roninklipsch Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Hi.... I don't think this is a speaker problem but wonder if you guys have experienced this? I upgraded from H3s to Cornwall IV today. Great speaker! I got a massive 350wpc SS amp as I had electrostatic at one point. It drives the Cornwalls great. Zero noise etc. I'm also trying a Lab 12 Integre4 integrated tube amp. Sounds ridiculously good but when it turns on I immediately get hum from both speakers. I have changed cables, disconnected source etc but hum stays. It is not affected by volume knob.. Also of note, I can barely turn the the volume pot past 9 0 clock. Seems like perhaps I have really high gain on this amp and my noise floor is too high? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Easiest thing to do is try a different outlet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 And suppose using a groundless adapter for trouble shoot.cGuess ground loop hum or other. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 There is a pinned post here maybe related to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roninklipsch Posted March 8, 2023 Author Share Posted March 8, 2023 I've tried all the basic stuff. Outlets, cables, power conditioning etc.. Not sure this is 60Hz but possible I guess. Ill do another search for forum topics. The odd thing is the super high gain associated with volume knob. I think they correlate but I can't prove that. May be unrelated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Maybe related. Not knowing more, think the pinned post is in the technical forum there @roninklipsch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 If three prong , try adapter to eliminate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 If you try the adapter and still have hum, may likely point to ground of the amp. If so, go back to your original amp with no hum. Indicates at that point, outlet is good ground, for starters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 This just to eliminate, although original amp whether or not 2 prong. Henry here or others may help zero in on condition of said amp...of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Shagmore Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Maybe try a circuit tester to see if your place is wired correctly? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 If you do not have hum with the SS amp the problem is going to be the amp itself. Could very be too much gain being you can only turn to 9:00 but it could be elsewhere in the amp. A properly designed, operating correctly, tube amp should not hum with Cornwalls. Pass on the purchase is my advise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roninklipsch Posted March 8, 2023 Author Share Posted March 8, 2023 Ok. Amp going back. Fortunately it's local. Also a tech will check it out. Bad tube? Thanks to all who chimed in... Anyone know of a great tube integrated that works well? Some mention Primaluna but I'm not sold on them. After hearing tubes on the Cornwall I'm up for grabbing a Tube amp and selling the Michi.. Thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakeydeal Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 He may still have the hum with the SS amp, but the input sensitivity and gain being much lower may mask it at normal volumes. It appears that the Lab 12 amp has a much higher gain stage and could be highlighting noise inherent in the system. One thing I would try is to put the SS amp back in and turn the gain up to maximum. Do you hear hum with the same characteristic as the hum with the tube amp? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakeydeal Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 6 minutes ago, roninklipsch said: Ok. Amp going back. Fortunately it's local. Also a tech will check it out. Bad tube? Thanks to all who chimed in... Anyone know of a great tube integrated that works well? Some mention Primaluna but I'm not sold on them. After hearing tubes on the Cornwall I'm up for grabbing a Tube amp and selling the Michi.. Thanks! Does it have to be an integrated or do you have a preamp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roninklipsch Posted March 8, 2023 Author Share Posted March 8, 2023 18 minutes ago, Shakeydeal said: He may still have the hum with the SS amp, but the input sensitivity and gain being much lower may mask it at normal volumes. It appears that the Lab 12 amp has a much higher gain stage and could be highlighting noise inherent in the system. One thing I would try is to put the SS amp back in and turn the gain up to maximum. Do you hear hum with the same characteristic as the hum with the tube amp? Dead quiet.... Turned up to 60. Nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roninklipsch Posted March 8, 2023 Author Share Posted March 8, 2023 Does it have to be an integrated or do you have a preamp? I was originally going to use the Michi integrated as a pre. Klutsy but it was worth a try. That was really odd when I hooked up that way, the Lab 12 behaved in an odd fashion in that I had volume to highs and mids with the volume on the Lab 12 at ZERO.. But anyway, hum still there. However hearing the Lab 12 on the Cornwalls was awesome. Was thinking Quicksilver mid monos initially at least, the Michi would be the "pre". Not sure that is a good avenue but many do that and it works fine I hear. Sort of pumping the brakes now. The Michi is great , dead quiet and wonderful detail etc but not the rich full tube type experience. The detail was still there with tubes but a nice warm sound. The tubes added something but did not detract at all. This was all low level stuff though. Just got the Cornwalls yesterday so today I'll try a bit of higher spl rock and hear some base. I disconnected all subs till I get a baseline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry4841 Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 I have many tube amplifiers, 10 or more, and I turn the volume on the tube amp wide open and control volume froman active buffer. Enables me to use sub doing it this way. If I have a hum I start finding the culprit and fix it. Even wide open the amp should be quite if working correctly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KT88 Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 If all else to check out failed, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that one of the big PSU electrolytic capacitors might have died. I would have it tested and if you like the sound of the amp very much then such a repair is not an arm and a leg expensive. An indicator of this is sometimes when the hum is exactly an octave above the 60 Hz, 120 Hz. Maybe you used to have low efficiency speakers on the amp and you didn't notice it before? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 3 hours ago, roninklipsch said: The Michi is great , dead quiet and wonderful detail etc klipsch Engineering use the Michi product line for the Heritage Jubilee demos , for the entire Heritage series , the Head of klipsch Engineering has gone as far as expressly recommending an amplifier with high damping factor . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcn3 Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 4 hours ago, roninklipsch said: Was thinking Quicksilver mid monos . . . These really are very nice amps -- and sound great. Definitely recommended. I've used the Mid Monos with some older Cornwalls and the Mid Monos did a great job -- complete control over the bass. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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