Static and loud POP's.

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Summerisle, Aug 1, 2015.

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  1. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    so I have had some issues lately with static and loud pops coming through the right channel of my Rega Mira 3. I had it serviced by a Rega tech and he couldn't find or reproduce the problem. The store that sold me the amp 4 years ago kept the amp and tried to reproduce it there for a week. Still nothing. I bring it home again and ten minutes later the issue is there again. I must be going crazy or is there a issue I might not have thought of?
     
  2. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Might switch in some diferrent interconnects and see if it persists. Change left to right and see if it follows. Do the same with the speaker cables. You'll get it isolated.
     
  3. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    Switched speaker cables, unplugged components, changed left and right.
     
  4. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    I'm wondering if it might be the house itself. Or something an electrician could figure out.
     
  5. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    What happened? Nothing, I'm assuming.
     
  6. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    Whatever you do, please do not acquiesce any thinking to an electrician. :yikes: (rational people and electricians do not mix)
    The static may be coming from an audio source, a turntable, CD player, etc. Try disconnecting your sources. Being that the static comes only from the right channel, the problem is not in the AC line, (more than 99% not IMO) Another possibility is RFI from within the house or close proximity to your house, such as a furnace relay or refrigerator relay. The relays can produce back EMF (voltage spikes) to the line, however both channels would be affected (more than likely) There is the possibility the RFI is being induced in one channel as the chassis shielding may be faulty on the right side, either in your amp, or a cartridge coil that has a weak ground lead (poor connection or resistance on the grounded side) The audio may be minimally affected, not enough to be noticed, but a faulty grounded pin connection (weak connection) can cause the coil to act like an antenna, which will receive RFI in the form of clicks, pops, static, or even receive a radio signal.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2015
  7. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    Same thing.
     
  8. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    That's a lot of info. Thank you. So far all I have is the turntable plugged into the amp. I'll unplug it and try just the DAC this evening.
     
  9. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    So the cartridge on the turntable could be a possible source? Even if not in use?
     
  10. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    No, the turntable would not be the source when not in use, when the selector is not on "phono". The problem could be other sources or possibly a faulty cable.
     
  11. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    If you swapped interconnects then speaker cables left to right, and the problem stays in the right speaker, well, it could be the speaker. You would expect the problem to change sides if it were coming from the amp or a component. Be sure to do the swaps one at a time then listen.
     
  12. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    A revised reply, If your Rega Mira 3 selector is on "phono", yes, the turntable can make noise when not in use. The cartridge may be picking up RFI or be producing its own static. And this could occur on just one channel as only one ground pin may be resistive and/or capacitive. Because the pops are loud, it most likely coming from the pre-amp, or phono stages, or cartridge... could be a bad phono cable. Because the preamp stages add gain, the pops are being amplified. In other words, if the problem was in the amplifier output stage, the pops would be faint, because there would be just that one stage, and less amplification. So your problem is not in your power amp stages. Look into the preamp cable connections, and the phono cartridge/ headshell pins. Sometimes a larger particle in the connection can cause problems, or patina on the cable plugs and jacks, or cartridge pins.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2015
    Alf_1988 and Summerisle like this.
  13. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    Thank you. Already checked that.
     
  14. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    So far no issues with the cd and DAC as a source. Unplugged the turntable from the amp. No issues in the last 12 hours. I think I might have narrowed it down to the turntable. Still in the process of elimination stage.
     
    The FRiNgE likes this.
  15. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    Well, the issues returned again with just the DAC plugged into the amp. I had nothing plugged into it except the speakers and still got the static and pops. The one thing that was slightly different was when turning the amp on the speaker made a hissing/ quiet white noise sound that lasted for a few seconds followed by a pop the silence followed by more static in the right channel.
     
  16. Mr Bass

    Mr Bass Chevelle Ma Belle

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    Typically when I have issues with static and random popping it is temperature and (lack of) humidity related. The minute the conditions change the symptoms disappear. I assume there is no significant hum in your system. Do you have carpeting or something else in the vicinity that can collect static? What about the speaker grill cloth?

    Do you have another amp in the house that you can substitute for the Rega?
     
  17. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I had an old Onkyo AVR that had those symptoms, it was a channel on it's last leg
     
  18. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    I can use a JVC EX-D5. It's a downgrade and has no phono input. When the Rega was being serviced I used it and it had no issues at all.
     
  19. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    I had it serviced during the first week of June and they found no issues with it seven weeks later.
     
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  20. Mr Bass

    Mr Bass Chevelle Ma Belle

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    Bear in mind that the amplification of the cartridge - phono stage is far larger than the gain in the other stages. So any issue is likely to show up there first. Are you having any issues with low humidity? Do you have carpeting?
     
  21. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    It's been humid at times but nothing like back east or in the tropics.
    Yes we have carpeted floors.
    For now I have hooked it up in a different room( my son's) and will be waiting to hear what happens next.
     
  22. Summerisle

    Summerisle Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    Update. I was able to switch out my Rega Mira 3 for another one to see if the problem was still there. For two days I have had none of the static and popping issues. I am very happy things have returned to normal. I'm still puzzled why my original rega amp would have those issues in my house and only in the right channel?
     
    The FRiNgE likes this.
  23. whiskeyvengeance

    whiskeyvengeance Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    I'm having a similar problem with my new Technics 1200 (with a Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge). It's pretty intermittent and mostly in the left channel (though it occurs in the right as well to a lesser degree). At first I thought it may have had something to do with the proximity of the turntable to the amp (they're right next to each other) but then I noticed there were a few pops as I returned the tonearm to its rest and even one little pop less than a second after I set it down. Could this be static? Or, God forbid, a problem with the tonearm or wiring?
     
  24. PhilB

    PhilB New Member

    Location:
    Birmingham UK
    Hi I know this thread is nearly 12 months old but I'm having similar problem with SL-1210MK5G and new Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge.

    First couple of tracks usually fine but at about mid point of LP start to get static clicks and pops both channels.

    I'm using stock tone arm and head shell tracking at 1.5g (have tried 2g) and have clocked up about 6 hours on it so far.

    Just wondered if you found a solution to the problem?

    Quite like the cartridge so far apart from the static so any advice would be great thanks.
     
  25. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    First we have to determine if the ticks are static or debris in the groove. Replay the passage where the ticks occurred. Static is intermittent, so the ticks will not recur in the same place. Debris in the groove will produce a repeatable pattern.. listen for it. Sometime the stylus will kick aside a particle in the groove, so if a tick is missing in the pattern, then you still have debris in the groove.

    Static has a sharper attack than a "normal tick" and often louder, again will be random with no repeatable pattern. Static sometimes does not reproduce through the speakers.

    My brother purchased a system with a Yamaha turntable/ Pickering cartridge back in the 80's. The turntable had a static problem that I was unable to resolve. The grounding was good, no AC hum, I grounded his amplifier to a cold water pipe, checked continuity of ground to the arm and the cartridge, nothing helped. I recommended a replacement cartridge (I had no spare at that time) He ended up packing the entire system where it sits in his attic to this day. (wife thought the rack was ugly, which it was IMO.. Nice Genesis speakers which are probably toast by now)

    My brother is known for trouble with anything electronic, watches, etc .... it seems he's electrically charged. (this true, not a cynical pun) I did not perform the "please leave the room" test.

    There is the possibility the carpeting was inducing a charge in the records stored in the cabinet, which was placed directly on the carpeting. (or by person walking across the carpet) So prolific were the loud snaps and crackles, the music was unlistenable.
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2017
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