[Niteshade]

I've heard the same new over & over again: "It sounded good, but it was NOISY!  "

I have some cost effective ways of eliminating noise that are effective and inexpensive. Please inquire before ditching your tube amp or preamp. We're good at locating those annoying 'coy' problems as well.

We'll get the noise! 

[DARTH AUDIO]

I've heard the same new over & over again: "It sounded good, but it was NOISY!  "

I have some cost effective ways of eliminating noise that are effective and inexpensive. Please inquire before ditching your tube amp or preamp. We're good at locating those annoying 'coy' problems as well.

We'll get the noise! 

Let's hear them.. I'm all ears.. I still won't get rid of my tubes, but a little less noise would help..

[jtwrace]

Let's hear them.. I'm all ears.. I still won't get rid of my tubes, but a little less noise would help..

turn it off and unplug it. 

 

[toobluvr]

Buy different tube gear.  It doesn't have to be noisey.  I've owned some that are tomb-quiet, even with volume full open -- PrimaLuna and Eastern Electric, for example.

[DARTH AUDIO]

Buy different tube gear.  It doesn't have to be noisey.  I've owned some that are tomb-quiet, even with volume full open -- PrimaLuna and Eastern Electric, for example.

I just retired my EE Phonostage. 57dB of gain. At loud levels it was very noisey in between cuts! At regular sitting distance I don't hear noise. But if I put my ear near the speaker at higher volumes I can hear a little noise. That is the noise I'm hoping to diminish. Could also be microphonic tubes?

[toobluvr]

I just retired my EE Phonostage. 57dB of gain. At loud levels it was very noisey in between cuts! At regular sitting distance I don't hear noise. But if I put my ear near the speaker at higher volumes I can hear a little noise. That is the noise I'm hoping to diminish. Could also be microphonic tubes?

Bad tubes could definitely be making the noise.   I was referring to the Minimax line stage.  I own it and it is incredibly quiet.  Never heard the EE phono.

PS:   fully opening the volume pot, and hearing tiny noise with ear pressed to driver does not qualify as noisey to me.  Even SS gear sounds noisey when you do that!   

[Niteshade]

What I look at:

1] Power supplies: B+, bias & filament: Either they can be improved or there are issues

2] Gain stages, phase splitters: Usually cause hiss or pick up noise from other areas if not designed properly.

3] Wiring layout: Some times wire routing causes issues. With PC boards...you're stuck with what you have. Point to point wiring can be modified/improved.

My latest preamps are as quiet as battery operated ones.  They don't hiss either. The newest NS-60 (enhanced version) is totally quiet, as in high end solid-state amp quiet. The design improvements implemented in them can in many cases be added to other gear.

There are ways to quiet down single ended amps as well.