I used to have Rowland Model 7 MK3 and 8Ti and knew exactly what you were talking about. Both have identical problems as you described. I believe the hum was induced by those huge transformers. The only thing that has any effect is the reverse the polarity of the power chord. (I simply pull off the ground prones and reverse plug.) However, it merely reduced the level but never completely eliminated the hum. Like you described, I couldn't reproduce the hum consistently and never quite figured out what the cause was. It seemed independent of the temperature nor volume level. Although the hum shouldn't be audible from the listening to ruin the joy, it nevertheless bothered me since at that price level, I should expect nothing but perfection. I've long gone back to tubes and being suffering from different types problems. Good luck.
Call to Rowland owners.
Recent threads from owners (and those wannabe) of Rowland gear have prompted me to post seeking answers to assuage concerns surrounding my 8TiHC. The 8 is a relatively new (October, ‘00) addition to my system, and I have no other experience with the brand.
My amp exhibits a barely perceptible hum from the chassis, completely inaudible with any volume at all from the system. This hum is not consistent from a time of day or demand (power output) standpoint, and persists for a period when the amp is placed in standby following use. I truly ferreted out the issue to just the amp … a plethora of combinations were tried. The technical support folks at Rowland attribute the hum to the power supply chokes, an issue the designers fully understood, and one that it is not unexpected. Makes me a little happier, however, the inconsistent presence of the hum is baffling. I followed their recommendation to ensure that the amp top plate is snug and all washers are in place, even “looked” inside to see if anything stood out as being grossly amiss. Nada.
. I don’t wish to be wasting my time chasing non-problems, cutting into my already valuable time finding other imaginary faults in my system, so I wonder if other folks have similar experience with this issue? Even though I don’t wish to dissuade posts from those jocose inclined audiophile, I do know it could hum because it doesn’t know the words.
Thanks for the help.
My amp exhibits a barely perceptible hum from the chassis, completely inaudible with any volume at all from the system. This hum is not consistent from a time of day or demand (power output) standpoint, and persists for a period when the amp is placed in standby following use. I truly ferreted out the issue to just the amp … a plethora of combinations were tried. The technical support folks at Rowland attribute the hum to the power supply chokes, an issue the designers fully understood, and one that it is not unexpected. Makes me a little happier, however, the inconsistent presence of the hum is baffling. I followed their recommendation to ensure that the amp top plate is snug and all washers are in place, even “looked” inside to see if anything stood out as being grossly amiss. Nada.
. I don’t wish to be wasting my time chasing non-problems, cutting into my already valuable time finding other imaginary faults in my system, so I wonder if other folks have similar experience with this issue? Even though I don’t wish to dissuade posts from those jocose inclined audiophile, I do know it could hum because it doesn’t know the words.
Thanks for the help.