Cyrus streamer cuts out whenever I approach it - any suggestions?

[Mungochatney]

I have a Cyrus Stream XP2QX that is 23 months old - one month of warranty left. I am a wheelchair user (manual, not electric) and whenever I approach the unit it temporarily cuts out. This happens in the home and in the dealer I returned the unit to - it also happens to the dealers own demonstration unit so is an issue with all Cyrus streamers and not just my unit (but not to similar machines by Naim and Linn). The unit has just been back to Cyrus who have stated it is working according to manufacturers specifications but this fault still remains.

It seems the problem is that I build up static electricity when I push my wheelchair and if this is not discharged it effects the unit when I approach is (no idea why this didnt happen for the first 20 months of ownership?). In the dealer we tried to earth the chassis of the unit by holding a conducting wire to the chassis and attaching to something else metal which seemed to help a little. Now the unit is back at home I cant figure out how to earth the chassis - everything I try doesnt work.

I am going to get some further advice as I am not convinced the unit is fit for purpose - although presume I have had it to long to expect a refund so am probably stuck with a 2k streamer that doesnt work properly (frustrating as I love the sound but have also had to return my Cyrus CD player on 2 occasions previously).

Anyone got any ideas regarding how to earth the unit properly - or any other suggestions (have considered earthing myself with some kind of anti static strip but this kind of takes away the relaxation/ enjoyment of listening to music!)

Cheers.

 

[CnoEvil]

I'm sorry to hear this....but I think this is a question for Cyrus's technical division.

BTW. Welcome to the forum

 

[Covenanter]

You could try a "grounding mat". They are pretty cheap and might be helful. You could put one under the streamer or if that doesn't work put it somewhere near where you sit and just touch it before you approach the kit. No guarantees but it might work. You can get them from Amazon.

Chris

 

[tino]

How close do you get before it cuts out? I'm surpised the Cyrus behaves like this since most electronic equipment undergoes static discharge testing - are you perhaps connected via WiFi and the cuttting out is in fact a WiFi drop-out? As a temporary measure there are simple and cheap anti-static earthing products that you can plug into the mains to earth yourself beforehand (via a plug and clip on cable).

 

[John Duncan]

are you perhaps connected via WiFi and the cuttting out is in fact a WiFi drop-out?

This.

How is your network and NAS (or wherever your music is stored) set up?

 

[Jota180]

As you only have one month of warranty left, get in touch with Cyrus support asap. Even if it takes them months to get to the bottom of it you'll be covered as long as you reported the issue before the warranty ran out.

 

[TrevC]

Try moving the wifi router, if possible.

 

[CnoEvil]

are you perhaps connected via WiFi and the cuttting out is in fact a WiFi drop-out?

This.

How is your network and NAS (or wherever your music is stored) set up?

It happened at the dealer as well....very strange.

 

[steve_1979]

Hi mungochatney and welcome to the forum.

I think that it's much more likely to be a dodgy wifi signal than static.

If you do ever have a problem with static build up you can always discharge it by touching something earthed such as the metal on a radiator. You may feel a little click if your wheelchair builds up a lot of static.

 

[Covenanter]

Not sure how it can be wifi if it happens at his dealer's too! And he says it happens when he approaches the unit. Do you think his body is somehow affecting the wifi?

Chris

PS Another idea is humidity. Static electricity builds up much quicker in a cold / dry atmosphere. If you can keep the room warm with a higher humidity the build up will be much less. So house plants sitting on damp gravel or a humidifier could be the answer. You can get those ceramic cups that hand on radiators too.

 

[John Duncan]

Yes, bodies affect WiFi. I struggled with getting WiFi accepted as a means of relaying music because every time I walked in the room the airport express cut out. And it's possible that the dealer had **** WiFi too, who knows?

The way to rule it out is to wire the entire setup - streamer and storage - into the router and see if the problem goes away, then we can work out what to do about it. If that doesn't work then the unit is faulty.

