Setup: I bought THX 789 for the massive output of idk 6W/32ohms, but whenever I try to use my Sundara/Modhouse Argon/HD600/Arya V2/...whatever, I cannot reach decent listening levels in terms of db without getting this scratching/hissing noise in the background ... I think it's distortion. (DAC I use: Geshelli labs - J2, set to max volume) Settings: With an XLR output, gain setting level at 2/3 and the volume knob set to 2-4 o'clock, hearing distortion from a 250-350$ THX amp shouldn't be a thing, should it? With somewhat hard to drive headphones, I'm not reaching 70db, but I can already hear this godforsaken noise on all tracks without a constant stream of sound. If you dare to up the volume past 4 o'clock, or past 12 on gain setting 3/3, this noise becomes so loud, it might as well be an additional instrument Music: The tracks I usually listen to involve so few instruments, that you don't have a constant stream of sound. (e.g. Creep - Lena Hall) I'd love to get some feedback!...
Jun 5, 2024
I had an old pair of M200's, the original, that I don't remember this hiss with, but I recently got a pair of Swan T200c's and try as I want, I just can't overlook the hiss it produces sometimes. I was told from who I purchased it from that it's normal, but I just don't remember noticing a hiss with the M200's. I'd plug them back in if I had the time and energy, but I'd still want to know if these would produce the same problem I'm having with the T200c's.
Thanks all!
Whenever I've encountered hum in the audio chain, my goal becomes to exclude my own chain of components & power devices as culprits. There are mulitiple ways to do it:
1 - First & most obvious is to "float" the ground to the power cord of the device that hums. In other words, if the cord you're using to power the Swans has a ground plug, put on an ungrounded extender (w/3 female slots on one side & 2 prongs--no ground--on the other).
2 - If this has no effect, or if the Swans have an ungrounded power cord (honestly can't remember), then do the same thing to the next device upstream in your system (DAC?).
3 - If none of that works, this sometimes works: plug the Swans + the device that feeds them signal into a switchable power strip (grounded), and see if proximity plugging in that manner will help. If not, use the ungrounded extender between the power-strip's power cord & the wall plug.
This is not exactly a defined science. It's just hierchical troubleshooting & attempts to vary the grounding scheme for the Swans &/or associated devices.
PS: When I had the Swans, they were plugged into a power-strip w/3-4 other devices (per item #3 above)...not because of hum, but for convenience: I used the power-strip's on-off button as a master on-off. I also made sure to turn off the preamp that directly fed signal to the Swans at night after switching off the power-strip; then in the AM when I switched on the power strip, I turned on the preamp afterward using its own on/off switch (prevents a transient/"thump" heard through the monitors).