oldmako Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 FNG here with another stupid Q.... Tonight after sucking down a few...(OK several) I decided to wail on the mothers. After running the gamut from The Who to Jimi to The Doors to Little Feat I settled into some classical....namely Nigel Kennedy and The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (My old man played Viola in the National Syphony (DC) for almost 40 years...he popped out of bed and turned on WGMS every day.....I awoke to classical from birth to about age 20. It's in my blood, my marrow, under my nails and between my toes). Here's the rub, during the quiet passages I hear a "rumble" that I KNOW I wouldn't hear at the Kennedy Center or Carnegie Hall. The rumble is quite apparent at loud volumes (after all, what's the point??) so I assume it's there all the damn time. I heard this before on a fancy DVD/cd deck and decided to go with a dedicated CD unit. I assumed it was the deck....but no fix. IOW, on two different units I still hear this crap and it's annoying. To be fair, I do not have a super dooper CD player, and I don't have this LP so I cannot troubleshoot using a third source. My query to the experienced, gear head masses is.....WTF over??? Is this crap coming from the CD signal, the amp or another planet? Just how many U. S, Dollars do I need to donate to free my domo and my puny cerebellum from this awful racket? Right now I am running an old Phase Linear 400 through an older Pioneer SA9100. Is my dinosaur rig the culprit? If I turn the volume down to more reasonable levels the rumble disappears, but so does my level of enjoyment. My ear drums are fairly external, and as such need to be punded back into that recesses of my cerebral cortex where they belong. And since I hate my neighbors, my level of satisfaction of ruining their evening is also diminished by my copping out and counterclockwise rotation of the big V knob. Inquiring, ignorant, cash strapped, intoxicated, twisted minds want to know. Suggestions?? ps......these speakers are a hoot!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechMan Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 That Pioneer I think has a 15Hz cut to help with woofer pump that may? also help with some resonance that the player is picking up. Experiment with objects like half cut squash balls, spikes, dirty socks, empty cigarette packs or other such objects under the player and see if that helps. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I would wait until the morning, I am ashamed to admit this but more than once when enjoying many beverages I have run across an issue with my system's playback ability only to find out I pushed some button or some such thing and the next morning while sober, I discovered the issue. Perhaps a bass boost setting on your CD player or the preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 +1 on the violin concerto, one of my favorites. As the the rumble: If this is the first time, check for recently loose things - window panes, things in cabinets, shelves, etc.; you might have vibrated something free. If it has been an ongoing problem, you might invest in a test CD to hear if your overall system has a resonance or other problem somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brac Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I would think you may want to be sure you are giving it clean power. I know some of the older gear had a place for an external ground. Could your rumble be a harmonic? ground loop issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmako Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 If there is a ground, what do I connect it to? The only grounds I have seen in the past were on the back of the receiver for the turntable. I'll check this one. And how would I be able to determine if it was a ground loop issue or harmonic? I need to try a third CD player and see if my old el cheapo Sony is the culprit. Thanks for all the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I don't get it. You say you're running a Phase Linear 400 into a Pioneer SA9100? The Phase Linear is a "power" amplifier. The Pioneer is an "integrated" amplifier meaning it has both a power amplifier AND a preamplifer/line level section for controlling various input sources. You should use one of the other, or if the Pioneer has line level out the line level out should go to the Phase Linear which would be hooked up to the speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmako Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 The Pioneer is switchable and has a line out so that it can be used as a preamp. It is connected to the PL. The speaks are hooked up to the PL. There is no grounding point on the amp. Or there is one that is very well hidden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 That is a name you don't hear often in the US. I saw Nigel Kennedy in Worcester England back in 1992. Also got to go to a party at a bandmates house in the Malverns. It was a great show. I still have the concert flyer for it somwhere. Not too many punk rock violinist with a flare for classical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmako Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 While I enjoy listening to the recording, it may be one of the worst ones I've ever heard. Unfortunately it's the only one I own. My LP is in the possession of my starter wife...along with most of my old gear. hahahahahh But... I got the Klipsch!