Musical Fidelity V90-AMP Noise Issue


Hi Folks,

First post on the forums. Sorry if this is not the correct topic area to put this thread.


I have a Musical Fidelity V90-AMP that I use for my computer audio setup. If you are not familiar with the component there is a good write up over at Tone Audio: http://www.tonepublications.com/review/musical-fidelity-v90-amp-and-v90-dac/

Sonically I am very happy with the unit. I have an Audioquest USB cable and Jitterbug going from my iMac to the V90-AMP, and this little guy is powering a pair of vintage Polk Monitor 4s mounted on speaker stands.

The only drawback is that the V90-AMP has a high pitch hissing sound that comes directly from the body of the unit. I put it on isolation feet, and it helped reduce the noise a little, but it is still noticeable while sitting at my desk. When I am blasting music it is a non-issue, but sometimes when listening to quieter classical, or more ballad-oriented jazz music it can be distracting.

I also noticed that if I put pressure or weight on top of the unit it does reduce noise significantly. I was thinking of getting a small 2.5 to 3 pound weight to put on it, but then I thought long term stress of the weight may possible damage the inner workings of the V90-AMP.

Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts regarding this issues. I have only gotten into this hobby a little over a year ago and am still learning a ton.


Thanks, and cheers!
Matthew
stereosanctity

Showing 2 responses by align

Hi Matthew,

I have the same issue with my new v90 amp that I received from Music Direct yesterday.  The unit is a new one, and I noticed it immediately after I turned it on.  Did you hear back from Musical Fidelity?  Also the volume doesn't go down to zero, so I can't turn it down to a very quiet volume level.  Is your unit like that also?  

Regards,

Jay
Hi Matthew,

I'll contact Music Direct and Musical Fidelity and see what they have to say. That's too bad you didn't receive a response from either company. If both issues are normal, I'll likely keep it as it does sound quite good, especially for the asking price of $149 for brand new units, as they are now discontinued and on clearance.  I hope your NAD D 3020 sounds terrific and even better than the V90 Amp it replaced.

Cheers!