2. amps-preamps
  3. 1376230296

Soundstage vs background noise?

I've been using tube amps for 10 years now. I just recently picked up solid state gear that admittedly is much quieter in background noise.

So now I notice the soundstage is better defined. I wonder if this is related the the virtual lack of noise that, through my prior tubed gear (CJ and Rogue), was common to both channels?
128x128zavato
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,972 posts
 
Zavato -

do you have a dedicated 20A line running directly to your system? If not, you may have had a ground loop or excessive RFI.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
Background noise has nothing to do with sound staging. Noticeable noise, from the listening spot, during very low levels obscures the details. This noise is mostly quiet hiss. If the ambient noise in room is not very low, system noise may not matter.

I like the system noise to be inaudible, with my ear on the tweeter, at the highest volume level setting. Only then is the noise low enough, to not ever effect the low level details in music, IMO. This only happens with certain solid state equipment. Pure tube phono stages and LOMCs never reach this level, even on mint records.
zavato's avatar
zavato OP
1,409 posts
 
I've have a dedicated 20A line for years. The Rogue is an integrated, but my CJ gear, an MV60SE and LS172, where seperates. Presently I am not running any balanced lines but years back when I had an Pass Pre and M L amp, I ran all balanced.

My phono stage and tuner have balanced outputs. Thinking of borrowing some balanced lines and experimenting into the INT-150
More to discover