sgb
Member
So about 2 weeks ago I finally got my first-ever headphone system set-up with I guesstimate around less than 8 hours of total listening:
DAC->transformer passive preamp-> speaker amplifier or SP400-> speakers or Aeon 2 Noire.
Balanced connections from all the way from DAC to the headphones.
With the preamp turned all the way up, it gives 0 attenuation- so basically just a pass-through.
I encountered 2 noise problems:
Do I have a defective SP400 or DAC? Thanks in advance.
- DCA Aeon2 Noire
- SMSL SP400
DAC->transformer passive preamp-> speaker amplifier or SP400-> speakers or Aeon 2 Noire.
Balanced connections from all the way from DAC to the headphones.
With the preamp turned all the way up, it gives 0 attenuation- so basically just a pass-through.
I encountered 2 noise problems:
- There is a hum coming through the headphone that is easily audible when the volume of the SP400 turned to 80 above @ 2V output from the DAC; and SP400 volume to 60 above @ 6V output from the DAC. With no music playing and "grounds" lifted at the preamp. If I left the "ground" on, hum can be more easily audible at lower volume levels.
- With music playing: there is crackling/static noise accompanying high notes e.g. Sarah McLachlan's Adia & George Winston's February Sea. However, I do not hear the same noise on mid tone downwards. These are the 2 pieces of music that is most readily hear such crackling/static noise. Oddly, if I played the recording from Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra's Bli Blip (album: Live in Swing City - Swingin' with Duke) does not exhibit such noise problem.
Do I have a defective SP400 or DAC? Thanks in advance.