Ringing Sound In Tube Gear

Does it increase in volume when you turn it up?

In my limited experience with tubes, it is always a good start to replace the tubes and see if the problem goes away. A lot of ringing/buzzing/soft intermittent pops/crackles are tube related as the tubes get older (or in the case of minor pops...sometimes when you first put them in).

No, the ringing does not increase with the volume. These EL34 tubes aren't very old (I replaced them just this past spring). Thanks for your input.

hmmm...take them out, tap them gently on top and replace them back in the socket? i do get occassional ringing (faint), and Brent Jessee has recommended this easy first step. It has worked for me in the past.

Are you using tube dampeners?

The others have hinted at this, but tubes can be microphonic. The glass shell can vibrate with the sound in the room and this can get amplified again. Some brands or types of tubes are worse than others in this regard. Normally one would expect any problem to increase with playback volume.

An easy test is to tap very lightly on a tube with a pencil and see if you hear anything through the speakers. If so, tube dampers can help with this issue.