Carver Raven 350 Amps

erichgs,

If I connect the output from my Direct Stream Dac directly to the Carver amps there is very little hiss.
But if I connect the Direct Stream output to the input of the BSG QOL or to my DEQX Premate preamp and then to the Carver amps I get the hiss. Either piece of equipment will cause the hiss. 

Bob Carver suggests reducing significantly (50% from full level) the Carver volume control and just turn up the level on the DEQX Preamp. To do this I would be playing the DEQX Preamp at its 85-95% top settings. I'm not sure I like that.

When my Atma-Sphere Amps are used instead of the Carvers there is complete silence.

I don't know what more to do. 

All of my equipment has true balanced connections and quality balanced interconnects are used. The Carver even though it has a XLR input it is still just a single ended connection. I think if the Carver amps had a true balanced input there would be no problem.

ozzy

@ozzy 

Have you tried the RCA inputs?  Maybe it is possible that your balance out to single ended in is causing a ground loop or some kind of feedback issue (not sure what Carver is doing with the unused pin.)  I can try the XLR inputs on mine and see what happens.  It is single ended and I have RCA everywhere else, so I didn't see the point in using it.

Erich

erichgs,

No need to. Bob says the RCA and XLR are wired together as a single ended input. The XLR is there for convenience not for a true balanced connection. So either rca or xlr should perform the same.

ozzy

So switched to the XLR inputs on mine and it actually reduced my hum (which manifests as a hiss from the tweeter.)  Now have to be inside of an inch to hear it in a fairly quiet room.

Again, I am just going from the benchmark dac3 directly to the amp and can't find anything on whether the XLR outputs on the DAC3 are actually balanced.

Erich

erichgs, and others.

Well I finally found the reason for the hiss.

I was using the XLR output of the DEQX preamp with a XLR cable into the Carver XLR input.

Since the Carver does not have a true balanced input (but my DEQX preamp does have a true balanced output) you have to use the rca (single ended) output from the preamp into the Carver inputs.

Confusing but it makes sense. Single ended output to single ended input. Simple as that.

That being said the Carver amp really should not have a xlr input connection without it being a true balanced connection. What would be the use?

Anyway, I now have a DEAD silent connection, no hiss or hum etc.

ozzy