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My stereo is haunted!!

Hello Audiogoners,

I’m looking for some serious sleuthing. I cannot figure out what’s going on with my system. 

The basic system is:

  • Bel Canto Ref1000M Class D mono blocks
  • Modwright SWL 9.0 Anniversary Edition preamp
  • Bel Canto DAC 3
  • Either my old Rotel CD player or Cambridge transport to DAC
  • GoldenEar Triton One speakers

I liked the sound. It was just fine. Then, out of the blue, when I started the system, I’d get static that would build up until I got a loud POP out of the right speaker. How loud? My dog is now afraid of my stereo. Well, she’s not that brave…

I have tried:

  • Swapping in various tubes in the preamp.
  • Sending the preamp back to Modwright for a full exam. Done for only the cost of postage- great company. 
  • Switching the channels used for each mono block. 
  • Switching the channel for each speaker. 
  • Switching out the electronics in one of my speakers (parts supplied for free from GoldenEar- great company).
  • Switched in Adcom GFA555
  • Switched in a Dynaco PAS 3 Series II preamp
  • Used all combinations of preamp/amps
  • Switched out all cabling including speaker wire
  • Added a Furman PL-8C to stop line noise
  • Tried a different circuit in my apartment
  • Tried powering off flatscreen TV, Roku, and WiFi router
  • Switched between CD transports and used the Rotel built in DAC to take the DAC out of the system
  • Tried new surge protectors and power line.
  • Tried some medium sized Klipsch speakers I had around.

Nothing has worked. Some things (like the Furman, oddly enough) have added additional hum. 

I’m fine with basic tube noise floor. Not so fine with small booms and hum.  

I’m ready to go back to my Victrola and give up on electronics all together!

Guesses? Things to try? Have a problem like this before? Thanks for any clues!

gone
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
That will show it! 🏆

Yea but you forgot the most important part. 

Ask it's name.

AND in the name of "      ", (then their name) be gone..

THEN 

Amen, (the end)

No laughing matter. :-)

Unless your exercising a bad case of gas. Bigger :-)

Regards
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,407 posts
 
@oldhvymec

If there is anybody here with the power to make an exorcism work I suspect it is you. 👍

Try it on the chickens. Be sure to record video and post. That could go viral!!

cheers.
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,523 posts
 
"...Use one preamp, one source and one power amp, to one pair of speakers..."

Get down to a bare system to isolate the problem item. 
Post removed 
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,455 posts
 
This is no help to you but when you said “haunted”, it hit home.  My house is 100 years old and I know it is haunted.  I know because one night I was asleep in my chair and suddenly I woke up and saw a figure in front of me, it looked like it was all smokey but I could see the figure.  I remember yelling “what do you want?”, then the figure was gone.  Another time I was in my upstairs office and felt something on my shoulder, it was a arm and hand that looked Smokey, and it was very cold.  That’s it. I also smelled something very sweet.  I do know the woman we bought the house from grandma died in this house from an illness.  


Lately, 5 times to be exact, I have muted my system and perhaps an hour later, the music starts playing again, only on a different FM station.  I keep hoping the ghost is friendly.  One time when my wife and I were traveling, my daughter had her friend stay over the house and she was in our bed.  She was still awake and felt something get on the bed and she assumed it was my dog, but it wasn’t, he was sleeping on the floor in the kitchen.  Kind of makes you think.
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