Will my Khorns EVER be dead "quiet" with tube gear?

[Triode Pete]

I know its from the sensitivity of the speaker but is there anyone out there that has DEAD quiet Khorns and tubes?

Absolutely!! Can't hear any tube rush or hum whatsoever with my 2A3 amps (AC on the filaments) & tube preamp as well as tube DAC... My good friend who built my tube amps & pre-amp has an extensive collection of old antique tube radios that are in absolutely mint condition. He services all his gear himself and learned quite a few secrets (grounding techniques, etc.) of establishing incredibly quiet gear at idle along with a scary "jump" factor (DYNAMICS) when needed.

Whoever says it can't be done is mistaken! In fact, my current set-up is quieter than my old SS McIntosh preamp & amplifier combo (& a lot more musical as well)!

My $0.02,

Pete

[Cornman]

"Whoever says it can't be done is mistaken"! I fully agree Pete,but I must kind of coffess I have a love hate relationdship between the sound of tubes -& that Mr. Hyde type feeling on hearing that rush or swoosh of current as it races thru the system .Even "Bats" are not totaly silent. But I am indurrring []

Cornman

[Dylanl]

I know its from the sensitivity of the speaker but is there anyone out there that has DEAD quiet Khorns and tubes?

Absolutely!! Can't hear any tube rush or hum whatsoever with my 2A3 amps (AC on the filaments) & tube preamp as well as tube DAC... My good friend who built my tube amps & pre-amp has an extensive collection of old antique tube radios that are in absolutely mint condition. He services all his gear himself and learned quite a few secrets (grounding techniques, etc.) of establishing incredibly quiet gear at idle along with a scary "jump" factor (DYNAMICS) when needed.

Whoever says it can't be done is mistaken! In fact, my current set-up is quieter than my old SS McIntosh preamp & amplifier combo (& a lot more musical as well)!

My $0.02,

Pete

Now I am jealous! [:'(]

[pocket.change]

Dead quiet with a Big Power Source.

If you have a ground rod (and you do) that has been in posistion for

a while, give it an examination. Disconnect it and note the condition it's

in. Don't be surprised if there is nothing left of it, go get a new one

and shove it in place (and get a new clamp too). Also buy yourself a

phase (plug) checker to insure everything is wired right.

[Dylanl]

You mean my outside ground? If so I think it should be on the outside wall by the breaker box.

[JBryan]

Be sure to cut the juice before you start digging up that rod.

[BE36]

It is always a good Idea to make sure your ground/bonding clamps are good.

I use a Ohm meter, should be way less than one. One lightening expert recommends 0.4 ohm or less.

Michigan requires at least two ground systems.

If you have city water, one is usually to the supply pipe. I use a clamp and get around 0.2 or less resistance accross the clamp from ground wire to water supply.

The Second system is less protected from lightening so I used a thing called a Hot Shot. It is clay contianer filled with magnesium. Place over the ground rod, run the ground wire through, light fuse and you have a ground wire "Welded" to the rod -- 0 resistance.

When Lighting Strikes - I thought the path of least resistance being out of my house, verses from my Panel in the back of the house through my finished basement to the front of the house were the water supply comes in, sounded like a good Idea.

Put the rod(s) in moist area, where water drains off a roof, by a downspout, etc.

(Only one 8 foot, 5/8ths diameter rod is required in Michigan, I used two 10 foot,
3/4" solid rods)

I think if you are hearing hiss it may have nothing to do with the ground rod?

I hate hiss also, Finger Nails on a chalk board are better than hiss on a playback.

Things done to lower hiss

1) Descent Speaker wire and cables combined with carfull routing

2) Mc Intosh Pre-amp

3) Quiet Tubes

I have to listen to my VRDs at over 100 Db C wieghted for me to here a slight hiss when the music is almost none exsistant, opening of some Pink Floyd songs, pauses between notes on piano solo, ect.

So if I am listining at 85 -90 Dbs with peaks a little over 90 Db - Non Hiss. (Unless I am using my La Scalas as Head Phones 1 foot or less apart)

Before all the above actions I could here slight hiss at 8 feet and 60 Db or lower if the recording or tube was bad enough, drove me nuts even when I was all Solid State, (Pioneer Elite and Adcom - Hiss was audible over soft sections when music was playing on poor recordings)

[garyrc]

My Khorns have never been dead quiet with any equipment, tube or SS. Neither were the JBLs I used to have (they were 2 dB less efficient than the Khorns, but revealed about the same amount of hiss, and a bit less hum).

The thing is, something has its moods. The hum level varies from time to time. The hiss stays about the same. The variable hum producer is not the refrigerator.

By the way, back when we were in California, Pacific Gas and Electric flatly denied that any noise of any kind could come through the house wiring or from them (PG&E).

[Erik Mandaville]

I don't think any amp I've used with K-horns has been " dead quiet." If one considers that term literally, the speakers would be completely and utterly silent -- inert with absolutely no sound whatever coming from either the bass bin, squawker, or tweeter. I have used lots of SET amps with directly-heated AC filaments, and some low level hum could be heard (and measured) with my ear right up to the sides of the enclosure. I've also used well-regulated and filtered DC on 2A3s and 300B cathode filaments, and even then am able to detect a tiny bit of residual hum/noise. Tweeters will exhibit very, very low background hiss with passive attenuation, but I've almost always been able to hear a slightly higher level of that sound (clean hiss) with active preamps. Never bothered me, it was confirmation the speakers and other components were alive and working, and from the listening position and music playing were, then, not a problem in the least. Some amps/preamps were quieter than others, though I have to say it wasn't always the most quiet designs that sounded the best.

Erik

[hanaleimike]

I have a 6b4g SET from Tom Mcnally. I have to stick my head against the grill to hear any noise. I have isolated ground, dedicated circuits, not sure if that makes a difference, but I don't hear any noise other then the music.