[mlundy57]

Lately I have been noticing occasional static, popping and noise coming from the speakers when using my solid state preamp/amp combo and humming when using my tube preamp/amp combo.  This is intermittent, sometimes it doesn't happen at all. I have tried turning on different pieces / combination of pieces but could not isolate where the noise was coming from.

Last night I accidentally got a clue. After listening to music with the solid state components, I turned the system off using the remotes like I normally do. The preamp and power amp are from the same company so one remote turns both pieces on and off at the same time.

About a half hour after turning the system off I started hearing static and popping coming from the speakers. I was trying to get to sleep at the time so I didn't investigate, just reached over and unplugged the speaker wires (the right speaker is next to my head when I'm in bed) and the sound stopped.  In the morning I plugged the speaker wires back in and after a few minutes the noise started up again.

This time I did investigate and discovered the power amp did not turn off when I shut the rest of the system down. I turned off the power amp and the sound stopped.

All the components, music server (computer), TV (monitor), DAC, preamp, power amp, and both bass plate amps are plugged into a PanaMax MR5100 power conditioner. The PanaMax is the only component plugged directly into the wall socket.

It doesn't matter whether music is playing or not or which power amp is being used. The nature of the noise changes depending on which power amp is in use but not the existence of the intermittent noise.

Does anybody have any idea what is going on? 

Thanks,

Mike

[Captainhemo]

Do yappen to have AC running Mike ?   That might be pretty intermittent, I'd try turning it off  and see if it is the culprit.

I'd try isolating each piece of gear... start  by  unplugging everything from the conditioner and each  other. Then only having the amp  plugged in, nothing connected except for speakers and turn it on, see if you have the issue.   If not, , try adding the pre and check again.  Continue on 

If the amp has the noise on its own,  it's either some  noise on the  line the your conditioner isn't dealing with , or   something to do with the amp If it doesn't,  you can probably assume it isn't  line noise and move on to other components.

-jay