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high frequency intermittent noise

I have a noise issue that is intermittent.  Here is what the noise sounds like:

https://clyp.it/4b233bmm

Here is what I know so far:
  • The sound affects all components and is compounded if all components are turned on.  I have turned off my preamp, phono preamp, leaving just my mono blocks on, and the noise still appears.
  • I have turned off everything and unplugged everything in the house including my dimmer switch, and the noise still appears.
  • I have a pair of pro-audio monitors, self powered with class AB amps, and when I plug those into the same outlet, I hear the same noise coming through the pro-audio monitor.  So this rules out my big system.
  • The noise is primarily during the day and goes into the evenings, weekends too, early mornings it does not appear.
  • I live in a pre-war mid-rise building.  I have no ground, I'm using a Nordost QKore grounding system.  This did reduce the noise floor quite a bit, but has no affect on this intermittent noise.
  • I have a cell phone tower directly across the street from my building in Manhattan.
  • Looking at a real time analyzer, I see peak at 2kHz when the noise appears.
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yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,641 posts
 
It sounds like the cell tower is the culprit. I doubt there is a fix for that!
james1969's avatar
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james1969 OP
347 posts
 
@yogiboy The only fix for the cell tower would be a faraday cage?  I have researched EMF curtains to put up behind my system.
james1969's avatar
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james1969 OP
347 posts
 
Doing research, I came across this guy demonstrating a switching power supply noise in the studio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yremMhceSyI&t=111s

His noise he demonstrated sounds similar to what I am experiencing. If this is the case then @erik_squires may have the right idea with a Furman.

I may have two noise issues in my recording in the original post - 
  1. An intermittent high frequency noise
  2. A consistent high frequency noise like a switching power supply
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Why didn't he just get linear wall warts instead of the SMP ones? Would have been cheaper.


Cheers George
erik_squires
16,013 posts
 
One final check:

Go to your electrical panel and turn off everything except your hi fi gear.

This will make sure you didn't miss something inside that is causing the noise. If the noise is still present then it is external, either from RF/EMI or elsewhere in the building.

Best,

E
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