2. tech-talk
  3. 162795-138596

My left speaker emits a slight soft static high pitched noise

Hi all, 

I started noticing these last several months (or perhaps it's been there forever I just never paid attention before until these last several months) that there's a slight soft static screeching high pitched noise coming out of my left speaker only when I put my ear right up against the tweeter and could sometimes be heard from less than a foot away if my ear was right up against the tweeter. But I can't hear it at all from my listening position (my seat).
The noise wasn't audible at all when music was playing even when I put my ear right up against the tweeter of my left speaker. It happens only on the left speaker. But it doesn't affect sound quality at all. And again the noise is very soft emitting, you would have to focus on that and you will have to put your ear right up against the tweeter in order to hear it. My listening room is very quiet and small. 

I have a cheap on loan Comcast Xfinity internet Wifi modem/router sitting right next to the left speaker since the internet portal is located right by the left speaker. I have a small listening room and very limited space. So, I gave no choice. So, is that maybe a cause of that slight soft static screeching high pitched noise coming out of my left speaker? And again it's only my left speaker which is literally right next to that cheap Xfinity Comcast internet WiFi modem/router. But again it doesn't affect sound quality at all. I think that slight soft high pitched noise might have been there since the beginning of time, I just never paid attention to it until several months ago. 

Or it could have been an AC related born noise caused by noisy AC line in my old multiplex house? I live in an old multiplex house in urban neighborhood of Seattle, WA and I believed the AC line is very noisy. I'm using a Shunyata Research PS8 AC power line distributor with the Shunyata Venom Defender plugged into one of the outlet on my PS8. My AC power cords consist of Shunyata Delta NR (2), Transparent Reference MM1, PS Audio PerfectWave AC-5, Audioquest NRG-4. 

I have pretty new speakers. I bought them new last year. They are Monitor Audio Gold 200 5g (the latest version of Gold series from MA). they just came out last year (2019). The rest of my associated components are : Classe Sigma Amp2 class D power amp, Classe SSP 800 preamp processor, Cary Audio CD306 SACD player/DAC, Oppo 105 universal bluray disc player. I'm using high quality interconnects (XLR balanced analog & some digital cables) and speaker cables. 

So, what would be most likely the cause? Again it's only on my left speaker and it isn't detracting from sound quite at all and it is not audible at all from my listening position. I will have to put my ear close to the tweeter in order to notice it. I haven't experimented swapping out the left & right speakers, just in case it wasn't the speaker. What do you guys think the most likely cause? Is it the power amp, preamp processor, bad speaker's crossover, AC related born noise or that cheap on loan Comcast Xfinity internet WiFi modem/router which is placed literally right next to the left speaker since the internet portal is located right next to the left speaker? 

I'd really appreciate the inputs, thoughts and suggestions. 
Thabk you in advance. 

dilatante
dilatante OP
76 posts
 
I did unplug the power from the router the other day and I still could hear that subtle static screeching high pitched noise coming out of the tweeter of my left speaker when I put my ear close to the tweeter. But again it’s very very subtle and only audible when there’s no music playing from less than half a foot away from the tweeter. It does not affect sound quality at all. It’s probably been there since the beginning but I just never paid attention to it until several months ago.

Sometime this week I will try swapping out the left & right speakers to make sure it isn’t the speaker. I doubt it is the speaker since the sound quality isn’t affected at all and I bought the speakers brand new a little more than a year ago.

I suspect it’s probably the noisy AC line since I live in an old cramped multiplex house and the AC power line is very old and noisy since we have to share with our neighbors under the same roof.
I don’t have a dedicated AC line for my hifi audio gears.

Or could it be my power amp, preamp, etc? My Classe SSP 800 preamp processor is about 10 yrs old. It was manufactured in late 2009 and it went back to Classe for service and update in 2016 right before I purchased it from the previous owner in 2016. I confirmed it with Classe in Montreal right when I purchased it in 2016.
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,516 posts
 
I have lots of ideas but if you can't hear it at your listening position, don't sweat it. You can drive yourself nuts with this stuff. A lot of systems are not dead quiet if you stick your ear next to the speaker.
maxwave's avatar
maxwave
984 posts
 
If it is the AC , a power conditionner may help.
It may be one of the cables , related to the left side that causes the noise.

even if it is faint , to know that there is a noise is always unpleasant,
event if you do not hear it from the listening position.
It tells you that your whole systeme is not perfectly functioning.
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
Unplug means from the wall, AC power supply. That little PS from Comcast if left plugged in to the same circuit as the pre or amps.. LOL

The comcast BOX PS was a real problem, I went through 3 or 4 all bad... They "COMCAST" brought out a GL eliminator.. a hole 9.00 usd
That was their fix.. YES it did shut it up.. I already knew that though.. I just removed it before they came out to see what they did...
Just cheap....

Any other noise, rout correctly and the noise will usually go away.. nothing can touch... Bundle and drop is a bad idea... If you have to cross do it at a 90 and 1/2 to 1" between cables.. PS cables be very careful...
The old cable boxes pull over 200 watts, no reason just bad design... My class Ds pull less...

Regards
erik_squires
16,118 posts
 
So, is that maybe a cause of that slight soft static screeching high pitched noise coming out of my left speaker?

Yes.  You could _try_ a conditioner, but that will only help if the issue is AC related.

Try this first. Disconnect your amp's inputs.  See if the problem persists.  If it's gone, it's likely to be picked up by the interconnect cables, and better shielded versions may be a better answer.
More to discover