White noise

[admin_exported]

Hello everyone - could I ask for your advice please?

Rrecently bought some expensive (to me) new Hifi, comprising matched Pioneer integrated amp and cd player and speakers, along with chord powerleads and QED interconnects and decent copper speaker cables - about £2K in total.

When listening fairly loud (not window-breaking, just assertive) there is a quiet but audible 'white noise' hiss in the quiet passages of music. Did at first think this might be something left over from the original tapes/recording process, but have discovered that it is also there when things are switched on but no cd actually playing. Though I might be imagining it to start with, so went and listened close up to the tweeter, where it is clear and distinct.

So - is this 'normal'? If not is there anything I can do about it? And, if there's nothing I can do, then is it grounds to ask the dealer to help with it or is it environmental (like the speaker cables picking up some electical inductance or something??)

Thanks a lot

 

[Anonymous]

there was a similar post a few days ago on this forum ... many people said that it was 'normal' and nothing to be concerned about

on all 3 systems in my home, there is no hissing/white noise whatsoever even if the volume control is cranked right up with no cd playing

 

[matthewpiano]

Try using the packaged Pioneer power leads instead of the Chord ones and see if it makes any difference.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks - will do. Surely there shoudn't be anything audible coming through?

 

[batonwielder]

I've never heard a setup that doesn't have some sort of white noise up close without music playing. If the speaker's sensitivity is rather low, it's less noticeable,

What is your setup, exactly?

 

[John Duncan]

Are they sitting on top of each other or side by side or on a rack?

 

[Anonymous]

Just checked my system. At full volume position with no music playing and ear pressed to the tweeter I can just hear a v tiny noise. At half volume position it's all quite. Normal listening on my system is volume somewhere between 5% and 10% - parties at about 20% of full volume poition. My kit about half the price of yours.

Never been disturbed by white noise at normal listening levels. However a lot of the stuff I listen to is re-mastered off of old tapes made in the 20's to the 50's and there is an incredible amount of noise on the recordings.

 

[Anonymous]

The system is Pioneer A-a9 Mk2 and matching CDP, Chord mains leads x2 (straight into the wall), QED interconnects. Also a Rega Planar 3 from previous system with MM cartridge.

They are not racked, just beside each other on a table.

 

[John Duncan]

Right. Turn the CD player off at the mains, turn the volume right up, see if the hiss still exists. Then turn it back on again, and move them further apart, see if it still exists or gets quieter.

If it still exists in the first place, it's the amp and you're stuck with it, though I'd be very cross at any amp that made enough noise for me to hear it with music playing. If moving them further apart improves matters, then the CDP is interfering electrically and you need to get them further apart or live with it.

 

[plastic penguin]

Most systems have a certain amount of sibilance, especially noticable with a turntables, in my experience. As JD mentioned it's worth checking the shielding eg experiment with different positions. Also check the earthing on each individual item....

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks - I did wonder about earthing too!

If I run my hand lightly across the (metal) cabinet I get a sense of 50 cycles - a very faint buzz in the fingers. I mentioned this to the dealer who told me it was nothing to worry about. Is this normal?

The system is plugged straight into the house supply, and each component has its own socket.

 

[matthewpiano]

Did you try it without the Chord power cables? You need to rule this out.

The feint buzz as you run your fingers over the casing is nothing, the dealer is correct.

If you can hear noise above music playing, and you have tried everything we have suggested, then I think you need to go back to the dealer. Hearing a little hiss when you put your ear up to the speakers is one thing, but hearing it during music replay is quite another.

 

[Anonymous]

Had similar problem but noticed the speaker cable and power cables were running in parallel next to each other. Moved them about to keep them further apart and where necessary made sure they crossed rather than running in parallel, and I was quite surprised that it did actually seem to help a bit, to the point where you can't hear anything at all during playback and even with no CD on, I need to go to about 3 O'Clock on the dial before I can hear any white noise even up close to the speaker.

 

[Anonymous]

IW:

Thanks - I did wonder about earthing too!

If I run my hand lightly across the (metal) cabinet I get a sense of 50 cycles - a very faint buzz in the fingers. I mentioned this to the dealer who told me it was nothing to worry about. Is this normal?

The system is plugged straight into the house supply, and each component has its own socket.

That does not sound right. I'd check the earths on both bits of kit (or have the store do it) I don't think you should be able to feel anything "electrical" when you touch a metal casing of any bit of HiFi equipment.