2. amps-preamps
  3. 1138816980

Midrange hiss....VERY slight...with my Dared pre

Let me start by saying that I've never owned a Tube preamp. I bought this piece 2nd hand, it has 'upgraded' tubes (installed by the previous owner, who seemed to know his stuff). The model is the SL-2000A. Anyway, after listening I noticed that there is a rather prominent hiss in the midrange. It sometimes is VERY unnoticable...but when the sound is playing in a certain range (perhaps around 2-5khz) the infromation is played with a slight hiss. Is this just what tubes do? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.
radium141
dlstephenson
121 posts
 
What type of tubes are in this unit now? Do you know how old the unit is or really how many hours the tubes have on them. What is the efficiency rating of your speakers and what brand? Single driver or multiple?
tarsando
578 posts
 
Do you hear it when nothing is playing? Can you turn the volume up high (with nothing playing) and hear the hiss better? The way you describe it, it sounds like certain frequencies 'cause' the hiss to appear, or like the hiss is 'riding' on certain frequencies. Good old 'tube' hiss is usually constant and can be heard in the absence of a signal. Replacing the tubes (if they aren't too expensive and there aren't too many of them) is the quickest way to narrow the problem. But if it's coming from both channels (you dont say),then, unless there is a tube rectifier, it's some component common to both channels (and so probably not two bad tubes). Good luck. (Ask the seller about it)
david99
1,467 posts
 
I have the SL-2000A.Its the 2005 unit with the upgraded auri caps,silver wiring,nicer cosmetics,2 outputs.
My dared is dead quite,low noise floor.Never a hiss or any odd sounds.
I have vg NOS tubes in it.
This preamp is very sensitive to tubes.
I would start with your tubes as the problem.
radium141 OP
13 posts
 
Wow, thanks for the responses fellas! Here's the rest of my setup.

Sony SCD-CD595
Signal Audio Cables
Dared Pre
older pair of kimber cables
Marantz SA6100 (solid state amp)
Epos ELS-303's

I'm thinking that it is the older pair of kimber's that perhaps are shot. The amp has almost zero noise if I turn it up half way...which is a solid 1/5 of a rotation high than I EVER turn it up while listening. At the present moment I'm one shelf short of a dedicated shelf for the Dared Pre...and it is resting atop my cd player...could this possibly cause such a problem???
newbee
4,767 posts
 
If you can't hear tube rush at normal/high volume listening levels, its NOT a problem! Even more so if you only hear it when you've got your ear within inches of the tweeter/midrange. Many fine units both SS and Tube, operating properly, will reveal their noise floor depending on the input sensitivity of the amp and the efficiency of the speakers.
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