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 As far as grounds go ~ this is how EVERY system should be hooked up. Connect all AC to your components from one source on the same circuit, like a power strip or power surge protector/conditioner. This item should have a 3 prong plug, plugged into a grounded 3 pronge outlet. To make sure the outlet is wired properly get yourself a GFCI recepticle tester available at Radio Shack, some hardware stores and http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=391-150 This little device will show you if the outlet is wired correctly. $5 Connect your component's AC cords to the power strip. If any components have a 3 prong plug, use a 3 to 2 prong adapter plug which will isolate the ground plug from the component. The ground from all the components should be "floated" like this so that the ground "seeks its own level" through the AC line and other connections, reducing the ground line noise to the lowest possible level by avoiding any possible ground loops which will amplify the noise. If any older components that do not have a 3 prong plug, but instead have a 2 prong plug that is NOT polarized ( both prongs the same size verses a larger prong on one side - poloraized) then you may also have to try reversing the orientation of those plugs one at a time until the noise is lowered as much as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 The Pioneer is switchable and has a line out so that it can be used as a preamp. It is connected to the PL. The speaks are hooked up to the PL. There is no grounding point on the amp. Or there is one that is very well hidden. It sounds like you have only one source - a CD player. Here's nifty little trick to improve the sound. IF, the power amplifer and/or the source device (cd player) gain (volume) can be controlled by itself, just plug the CD player into the power amp inputs. You should be quite pleased with the improved sound quality bypassing the other components, cables and connections. And just for the sake of trouble shooting, try the Pioneer by itself and see if the problem goes away. If your CD player doesn't have a volume control try borrowing a DVD player or something that has one and try the same thing into the Phase Linear (I believe most if not all of the early PL stuff did not have any gain control). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brac Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 As far as grounds go ~ this is how EVERY system should be hooked up. Connect all AC to your components from one source on the same circuit, like a power strip or power surge protector/conditioner. This item should have a 3 prong plug, plugged into a grounded 3 pronge outlet. To make sure the outlet is wired properly get yourself a GFCI recepticle tester available at Radio Shack, some hardware stores and What I will add to this is, whenever it is possible, this circuit should have nothing else on it. ie... when houses are built they usally put 4-6 outlets on any given circuit, so you could unknowingly have a flourescent desk light or something just as noisy (line noise) plugged into the same circuit. This would be bad. To test this you can turn off the breaker that controls your equip. and then make sure everything else in the house works. (be sure to check other rooms especially if they share a wall). Brac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 That is a name you don't hear often in the US. I saw Nigel Kennedy in Worcester England back in 1992. Also got to go to a party at a bandmates house in the Malverns. It was a great show. I still have the concert flyer for it somwhere. Not too many punk rock violinist with a flare for classical. Is that the one who simply performs as "Kennedy?" Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 That is a name you don't hear often in the US. I saw Nigel Kennedy in Worcester England back in 1992. Also got to go to a party at a bandmates house in the Malverns. It was a great show. I still have the concert flyer for it somwhere. Not too many punk rock violinist with a flare for classical. Is that the one who simply performs as "Kennedy?" Dave I'm not sure. I've only seen him booked as Nigel Kennedy but I haven't paid much attention to him in years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8dq9NodWDY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 $127.36 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 geez Bart. I already told him he needed to spend only five bucks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I'm not sure. I've only seen him booked as Nigel Kennedy but I haven't paid much attention to him in years. I'm pretty sure it's the same person, but can't find that explicitly on Google or Wiki. Some ARTS channel clips labeled him as Kennedy and some as Nigel Kennedy, but it was the same person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I'm not sure. I've only seen him booked as Nigel Kennedy but I haven't paid much attention to him in years. I'm pretty sure it's the same person, but can't find that explicitly on Google or Wiki. Some ARTS channel clips labeled him as Kennedy and some as Nigel Kennedy, but it was the same person. I liked him. He was very nice and easy to talk to at the party. He tries to do some Hendrix and other stuff but I like his classical pieces better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Am I wrong or is this getting over-complicated? Faced with this, I'd listen to the recording with a good set of headphones (or bass heavy headphones) or someone else's system. From what you're describing your system does not have the rumble otherwise. So why blame the system? I suspect this is hvac noise on the recording or passing traffic or the like. Wm McD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.