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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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james1969 OP
347 posts
 
Well...on the positive side, I've eliminated a ground loop, and have reduced the noise floor in the music quite a bit.  The Nordost QKore took care of my ground loop issue, and the Furman P-2400 IT reduced my noise floor.  

Does anyone have any experience with AudioQuest cables? They appear to have an active shield that is battery powered...

Thank you EVERYONE who participated.  I'm a little tired...but I will get some tin foil now...
whart's avatar
whart
3,047 posts
 
Before you get all spendy on fancy audiophile cables* is there some pro level shielding material that you can buy to wrap the cables? I know that the shields typically go to ground on one end, but I gotta believe there’s a cheaper  DIY way to see if better shielding works rather than buying fancy cable.
_____
*I’m not a ’cable denier’ - I use high quality "audiophile" cable in my system, but I’d like you to solve your problem rather than just throw money at it. And cables can get spendy fast- whether they are synergistic with the sound of your system is a separate matter.
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james1969 OP
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@whart Are you thinking tin foil as well?
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whart
3,047 posts
 
@james1969 - no, I was not. I was thinking of that braided stuff that is sold by electronic parts wholesalers or specialty suppliers, like the guy that sells the Duelund? cable that in certain cases needs shielding.

I reserve tin foil for hat lining, but make sure it covers the back of my neck. :)
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Jea48 11-17-2017
...how about when james1969 used the pro-audio monitors for the test. When he hooked them up he heard the same RFI noise. Just a guess the amps are SS.
Yes, I had thought of that, and the fact that the same noise occurred with both amps does make it seem less likely that the possible absence of stopper resistors is a factor. But note that Ralph’s comment referred to the use of such resistors in solid state as well as tube designs. (Of course, in the case of a solid state design they wouldn’t be referred to as "grid stopper resistors," that being the term I used in connection with James’ tube-based Lamm amplifiers).

Best regards,
-- Al


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