Hissing when connected to laptop
- Thread starter benzxc
- Start date
So I did some experimenting at home today and I think I isolated the source of the noise.
I unplugged all electronic appliances around the home but the noise persisted. Knocking around the crack, I noticed that if I tap at the 6080 power tube in a certain location, the noise decreased, and in one instance even disappeared. (I'm not sure if it actually disappeared entirely since the volume was small to begin with but it decreased noticeably. )
Does this mean that the noise comes from a noisy tube?
I read through the board and noticed others with similar issues and apparently some suggestions in these circumstances were, in addition to changing tubes, to leave the crack running for a few days to let the cathodes form. How many days should I do this for? Do I need to have music playing while I leave it on? And at what volume?
Thanks!
Ben
I unplugged all electronic appliances around the home but the noise persisted. Knocking around the crack, I noticed that if I tap at the 6080 power tube in a certain location, the noise decreased, and in one instance even disappeared. (I'm not sure if it actually disappeared entirely since the volume was small to begin with but it decreased noticeably. )
Does this mean that the noise comes from a noisy tube?
I read through the board and noticed others with similar issues and apparently some suggestions in these circumstances were, in addition to changing tubes, to leave the crack running for a few days to let the cathodes form. How many days should I do this for? Do I need to have music playing while I leave it on? And at what volume?
Thanks!
Ben
Yes, you could certainly leave the Crack on for a few days. You don't need any music playing and the position of the volume control doesn't matter.
Physically tapping on a part of the amp and experience a difference in performance usually suggests a loose connection in the amp or possible just dirty pins on the 6080.
Physically tapping on a part of the amp and experience a difference in performance usually suggests a loose connection in the amp or possible just dirty pins on the 6080.
Is it still suggestive of a loose connection in the amp if only tapping on the 6080 changes the noise, whereas tapping on the other tube does not change the sound at all.
I have checked my joints twice and reflowed them as well. Im afraid doing them again at this point might do more harm than good. Of course, I will do it if necessary. Just wanted to make sure before I go probing in again with my clumsy hands.
Thanks!
Ben
I have checked my joints twice and reflowed them as well. Im afraid doing them again at this point might do more harm than good. Of course, I will do it if necessary. Just wanted to make sure before I go probing in again with my clumsy hands.
Thanks!
Ben
It might help to post some pictures around the 6080 to see if there's anything people could spot. A lot of time those loose connections can be affected by tapping the chassis near where they exist. Someone had mentioned using a chopstick (non-conductive) to prod around those connections while listening to the amp with a crappy set of headphones to see if hitting any of them causes a pop. If so, that's where you focus.
Prodding the connections with a chopstick and cheap headphones attached would be a good idea.
All of the lower terminals on that terminal strip could use more heat and a tiny bit more solder.
The red wire going to B6 needs to be pulled through more and wrapped around the connection at the socket. The same goes for B3.
If the stripped bit of wire at B3 touches the stripped bit of wire at B2, you will start smoking parts in the power supply, so I would reheat those joints and pull the wire through a bit so the jacket is closer to the socket pins, then wrap the stripped wire up and over the socket pins and solder the bit of the wire that's wrapped over the pin. (Ditto for the joint at B1, but not B4. B4 is what you want to go for)
The red wire going to B6 needs to be pulled through more and wrapped around the connection at the socket. The same goes for B3.
If the stripped bit of wire at B3 touches the stripped bit of wire at B2, you will start smoking parts in the power supply, so I would reheat those joints and pull the wire through a bit so the jacket is closer to the socket pins, then wrap the stripped wire up and over the socket pins and solder the bit of the wire that's wrapped over the pin. (Ditto for the joint at B1, but not B4. B4 is what you want to go for)
Thanks, PB! Just did it, although the noise is still there. Guess I will just leave the crack on for a few days and see. In any event I will soon have a new tube to see if the issue is with the tube. BTW is there a suggested max continuous number of hours/days that I should keep the crack on for? Don't want to ruin it by doing this!
Thanks again,
Ben
Thanks again,
Ben
My estimate would be about 3-5 years of constant operation before you'd probably burn up the tubes and 30-80 years for the caps to wear out.benzxc said:
Just an update to all who helped me and for all who have the same experience with the noise and is wondering:
Having left the Crack on for about 50 continuous hours, the weird low volume noise in the right channel has mostly disappeared. It resurfaces once in a while for a very short period of time, and the volume has noticeably decreased. (It was low volume to begin with, and has gotten even lower to the point it is unnoticeable unless I am consiously looking for it.)
I am going to leave the Crack on for a couple more days to see if the noise will disappear completely. Very very satisfied with the Crack! Excellent sound! Even if it doesn't disappear, I think I can live with it for now.
My new tubes haven't arrived yet but once they do, I will pop them in to see if it happens with the new tubes.
Thanks to all!
Ben
Having left the Crack on for about 50 continuous hours, the weird low volume noise in the right channel has mostly disappeared. It resurfaces once in a while for a very short period of time, and the volume has noticeably decreased. (It was low volume to begin with, and has gotten even lower to the point it is unnoticeable unless I am consiously looking for it.)
I am going to leave the Crack on for a couple more days to see if the noise will disappear completely. Very very satisfied with the Crack! Excellent sound! Even if it doesn't disappear, I think I can live with it for now.
My new tubes haven't arrived yet but once they do, I will pop them in to see if it happens with the new tubes.
Thanks to all!
Ben
70+ hours burn-in now and the sound has no re-appeared!
Although I do have a quick question: I just turned the Crack off and flipped it around to check on the wiring and I noticed this weird sound when I flipped it over. It sounded like there was a loose part in the Crack. I checked like crazy everywhere to see if there may be any loose parts but didn't find any. I could not pinpoint where the sound is coming from but the sound is not coming from the tubes themselves, and I tightened all screws as much as I could. I shook the Crack a few times and the sound reappeared.
Could the sound be coming from the tube sockets? I noticed that some of the sockets are very loose.
Is this something I should be concerned about, or should I just go ahead and use it and deal with it if an issue pops up? Like I said, the Crack is functioning perfectly now.
Thanks,
Ben
Although I do have a quick question: I just turned the Crack off and flipped it around to check on the wiring and I noticed this weird sound when I flipped it over. It sounded like there was a loose part in the Crack. I checked like crazy everywhere to see if there may be any loose parts but didn't find any. I could not pinpoint where the sound is coming from but the sound is not coming from the tubes themselves, and I tightened all screws as much as I could. I shook the Crack a few times and the sound reappeared.
Could the sound be coming from the tube sockets? I noticed that some of the sockets are very loose.
Is this something I should be concerned about, or should I just go ahead and use it and deal with it if an issue pops up? Like I said, the Crack is functioning perfectly now.
Thanks,
Ben
If there are no tubes in the sockets, the pin contacts will move around a little bit when you shake the Crack. You want this though, those contacts need to move when you insert a tube.
