Static / Fuzzy Sound in Speakers


Hello,

ive just installed my new system : Wadia 861 CDP plugged in directly to an Odyssey Stratos Amp via TMC Yellow Interconnects. My speakers are Audience Paris.

Well, when i switch on the Amp and the CDPlayer, i get this faint fuzzy sound coming from the speakers. Its like a continuous static sound you get from a TV set when theres a very bad signal. Its just there. I can still hear it when i start playing a CD when i stick my hear to the speakers, and i can certainly hear it when theres nothing playing, on both channels.

I really dont know where this sound comes from, and why im getting it. The AMP is brand new, so are the interconnects and the speakers. The CDPlayer is the only one thats been bought second hand.

Any ideas ?
badwisdom

Showing 4 responses by badwisdom

Ive checked piece by piece like you recommended Aragain.

With the amp only on, you can hear a faint noise. But you really have to stick your hear to the speakers in order to hear it. Very minimum.

With the cables on and no CDPlayer, no change.

When i power up the CDplayer, the fuzzy / snowy sound goes up noticeably.

However in checking with the other systems in my house (2) which are arguably less 'audiophile' than this one, i constantly hear this noise when sticking my ears to the speakers.

Is this a sound that every speaker makes when the power to the Amp and CDP are turned on ? Or should the speakers be dead quiet ?

Cheers
Ok did some more testing and i am now puzzled.

I have a crappy Sony Integrated downstairs so i decided to use it in order to try and isolate the fault, as i was pretty confident it wasnt coming from the Wadia.

So i hooked up the integrated with the Wadia : and low and behold i was right, there was no fuzzy / snowy sound. Hmm.

I then decide to use the integrated as a preamp, and hook it up with the Odyssey stratos to see if the amp was the problem. Again, nothing, dead quiet.

The only time i had this surface low fuzzy / snowy noise was when i used the Wadia DIRECTLY into the Odyssey. I used the same cables each time, with exactly the same routine -> Amp and preamp first, Wadia last powered up. And as soon as the Wadia direct in the Odyssey made that clicking noise after booting up signaling that it was ready to go, that bloody surface noise poped up.

Where could this be coming from i dont know. But i know i cant stand that low surface noise.

Guess ill have to get my hand on a preamp :(

Cheers
Ground loop problem ? What is that ?

I was wrong in my imagery anyway : the sound i am hearing is definitely what you would call Static.

Im not to sure, but if you put your hear real close to your speakers, when the system is on but not playing anything, shouldn't you hear just the tiny bit of static ? Or should it be dead quiet ?

Ill probably get myself those gizmos you talk about, but i still dont get it why it is worse when i plug my CDP directly into the amp, and not the other two cases (amp + pre + CDP, integrated + CDP ).

Cheers
Xav
I dont know what you call it in english, but the static is coming from the top part of the speaker. I know because when i put my hand on top of it the static fades.

I tried your test Keis,and couldnt hear the scrapping noise.

I still cant explain why this phenomenon is aggravated when i use my Wadia direct to the amp. I cant for the life of me understand the difference with using a pre or an integrated.

Could it be the preamp part of my Wadia causing this ? If so what does it mean ?

Cheers