White Noise - Tweeters

PreCd
PreCd Posts: 786
edited December 2011 in Vintage Speakers
I am in the middle of getting my system up to snuff and noticed that when I place my ear lets say 12 inches from the speaker I hear white noise. Of course the closer I get the louder it gets. Not really concerned about hearing it because I like to listen while seated in my lounger and not squatted next to the speaker. I am asking this to see if yours has the same noise and if it makes a difference when the tweeter reproduces the highs in your opinion.
SDA2BTL
Marantz CD5004
Adcom GFA-545
Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
Post edited by PreCd on
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Comments

  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    edited December 2011
    Some equipment makes a little noise some doesn't.Maybe if you listed your equipment someone would chime in.Just a thought.
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    Adcom GFA-555
    Adcom GFP-565
    SDA2Bs TL'd

    Interested in hearing what others equipment sounds like.

    decal: How about yours?
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • OldmanSRS
    OldmanSRS Posts: 419
    edited December 2011
    All preamps/power amps have some low level hiss. Some more than others. Both my Carvers have some but I have to be less than 6" away to hear it. Their noise values are around -105 dB. The GFA555 is -106 db and the GFP565 is >-100 dB.

    You could run the amp without power to the preamp and see if the noise deceases. If so the preamp is feeding the noise to the power amp. If not, the power amp is the culprit. If it's from the 1980s, it's likely just aged caps ( they are burned in now :-0 ). Either have the componenets rebuilt or live with it.
    '65 427 Shelby Cobra
    '72 Triumph TR-6
    __________________
    '88 Polk SDA SRS 1.2, with upgraded XO caps and Erse SDA inductors
    '86 Polk SDA CRS+
    '84 Polk Monitor 10A (Peerless tweeters)
    '05 HSU VTF-3 Sub (Original OEM)
    '20 HSU VTF-3 Sub (three more, 100% cloned)
    '93 Carver TFM-35
    '88 Carver M-1.0t
    '88 Adcom GFT-555
    '88 Adcom GFP-555
    '88 Adcom GFA-555 (upgraded/restored)
    '88 Adcom GFA-555 (a second one upgraded/restored)
    '05 Onkyo DV-555 media
    '89 Fosgate 360 Digital Space Matrix
    '89 Fosgate 360 Digital Space Matrix, internal surround amp bridged to drive only a center channel
    '91 Kenwood Basic M1D Amp
    '89 Pioneer Laser Disc media
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    OldmanSRS:

    Thanks for the insight on noise values.

    The noise is being fed from the pre and is not from old caps. Unless it is the film caps. All others have been replaced. Recapped the power amp PCB but have not touched the filter caps. Seeing that the pre is feeding the noise no use in that. I may go in and take a look at the film caps in the pre. As you stated it is not that bad and hearing it from only 12 inches is probably stretching distance. More like 6" as yours is.

    I wish I had another preamp around just to get an idea of what another sounds like.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    edited December 2011
    PreCd wrote: »
    Adcom GFA-555
    Adcom GFP-565
    SDA2Bs TL'd

    Interested in hearing what others equipment sounds like.

    decal: How about yours?

    I have a tubed integrated so I do have some slight noise when it's at idle but you have to be about 6 inches from the speakers to hear it.
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    decal wrote: »
    I have a tubed integrated so I do have some slight noise when it's at idle but you have to be about 6 inches from the speakers to hear it.

    I am chasing around a little tweeter problem so that is why I am asking this question. Really probably not an issue but was interested in seeing if others experienced the same noise. Sounds like its so.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited December 2011
    PreCD, try grounding the two Adcom pieces together. Sometimes that is all it takes.
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  • OldmanSRS
    OldmanSRS Posts: 419
    edited December 2011
    Very true, especially for 60 Hz hum elimination. Grounding issues and loops are little nasties.
    '65 427 Shelby Cobra
    '72 Triumph TR-6
    __________________
    '88 Polk SDA SRS 1.2, with upgraded XO caps and Erse SDA inductors
    '86 Polk SDA CRS+
    '84 Polk Monitor 10A (Peerless tweeters)
    '05 HSU VTF-3 Sub (Original OEM)
    '20 HSU VTF-3 Sub (three more, 100% cloned)
    '93 Carver TFM-35
    '88 Carver M-1.0t
    '88 Adcom GFT-555
    '88 Adcom GFP-555
    '88 Adcom GFA-555 (upgraded/restored)
    '88 Adcom GFA-555 (a second one upgraded/restored)
    '05 Onkyo DV-555 media
    '89 Fosgate 360 Digital Space Matrix
    '89 Fosgate 360 Digital Space Matrix, internal surround amp bridged to drive only a center channel
    '91 Kenwood Basic M1D Amp
    '89 Pioneer Laser Disc media
    '89 Sony SuperBeta HiFi media
    One PGA2310 based custom built remote volume control
    Four Polk T-15's
    Four Polk TSi-200's
    Four Polk TSi-100's
    Two Polk CS-10's
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    Joe08867 wrote: »
    PreCD, try grounding the two Adcom pieces together. Sometimes that is all it takes.

    Would that not create a ground loop? At this time one of my devices has a plug that contains the center ground.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    edited December 2011
    You don't happen to have the GFP-565 sitting on top of that GFA-555 do you.

    Here's an excerpt from the manual for the GFP-565
    IN order to preserve the sonic benefits of the aluminum bottom plate, the GFP-565 should not be placed directly on top of another component with a steel top. Similarly, because aluminum is not a permeable material, it does not provide magnetic shielding. There for, it is suggested that you do not place the GFP-565 directly on top of power amplifiers, or other devices, which might emit strong magnetic fields from their power transformers. Otherwise an increase in residual noise and hum, particularly in the PHONO stages, may result.

    Here's a link to the manual if you don't have one.

    http://www.adcom-usa.com/userguides/gfp-565-ug.pdf

    I'm running a GFP-555 with a GFA-555 and I don't get any white noise at all and the GFP is not grounded to the GFA other than through the RCA cable.
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    gimpod wrote: »
    You don't happen to have the GFP-565 sitting on top of that GFA-555 do you.

    Here's an excerpt from the manual for the GFP-565



    Here's a link to the manual if you don't have one.

    http://www.adcom-usa.com/userguides/gfp-565-ug.pdf

    I'm running a GFP-555 with a GFA-555 and I don't get any white noise at all and the GFP is not grounded to the GFA other than through the RCA cable.

    I do not believe in stacking SIR! (just kidding about the seriousness) All kidding aside they are not stacked but the 565 is right below the GFA-555. Only separation is a wooden shelf. That could be part of the problem with another symptom I am having. If I leave my units on and playing softly for a period of time I can hear a transformer hum in my mids at times. Very faint. Ear inches away but it is there.

    Gimpod I will shuffle my preamp to the top shelf tonight to see what difference it makes. Thanks for the advice.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,575
    edited December 2011
    The hiss you hear up close to the tweeters is normal. A ground loop hum has a very different sound.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,259
    edited December 2011
      F1nut wrote: »
      The hiss you hear up close to the tweeters is normal. A ground loop hum has a very different sound.

      Hey no audio snobs in the low-fi threads:lol:


      Yes the hiss is normal as Jesse said..
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    • PreCd
      PreCd Posts: 786
      edited December 2011
      Toolfan66 wrote: »


        Hey no audio snobs in the low-fi threads:lol:


        Yes the hiss is normal as Jesse said..

        If I knew the snob emotican I would place HERE now. :razz:
        SDA2BTL
        Marantz CD5004
        Adcom GFA-545
        Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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