Help :( Speakers making constant static sound I cannot figure it out

Are you hearing the noise in both channels?

I would guess it's a bad tube, but I'm guessing. 

I also think bad tube,  bad Input or driver.    Turn amp off,  remove input tubes. Turn on .  Noise gone?   If not turn off, replace input tube(s) and pull driver tubes.   That should help isolate a bad input or driver.  

Do you hear music if you play music?  

You have isloated it to the amp.  some switch has gotten flipped is most likely cause.

PS  if it is a tube in the amp, it is the rectifier as that is the only tube that affects both channels.

The Rogue is SS power supply and lacks tube rectification. I had a similar situation in a SS amp that was less pronounced and it was a diode issue. Contact Rogue, use the listed phone number before you get too carried away. 

There is an odd number of tubes.  Maybe both channels go through that twin triode tube in the center position?  

This is great info. A simple tube replacement is really the best I could have hoped for.

So the test would be to remove it and power up and see if the sound is gone? I just want to confirm that there is no danger to the amp or speakers to power it on with that tube out of the socket? They last a good long time so this is actually my first time having had to replace any of them, and don’t want to make a costly error.

Also, assuming that the rectifier tube mentioned is the center one of the 5 smaller tubes, since it is between the channels?  Or similarly, is it safe to remove to test each of the smaller tubes one at a time until the issue is isolated?

If so, I’ll order another and be back in business, and thanks to the audiogon community for your diagnostic expertise.

There are no rectifier tubes in your amp, it uses solid state rectification. 

I see, but still sounds like the prevailing opinion is that one or more tubes are failing.  Would the procedure for determining which tubes need replacement then be to try powering up the amp with one removed, and check for that sound, and repeat until I find the instance where removing it eliminates the static?  

Also, if I do need to replace a tube, is it advised to replace the tube in the same position on the opposite channel as well?

You don't have spare tubes?  Do you have spare lightbulbs in  the house?  tubes are consummables.  always have a spare set.  

Powering up with a tube missing will generally not cause a problem but will not tell you anything since the amp will not work with the tube out.  the static will likely go away, but a new tube may not fix it.  In other words, you have to replace it with a good tube to know if you've found the problem.

Jerry

Do you have any extra tubes? I wouldn't run it with a tube missing. I don't know if it would hurt anything. 

It looks like the 12AU7 is a preamp tube common to both channels. If you are getting noise in both channels, I would replace it. 

If you are only getting noise in one channel, move the tubes on the left channel to the right side and vice versa.  If the noise moves to the other channel, it's probably one of the tubes on the side that is noisy. 

Even though it appears a tube is the most likely culprit and since you have no spares to check it out, I’d still call Rogue, explain to them what’s up, and see what they say about ways to possibly rectify it without causing damage.

When a light burns out, I go to the store and get a lightbulb, I'm not living in a bomb shelter full of soup cans.  Tubes last for years and can be pricey depending on what they are, so no sense in blowing money just to stick them in a drawer for half a decade and let them collect dust.  

I'm happy to replace what needs replacing now, just need to determine what exactly that is.  There's a repair shop near here that probably has some, I can see what's available and use those to test each socket until I find the culprit.  Maybe I'll take this opportunity to try some alternative tubes vs the stock ones supplied with the amp, it could turn out to be a fun development after all.

When you see today's prices for quality nos tubes, you're gonna wish you bought them a half decade ago!

Have you said if it's one channel, or both?

Tubes don't always last a long time. It depends on the design of the component.

It is both channels, the sound is the same from each speaker and is not effected at all by turning the balance all the way left or right, it remains equal through both.

You might get lucky and it's the 12AU7 preamp tube that appears to be common to both channels.  I would replace it first. 

I emailed rogue all the details as well, they’ve always been good about getting back to me pretty quickly. Just in case they think they know what it is.

If the amp is using a 3 prong power plug, use a cheater to remove the ground pin to see if it is a ground loop noise.