEM's I use most often are the Westone W40's and they sound incredible with the Asgard 2...I use that pairing in my office almost every day. 

 

[KLJTech]

So, if I got the Asgard2, could I still get "tube sound" if I used the valhalla2 as a pass through to the asgard2?
Thanks

 
No, both are amps, you wouldn't want to try and double amp your IEM or headphone. iFi makes a tube buffer stage/preamplifier depending on how the switches are set on the bottom of the case if all you want to do is add the warmth of tubes. I believe it's called the iFi iTube Tube Buffer.