 

[unsleepable]

If you do ever have a problem with static build up you can always discharge it by touching something earthed such as the metal on a radiator. You may feel a little click if your wheelchair builds up a lot of static.

If you do this, touch with the knuckles or a less sensitive part of the hand. It hurts less when you discharge.

If the advices already given are not enough—adding carpet, increasing humidity in the place, discharging by touching something earthed—, there is also the wheels of the chair. Some cause static to build more easily than others.

 

[Mungochatney]

Thanks for the replies - I use a wired ethernet connection to the NAS - dont even have the wifi aerial in. The unit also cuts out when plaing from a USB and when it is functioning as a pre-amp playing from a connected CD player.

The strange thing is this also happened at the dealers with the dealers own Cyrus streamer - seems this is something that affects all cyrus streamers. The unit is totally unusable to me - even if I discharge the static by touching a radiator it would build up again as soon as I move! I'm left with an expensive Cyrus set up that doesnt work with no obvious solution!

Very frustrating!!

 

[Covenanter]

What are people on? It happens with his kit and his dealers kit. He doesn't even mention that he has wifi and yet people are jumping on this as an explanation. Do we believe that this guy and his wheelchair affect wifi in some strange way but only with this make of kit. You must live on Planet Zog.

We know the static can affect electronic equipment. We know that moving things with rubber tyres get static build-up. Why assume it might be anything else until that is eliminated?

Chris

 

[TrevC]

What are people on? It happens with his kit and his dealers kit. He doesn't even mention that he has wifi and yet people are jumping on this as an explanation. Do we believe that this guy and his wheelchair affect wifi in some strange way but only with this make of kit. You must live on Planet Zog.

We know the static can affect electronic equipment. We know that moving things with rubber tyres get static build-up. Why assume it might be anything else until that is eliminated?

Chris

Or alternatively why worry about the static unless the wifi possibility is eliminated. If I put my hand around my wifi dongle the signal entirely disappears, so a large lump of metal in the way must have an effect. In order to interrupt the signal there would need to be a discharge of some kind, and that would be audible.

 

[MajorFubar]

I haven't got a solution for your current kit but have you thought of changing your setup for something that isn't quite so terribly affected by static build up, and which in addition is more suited to your needs. Must be loads of alternative kit out there. Something you could control remotely from a tablet, for instance.

 

[steve_1979]

Thanks for the replies - I use a wired ethernet connection to the NAS - dont even have the wifi aerial in. The unit also cuts out when plaing from a USB and when it is functioning as a pre-amp playing from a connected CD player.

The strange thing is this also happened at the dealers with the dealers own Cyrus streamer - seems this is something that affects all cyrus streamers. The unit is totally unusable to me - even if I discharge the static by touching a radiator it would build up again as soon as I move! I'm left with an expensive Cyrus set up that doesnt work with no obvious solution!

Very frustrating!!

If the problem has only just started happening then it could just be faulty. You still have 1 month of warrenty left so now may be the time to use it and get a replacement.

 

[Covenanter]

Well, surprise, surprise. It's nothing to do with wifi. Who would have guessed?

Chris

 

[steve_1979]

Well, surprise, surprise. It's nothing to do with wifi. Who would have guessed?

Chris

"Nah ner ner n ner Nahhh."

 

[Covenanter]

Well, surprise, surprise. It's nothing to do with wifi. Who would have guessed?

Chris

"Nah ner ner n ner Nahhh."

Well, yes but really! I might have been wrong about this one but at least I read the OP.

Chris

PS Anyone who lives in North America would not be surprised about static. I once walked across the lobby of a Toronto hotel in mid-winter and the spark from me to the door was about 2 ft long and hurt like hell. Imagine what that would do to your hifi!

PPS Watch them refuel a plane. The first thing they do is earth everything together.

 

[steve_1979]

...I once walked across the lobby of a Toronto hotel in mid-winter and the spark from me to the door was about 2 ft long and hurt like hell...

I bet that looked really cool.