What...the...hell???

MikeCh said:
The only that will ferret out the noise issue then will be your linear troubleshooting to fix it, break it, fix it in order to prove the bad seed.
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Yup; workin' on it.

So...after a little more than 3 hours with no issue (using unbalanced ICs between XP-10 and mAMPS...but balanced between DAC and XP-10); I've put the Calypso back into the loop.

430p - Aurender > Vega > Calypso > mAMPS...but unbalanced ICs between pre and power amps; and things sound fine.

Stay tuned. Next thing I'll try...is the WyWires XLRs, back in the loop (at a very low volume).
 
Mechnutt said:
I think that your system did not like the in coming Vega DAC and rebelled. I think you should send the Vega to me:sneaky:
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:doubtful: :rofl: On a side note: I'm certainly getting plenty of listening time, the past few days; just not the way I would have wanted...waiting for the other shoe to drop again.

The Vega is excellent; more detail, and BIG w i d e presentation...than I've heard from any DAC before. But I will say, I think pre-amp matching is important. Things are a touch bright...big picture, long term; Vega, to XP-10...to class-D mAMPS, to PMC FACT 3s (which yes, are a tad sparkly themselves). But I think it's a DAC, worth bending around a bit.

Change any one of those links in the chain, to warm things up a bit; and it sings. For example, going from the XP-10 back to the Calypso.
 
CDLehner said:
Yup; workin' on it.

So...after a little more than 3 hours with no issue (using unbalanced ICs between XP-10 and mAMPS...but balanced between DAC and XP-10); I've put the Calypso back into the loop.

430p - Aurender > Vega > Calypso > mAMPS...but unbalanced ICs between pre and power amps; and things sound fine.

Stay tuned. Next thing I'll try...is the WyWires XLRs, back in the loop (at a very low volume).
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Well...I'd been playing the system, at moderate volumes; all day long. No incident, since I posted at ~1p this afternoon. This was with unbalanced ICs, with both the XP-10 and then Calypso.

As I sat in tonight, things were still at moderate volumes...until something came on, that I wanted to give a little juice. Either the power, and/bass content...started the "crackling static" again. The thing is..."power" brings it on, but then it's present even if I bring the volume way down.

Just for kicks...I went Vega, right into the mAMPS; gave it a little juice, and the issue came back. I'm convinced...despite going against some logic; it's GOTTA be the speakers :( Now I just need to determine...something blown on the x-over, and/or a driver.
 
That's no fun Chris. Did you say the PMC's were shipped out and disassembled for another dupe-build or something? Could it be possible things weren't properly reassembled prior to you getting them back? Just brainstorming....
 
MikeCh said:
That's no fun Chris. Did you say the PMC's were shipped out and disassembled for another dupe-build or something? Could it be possible things weren't properly reassembled prior to you getting them back? Just brainstorming....
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I did say that Mike; but only one speaker was sent out...and it was fine when it came back, and the issue is in both speakers.

Those mAMPS are pretty powerful; 250/430. I think something got zapped, when I got my double-pop. I just hope, it's something relatively inexpensive to fix; like a capacitor the x-over.
 
So...here's the thing to key on: issue happens, when things get turned up a bit...but then stay engaged, even when the volume goes down.

I think that's got to be something on the board; the cross-over...but I have a cross-over guy (the guy working on my build), saying it's extremely unlikely...it would happen to both speakers.

One thing I haven't swapped out...are the speaker cables. They can't be the culprit, right??
 
What if any are the other constants that have been in the system when the noise is present or not? The PS Audio power unit? Have you tried omitting it and plugging the bare minimum gear into the same or other wall socket directly?

If it were me, I'd break it down to the most simple and then start building to find out what the cause might be. If this means setting up a mini-subset of gear in my bedroom instead of the main rig just to get a different power receptacle it might be worth doing.
 
MikeCh said:
What if any are the other constants that have been in the system when the noise is present or not? The PS Audio power unit? Have you tried omitting it and plugging the bare minimum gear into the same or other wall socket directly?

If it were me, I'd break it down to the most simple and then start building to find out what the cause might be. If this means setting up a mini-subset of gear in my bedroom instead of the main rig just to get a different power receptacle it might be worth doing.
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Yeah Mike; I have to know for sure. Tomorrow night...I can run a Squeezebox Touch, right into a tube IA I have; that's just 2 pieces...that weren't even in the loop, when the "incident" happened...and the speakers.

That ought to be pretty definitive.
 
CDLehner said:
Yeah Mike; I have to know for sure. Tomorrow night...I can run a Squeezebox Touch, right into a tube IA I have; that's just 2 pieces...that weren't even in the loop, when the "incident" happened...and the speakers.

That ought to be pretty definitive.
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Yep! Good luck.
 
CDLehner said:
Yeah Mike; I have to know for sure. Tomorrow night...I can run a Squeezebox Touch, right into a tube IA I have; that's just 2 pieces...that weren't even in the loop, when the "incident" happened...and the speakers.

That ought to be pretty definitive.
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Make sure all your cable is different too. Even the speaker cables should be swapped out although it does seem highly unlikely that is the culprit. You still have to eliminate every single piece of your system except the fact 3s. Then if you still have the issue at that point you can be sure it is the speakers.
 
jaxwired said:
Make sure all your cable is different too. Even the speaker cables should be swapped out although it does seem highly unlikely that is the culprit. You still have to eliminate every single piece of your system except the fact 3s. Then if you still have the issue at that point you can be sure it is the speakers.
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Jax...ever the optimist :)
 
OK...as I said earlier; I took a spare tube IA, and a Squeezebox Touch...hooked it up, with all different PCs, ICs, and SCs...to the PMC FACT 3s.

After the tubes warmed up, I ran things pretty stoutly; including going back to the track, that brought on the issue once...and stuck with some dynamic Rock. Could not get the issue, to rear its head.

Hmm...I'm cautiously optimistic. In fact...I have a new suspect: would it make sense, that the PS Audio conditioner, might have reacted to the "surge"...by blowing a fuse or cap, etc?

I guess I'll start building things back up, one piece at a time. Problem is...the issue doesn't kick in from jump. So I'll have to do one piece at a time, give it a day or two; add a piece, etc. Ugh :S

Still...small price to pay, if it turns out I didn't smoke the speakers.

 
Post #6, #8 and #27 all hinted at the PS Audio unit as perhaps the source of the issue regardless if it was a cause or reaction. Remove it and check again.
 
CDLehner said:
If it turns out, that is the culprit:

A) I will be relieved as hell!

B) I'll have to wage the whole conditioner vs. regenerator debate; to decide between a Torus, and a PSA P-3 as replacement.
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What was plugged into the PS Audio?
 
mep said:
What was plugged into the PS Audio?
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The Aurender, both DACs when I tried them; and both pre-amps when I tried them. Amps, are always off the conditioner.

After not being able, to re-create the issue...with all new cables, and the Squeezebox Touch right into a tube IA; I am back to Aurender > Vega > mAMPS...but all powered, off the conditioner.

Nothing yet.
 
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