[skoiboy]

I just upgraded my power supply on my Audiophile USB and it has made a dramatic difference and I feel like I am getting closer and closer to great sound...

The issue however, is that no I can hear a lot of white noise in every MP3 and even CD that I play. I know that this might be a good thing because I am getting great sound, but I was wondering why this might be...I thought it would just be in bad encoded MP3's but now tried a CD and I have the same problem...Is this because my computer is a bad CD transport??? Or is it possible that they just record a certain amount of white noise into tracks that people usually don't hear...?

Anyway, the next upgrade is probably a DAC such as an ART. Below you can see the current setup that I am having the issue with...

If it is the transport, then I'm going to be frustrated, because I don't listen to many CD's through my headphones, just MP3's.

 

[markl]

I don't think the white noise is a good thing, and no it's not supposed to be there. Is this like a small background hiss or hum and is it there all the time, even when the CD is not playing, or is it only there when it's playing? Can you describe it in more detail, and when it occurs?

 

[skoiboy]

It occurs only when I play tracks...and more and more I'm thinking that it is just part of the music, because I find it in most records, it seems...

I think I was expecting dead silence during recordings between notes, but I don't think this is the case...It sound like there is always SOME white noise that is just now more pronounced...Any thoughts?

 

[lan]

Play a blank track. That'll tell you if it's the recording or the electronics.

 

[lan]

ok i've made a 25 second blank mp3 track for you. check your PM for location.

 

[skoiboy]

Thanks Ian...I'll check it out...

 

[skoiboy]

Blank track plays dead silent...I think this is just noise that I haven't been able to hear before from records...

 

[lan]

Looks like the noise floor of the record.

BTW what power supply did you get? How are you listening to the AP USB, RCA, headphone out, digital out?

 

[skoiboy]

I'm running the Audiophile with the magwire nakes (RCA's) to the Meta...

The upgraded power stemmed from this thread, and it is the ATARI adapter mentioned later in the thread. I would say the change is signifigant .. :

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=52402

skoiboy

 

[Wodgy]

Sounds like you need a new power supply. The Atari power supply may not be appropriate for the Audiophile USB (while it may be perfectly fine for the ART DI/O). This link explains why your "upgrade" may not actually be an upgrade:
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamp-ps.html
It's worth reading the whole thing, because it explains why you're hearing noise with the new power supply. Consider investing $30-40 in a proper linear power supply.

 

[skoiboy]

If the power supply is not appropriate for the Audiophile...would it be approperiate for the DI/O which I plan on getting soon?

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Wodgy Sounds like you need a new power supply. The Atari power supply may not be appropriate for the Audiophile USB (while it may be perfectly fine for the ART DI/O). This link explains why your "upgrade" may not actually be an upgrade: http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamp-ps.html It's worth reading the whole thing, because it explains why you're hearing noise with the new power supply. Consider investing $30-40 in a proper linear power supply.

If he's hearing perfect silence with a file containing digital silence, it seems unlikely to me that the power supply is adding appreciable noise. Load-modulated ripple wouldn't sound like white noise. Seems more likely that this "white noise" is due to better resolution with the new PS, but it's hard to say for sure.

Edit -- skoiboy, do you hear this on all CDs you've tried (even purely digital ones with newer music)? Also, do you hear it at normal volumes or do you have to crank the volume up?

It's conceivable that digital silence is not "playing" on the Audiophile USB, rather the DAC senses it and doesn't do anything. If you like, I'll make a file that has a tiny bit of inaudible noise in it rather than digital silence, so you can do a test with that. Also -- what are you using for playback (Foobar2k?) What method (Waveout, DirectSound, Kernel streaming, ASIO)?

 

[skoiboy]

After more and more listening I think it is as Ian mentioned - The sound floor of the recordings...

Correct me if I'm wrong - but it sounds like all recordings (or maybe most) have some sort of white noise in the background...this seems most prominent when there are long pauses in music or music with only a couple instruments...What is interesting though, if this is the case, is that I've strived for better sound quality but now I have gotten to a point where I have to hear this...

And throughout this I must say that this doesn't even really bother me, but it is more of just something that I noticed when I was analyzing the new sound...Aside from the noise, I think the power supply was a great upgrade...just a thought though...

I appriciate all your thoughts on the issue.

 

[markl]

Well, analog recordings have tape hiss which can be clearly heard. Do you think it's just standard tape hiss?

 

[skoiboy]

Probably what it is...Anyone have any suggestions of a high quality recording that would be good to test with the system??? Maybe a track online or a track from a well recorded CD that you guys usually use...