What's in your Hi-Fi?

[motorbike guy]

Thanks for the offer, but plane tickets Holland -> USA (or vice versa) are expensive.

Might PM for more advice once I get my grubby mitts on the thing. Ta in advance!

I can talk/write you through it. I did not forsee actually getting my hands on it. But I can help you with setup. The suspension is finicky to get right, but dead easy if you know what to look for.

[rappard]

Thanks for the offer, but plane tickets Holland -> USA (or vice versa) are expensive.

Might PM for more advice once I get my grubby mitts on the thing. Ta in advance!

I can talk/write you through it. I did not forsee actually getting my hands on it. But I can help you with setup. The suspension is finicky to get right, but dead easy if you know what to look for.

Great, thanks again!

Just auditioned the Creek 5350SE amplifier on my lunch break:
Awesome on the $12000+ PMC monitors the store had, still excellent on my Sennheiser headphones.
Plus I got a 10% discount - w00t!

[louissandwich]

Hey -- so I'm fairly ignorant about hi-fi stuff, but is something like this http://www.crutchfield.com/p_773ICON2B/ ... _and_specs (not necessarily this specific model) actually going to make my iPod sound much better when plugged into my undistinguished stereo receiver/bookshelf speaker setup? By "much better" I mean "as good or better than my random cd player".

thanks.[/quote]
Important difference between your setups: bogusaurus's setup is (probably) desktop/laptop > USB out > amp/DAC > headphone. If I recall correctly iPods only have line out, so you'll need an iPod dock or a amp/DAC with line in. I have no clue about iPod docks but here are some amp/DAC suggestions:

FiiO
Bithead
HeadAmp
iBasso (D2+)
NuForce Icon Mobile

Note 1: the DAC inside an iPod is quite reasonable (or good, if you have the iPod video), but the signal is ****ed between the DAC and the headphone jack due to Apple's wonky circuit design. This, coupled with your

undistinguished stereo receiver/bookshelf speaker

points to a amp/DAC in the sub-$100 range - anything higher is overkill, unless you're planning to upgrade the rest of your system later. The FiiO range is really good value for money - check Amazon and eBay.

Note 2: before you ask, yes, you probably don't need the DAC part of your amp at this point since your iPod only outputs analog. But in my experience, it's almost always useful to have later down the road.[/quote]

I brought this amp home to power a better set of headphones. It also doubles as a pre-amp. For work I bought a cheaper FIIO E7 which does just as fine a job with the AKG271s headphones. I am getting bit-perfect digital out from the laptop via USB, so this would be different to your standard iPod output. There might be docks for the iPod which will do the bit-perfect thing.

When picking an amp/DAC, you should keep two things in consideration:

1. Your headphones. If they are not high-end and actually in need of an amp, then you probably won't notice anything much different between a) no amp b) a cheap amp and c) a more expensive one.

2. One of the big benefits is isolation from computer interference. No chirpy sounds from the laptop coming through the music etc.

I'd say the stuff recommended by rappard is all good. The FIIO E7 is really well-built and cheap.[/quote]


Thanks, this is really helpful. Since posting this, I've remembered that I may actually have a line on a better amplifier + tuner setup that a relative isn't using. I think I'll start there and see what needs augmenting afterwards. Sine the headphone jack circuit is apparently a weak point on the ipod, I may look into docks as well.[/quote]

So, this is interesting-- http://www.nuforce.com/hp/products/ido/index.php

"Icon iDo bypasses the built-in DAC and extracts the audio data stored on the device in its original digital form in USB Host Mode. It then converts the high-quality files for bit-perfect and low-jitter music playback. "

It won't mean much at present given my run-of the- mill speaker situation, but it's interesting as a development (I've seen similar things at much higher prices before).

[motorbike guy]

it also won't sound better than a decent CD player, unless you have uncompressed files on your Ipod. In my experience, the higher resolution MP3s sound a little worse than straight CDs, and the medium and lower resolution MP3s sound noticably worse than CDs. Apple Lossless, FLACS and WAVS all sound pretty good, though, depending on how they were encoded and, of course, the source material.

[rappard]

<rappard: stripped a lot of your post>

Hey -- so I'm fairly ignorant about hi-fi stuff, but is something like this So, this is interesting -- http://www.nuforce.com/hp/products/ido/index.php

"Icon iDo bypasses the built-in DAC and extracts the audio data stored on the device in its original digital form in USB Host Mode. It then converts the high-quality files for bit-perfect and low-jitter music playback."

It won't mean much at present given my run-of the-mill speaker situation, but it's interesting as a development (I've seen similar things at much higher prices before).

