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I should have labeled it Speakers?

My system..... Vandersteen 5A, all Ayre preamp, amp, CD player     I thought someone might have a suggestion for noise in my system....sounds like a resonance in the upper mid/highs from the left. Noise remains if CD or Vinyl.  I tapped around the room with a big spoon to hear if anything was vibrating...none.  Changed the left/right cables..remained in the left.  I use a separate headphone amp with earphones...don't hear the noise.  Took out the tweeter and mid of left speaker and sent them to Vandersteen...good.  I sent the amp back to Ayre (150 lbs) ....fine. I checked that the cones under the speakers are tight. Richard Vandersteen, and Dealer Audio Connection took lots of time with me ....couldn't suggest anything I hadn't tried.  Anytime I listen to the system I listen for the noise and when the frequencies are "right" I hear it...very annoying.
128x128stringreen
9 responses Add your response
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Looking at your room, my first reaction is that the phenomenon is perhaps associated with the open area to the left of the speaker. My guess is that you are hearing the sound of the driver without the first reflected wave off the side wall, and that it becomes noticeable/irritating at certain frequencies. I presume the phenomenon is there independent of listening level. 

If you are desperate to find out, you could perhaps rig a blanket or two over the opening to see if the annoying sound is ameliorated.

Try doing a frequency sweep and see if the annoyance is still there in one channel. If not, then it’s not the gear.

jetter
3,033 posts
 
String, if it was me I think I would have just picked up the left speaker without disconnecting anything and moved it to where the right was and vice versa.

If the noise persist in the left you know its not the speaker, cable, amp or preamp, just the room.

I've had to do this to determine that a noticeable speaker volume difference was only the result of its placement in the room.
gdnrbob
4,444 posts
 
I hate buzzes. Truly nasty beasties.
Did you have the Preamp checked?
I, too, own Ayre with my Vandy's, and am surprised you should have such issues.
You seem to have ruled out interconnects, but have you tried changing the power cables?
Bob
b_limo's avatar
b_limo
2,274 posts
 
First thing I thought was the room. +1 on what Douglas said.
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Swapping speakers is a good idea,  but to hear the correct sound of the anomaly you would have to break them and the wires in again for at least 200 hours.  
Heheheh...    ;)
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
Crossover in tight ?, ditto sub amp ?.... sweep might reveal freq, might be mid bass driver...
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
I have an idea for at home null test but I want to run it by RV.
erik_squires
16,042 posts
 
Wait, you have swapped the speakers entirely, and the noise remains in the same place??
stringreen's avatar
stringreen OP
6,466 posts
 
Thanks for all the considerations. It was suggested to me that I exchange a different speaker for the left Vandersteen as a test. When I exchanged one of my 5.1speakers that are in a different room..NHT, Vandersteen got pissed off at me for telling him the NHT didn’t have that noise. It seems that Doug might indeed have an answer...The NHT speaker was to the right of the Vandersteen and would probably not have suffered the Vandy problem being in a different place. Tomorrow I’ll post pictures of the room...16 foot ceiling. I thought that would be a good thing, but it isn’t. Follow this thread if interested.
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