I have my new system, but now I have a problem...

OK, the amp and speakers are hooked up, however, its revealed a problem that for some bizarre reason, has never reared its head before on any of my previous systems, be it the Aego2's, the Rotel and Ela's or the ANT Amber and the DT531... for some reason this rig is faithfully reproducing all of the noise from the inside of my PC.

WTF

Now, I know whats coming here: "thats because your using a PC which is inherently noisy". Well yes... maybe, but why on earth did it never happen before?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be causing this, the PCI card is already as far away from the other cards as its possible to be... and frankly I really dont want or need the expense of a DAC right now, I was hoping I could get away with it, as otherwise the sound is really rather good.

 

If it's still bugging you in the 3rd week of Feb, I am in the NE and could drop in with an amp [Audiolab probably] and a handfull of £4.99 cables to try. Process of elimination and all that [sounds like toilet humour..]

 

Paul,

I tried all manner of possible solutions to try to eradicate an annoying mains noise problem that i used to have from my central heating boiler. Even though i had tried alll sorts of different cartridges, and cables on my hi-fi, plus different phono stages, i also installed my own dedicated Hi-Fi electrical spur all to no avail. Then one day last March my boiler broke down, as i was demonstarting the problem to the visiting engineeer ( he agreed there was a problem...) I discovered that my current Rotel Phono stage was completely immune to this noise and eradicated it completely. I'll be keeping the Rotel for this reason if nothing else.

Maybe your new exposure amp is just sensitive to whatever noise is being generated by your Computer, where other amps weren't , you might even just have to switch brands again.....

weird things Hi-Fi's... good luck.

 

Treat the noise at source, try and suppress the boiler you can get the bits from maplin. The computer well its the same add some ferites to the power leads of the puter. If no joy look to a mains conditioner that certainly helps me . I'm down to a soft pop once or twices a day rather than the almost white noise back groud with castanets!

 

Graham, I might take you up on that offer, but hopefully tonight I am going to try some different cables. Also the speaker cables at the moment are not ideally positioned, probably near the power cable etc.

I am going to try my headphone amp - I've never had a problem with this - if that picks anything up, then I'm beginning to think the speaker cables might be to blame...

As for returning to the Rotel camp Sid, well... as much as I still do like the Rotel, I have to say this Exposure is something else (at least compared to the entry level Rotel kit)...

Rather than regurtitate my listening impressions here again, I'll refer you to my thread on PFM where I describe just how this thing sounds...

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=19255

 

Got a photo? Where is the amp in relation to the computer? Are they close? Are they plugged into the same distribution block? Sounds like some kind of mains noise suppression is needed?

 

I dont have access to a camera at the mo... basically the amp is on top of my computer desk and the tower is underneath the computer desk... i'm gonna have a play around tonight.

 

Is it noise (like when the HDD is accessing, etc) or hum? If it's hum, you might have an earth loop. If not, try to get the exposure onto a different socket than the PC - this might work...

 

I just dont get it....

Plug my headphone amp in... nothing, quiet as a mouse. Plug that in, major noise.

Pretty ****ed off with this tbh

 

Try the amp and speakers in another room and see if the noise still occurs.

 

The noise does not occur as soon as the PC is disconnected from the amplifier.

 

Well it seems pretty obvious to me that the computer is to blame here. The amp still makes the noise even when its playing another input (i.e. the Sky box). However, as soon as the PC is disconnected from the amp, its totally silent.

Do you think a DAC would help?

 

No it sounds to me like you have an earthing issue. Try earthing the computer to the amp. Take a lead from one of the computer case screws to the ground on the amp, I'm presuming it has a phono stage. That might cure it

 

Hi mate sorry to sound dumb here, but what kind of lead do i need... also the amp does not have a phono stage... and i cant see where i'd connect it to?

 

Sorry to hear your having probs - had to do this myself awhile back....

1. Any single core insulated cable will do (i used bell wire)

2. if you've ot got a phono stage i'd connect it to one of the amps side screws (unscrew the screw a little then wind the bare end of the wire around it a few times then tighten back up)

hopw you get it sorted , James.

 

Hi, I dont have a phono stage.

Anyway, I had a problem with the PC this morning that resulted in me having to take it completely to bits in order to get it to work again (turned out it was the power button on the case), and put it all back together. Now the problem is not completely gone, but it is quite a bit better than it was.

However a further improvement would certainly be nice !

 

sorry i meant if you've not got a phono stage......