That looks nice but if I were you I'd wait with buying it until reviews start popping up in the usual places (head-case.org, head-fi.org, headfonia.com).

The NuForce stuff is well-made on the outside, but the internal circuitry could be better:
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/nuf ... drama.html.

[Jodi S.]

OK, so I might know how to fix that stupid floating prism issue in your Hasselblad, but troubleshooting a stereo is beyond my ken.

The system in question:
Marantz 2252B solid state integrated amp/tuner
Stanton T-80
Onkyo 5-CD cturntable
Advent Baby II speakers (I have a pair of small Cabasse speakers too, which I have not yet connected to this beast)

This is all plugged into a surge protector.

So I have noticed that when I turn the system on that there is a low hum. Today, while playing the stuff I got at the record fair this weekend, I noticed that

a) for the most part, sound was only coming out of the left speaker
b) the sound seemed to fluctuate between bass-heavy and trebly

I juggled the wires for the speakers. No change. I plugged in the headphones. Still no right channel - and I also realized that plugging headphones into the headphone jack did not mute the speakers (like it did in my old, crappy system.)

I know that this could probably be a result of a bunch of different things (the hum could be a grounding issue) but what do you guys think the most likely thing is?

Does the Marantz just need to be cleaned up inside? Or could this be some kind of bigger power issue that I need to investigate?

[madmanmunt]

...hum...

I also have a hum.

Nikko NA-590.



Low hum, both speakers. Is not there at power on, it slowly fades in.
Cutting power by pulling the plug will instantly remove the hum in the seconds before the sound fades.

[Brinkman]

Low hum, both speakers. Is not there at power on, it slowly fades in.
Cutting power by pulling the plug will instantly remove the hum in the seconds before the sound fades.

Sounds like a ground loop problem. If you're using more than one wall outlet, are the grounds tied together? How many devices are powered when you notice the hum?

[madmanmunt]

Sounds like a ground loop problem.

That's what I thought, but why only with this particular amp? And what can I do about it?

If you're using more than one wall outlet, are the grounds tied together?

Don't know! How can I check this? I can't get my fingers all the way into the wall sockets.

How many devices are powered when you notice the hum?

All of them! Seriously, never less than 2 (CD player, tuner, etc + amp). I will experiment tomorrow and let you know.

[mr.arrison]

Does the Marantz just need to be cleaned up inside? Or could this be some kind of bigger power issue that I need to investigate?

Oh Jodi! I feel so bad. The Marantz was in really good condition when I sold it to you - but I did have to have it cleaned up about a year prior because of one of the channels being wonky. Is this happening when listening to vinyl or listening to any sound source? It could be the cartridge in the stanton isn't seated well or a wire has been jostled loose.

Try swapping out the speaker cables from the currently used outputs on the rear to the two unused ones, then switch the output knob on the front. I used the "loudness" switch ON and that also helped. It always sounded fantastic on one of the channels but the other one did have issues from time to time..

The hum could be cable TV grounding - is the Marantz plugged into the same outlet or surge protector as cable TV? My Rega/Jolida hi-fi had the same issue. I had to do some work to ground the cable TV connection and the hum went away..

[Brinkman]

In the shitty apartment I currently reside in, all the outlets are + & -, with no GND. Because half of my stand-alone audio components have three-prong type power cables, I had to invest in a handful of these:


If I ran my turntable, which would occupy one plug of the wall outlet, upstream of my tube pre-amp and tube power amp (sharing a power strip occupying the other plug of the wall outlet), I would get frequent, loud POPS in my record playback. I had to tie the eyelets together in the adapter seen above with a little wire so everything had the same reference GND potential for this popping to stop.

Before the faceplate from the outlet, another thing to look for is interconnects or other cords picking up 60Hz or 120Hz hum from poorly shielded power cables or power supplies.

Turn off any fluorescent lights that may be on in the room. Does that help?

[motorbike guy]

most amplifiers will add some noise to the signal. it could be coming from anywhere. could be 60 cycle hum from the power supply, could be bad grounding on any one of the inputs.

try swapping wires to see if the problem moves, so you can trace it. does the hum exist when you play CDs and records? Does the bad channel move when you swap the inputs? how about when you swap the speaker wires? Try the other speakers, does the problem still manifest? try plugging the CD player into tape inputs or aux inputs.

An old reciever could have bad caps, a cold solder joint somewhere inside, a transformer failing, a power transistor dying. All kinds of stuff.

it may be time for a new reciever.

[Rodabod]

Hey Jodi,

The first thing I'd do is wiggle all of the switches on that Marantz amp while it's switched off. Sometimes the contacts get dirty and don't pass the signal very well. This can potentially cause the level to drop and for the sound to become tinny.

The test you did with the heaphones probably suggests that the issue is not related to the power-amp section of the HiFi as the heaphones are usually fed before this section, especially on integrated amps. My Marantz doesn't mute the speakers either; I have speaker selection switches which I manually mute. This can be preferable if you sometimes want both on at the same time.

Regarding the hum, you have the whole HiFi essentially fed from one outlet which is feeding the surge-protector, which is most likely a good thing. I'd make sure the turntable is grounded via the amp; there may be a wire you can connect between the two. If it still hums, see if it hums with nothing plugged into any input, and then add the CD player and turntable one by one (selecting the respective input each time you add one), and see when the hum starts to occur.

Roddy

a) for the most part, sound was only coming out of the left speaker
b) the sound seemed to fluctuate between bass-heavy and trebly

I juggled the wires for the speakers. No change. I plugged in the headphones. Still no right channel - and I also realized that plugging headphones into the headphone jack did not mute the speakers (like it did in my old, crappy system.)

I know that this could probably be a result of a bunch of different things (the hum could be a grounding issue) but what do you guys think the most likely thing is?

Does the Marantz just need to be cleaned up inside? Or could this be some kind of bigger power issue that I need to investigate?

[owen]

Welp, at long last our shitty turntable is dead. Time to go up a ring or two. I am pretty sure I have it in my budget to get Pro-Ject Genie or maybe a Music Hall (or Rega) in the same price zone.

Now, I was also considering getting one of those Pro-Ject Tube Box Pre-Amps. Is it worth it? Or do you think I should just put the money into getting an even better turntable or maybe put it aside and work towards getting a tube amplifier?

[TheMilford]

Somebody here should jump on this... Looks to be in immaculate shape and is the most recent incarnation of this 'table with the lead damped platter and a nice Ortofon MC cart.



http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl? ... ed-Classic

Offer the guy $1500 shipped. You will never need another 'table as long as you live. The "zero tolerance" bearing on these will never wear out and there is virtually no background noise... tracking is freaking unbelievable.

I Love mine... and mine is an older and shitty beat up one.

[Mister Grabski]

[flyinghouses]

I have the same table I believe. A SL1500, which is OK for what it cost. Has some tracking issues. Also a Pioneer SX650 receiver and Criterion speakers which need to be replaced

[Ben Abraham]

My Hi-Fi was snagged for 200 through Amazon. It's an standard Audio Technica turntable, Sherwood receiver, and Sony bookshelf speakers with a Monster 1/8" to RCA cable for my laptop or iPhone. It's cheap and it's great.

[whoisalhedges]

+

+

+


=

[squarewave]

OK, so I might know how to fix that stupid floating prism issue in your Hasselblad, but troubleshooting a stereo is beyond my ken.

The system in question:
Marantz 2252B solid state integrated amp/tuner
Stanton T-80
Onkyo 5-CD cturntable
Advent Baby II speakers (I have a pair of small Cabasse speakers too, which I have not yet connected to this beast)

This is all plugged into a surge protector.

So I have noticed that when I turn the system on that there is a low hum. Today, while playing the stuff I got at the record fair this weekend, I noticed that

a) for the most part, sound was only coming out of the left speaker
b) the sound seemed to fluctuate between bass-heavy and trebly

I juggled the wires for the speakers. No change. I plugged in the headphones. Still no right channel - and I also realized that plugging headphones into the headphone jack did not mute the speakers (like it did in my old, crappy system.)

I know that this could probably be a result of a bunch of different things (the hum could be a grounding issue) but what do you guys think the most likely thing is?

Does the Marantz just need to be cleaned up inside? Or could this be some kind of bigger power issue that I need to investigate?

Sounds a lot like a balance potentiometer and/or one of the tone control pots may needs some attention. Try twisting the knobs back and forth a few dozen times to see if that can remove any contaminants or oxidation on the wipers. Do this with the audio on a low level and see if the signal comes in and out as you do this, tap on the knobs as well.

If this IS the cause, you are a can of DeOxit away from solving the issue. Often there is a little gap in the potentiometer to spray them out occasionally, and bending the tip of the applicator straw with a soldering tip (or a lighter and a needlenose plier) will allow you to get it there at weird angles if there are other components blocking the access.

http://youtu.be/ukA8Qy-M4fY

BTW, this guy was working on a stacked two channel pot, and neglected to mention that there was a SECOND wiper and a SECOND cleanout gap closer to the front panel. If you are going to bother to open the case, spray all of the pots for all of the balance and tone controls.

Safety note: Unplug the unit with the source playing to drain the caps before taking the cover off, and don't plug it back in for 10-15 minutes after cleaning out the last pot to make sure the spray has completely evaporated.