[saucyworchester]

I just purchased a used Tempest through Audiogon. It was rated as a 7/10. There is, however, a prominent buzz that displays the following characteristics;

1. it does not change when I switch out the power cord or when I power it from a different circuit. (My old Apt-Holman was dead quiet on the same circuit, which is dedicated to audio components only at one outlet.)

2. it does not change when I switch between various inputs, or between tape monitor and not tape monitor.

3. it does fade out as I turn the volume control down to 7 o'clock (zero.)

4. as I turn the volume up the level increases until approximately 12 o'clock and then fades as I turn the volume higher.

The buzz itself reminds me of the buzz I used to get occasionally doing sound setups in the theatre when 48 SCR lighting dimmers would be at about half intensity, kind of edgy sawtooth wave sounding.

Any suggestions? (Yes I am contacting the seller.)

[zeke]

You don't say if this is noise is thru the speakers or just coming from the pre itself.  Mine was noisy until i sent it back to Klaus and had the newer Plitron transformer installed  -- lot quieter now but still some noise. Call Klaus.

[saucyworchester]

The buzz is electronic, coming through the speakers.

[Sonny]

Well, I use to have that problem with my tempest too!  I can only tell you that it has to do with a ground loop or something of that sort.  I would try using a cheater plug or something, that has worked for me in the past.

Try that and let me know...

Now my gear is operating flawlessly and Odyssey Rules!


Sonny

[saucyworchester]

Thanks for the suggestion Sonny. I tried a ground lifter (cheater plug) and it made no difference. I haven't yet disconnected all inputs to see if that makes a difference, I am also going to try turning all of the circuit breakers in my house off. I'll let you.

Thanks

[F-100]

Just a thought, make sure all your IC's and power cocrds are separated.
I was swapping out the IC's in my system  yesterday and got a humming noise, found out later that the IC's between the preamp and amp annd the IC's from the source are touching each other.

[saucyworchester]

Thanks F-100

I finally pulled all of the IC's leaving no inputs connected, only the out to the speakers, still the buzz.

What's odd is that the buzz is gone with the volume control either at "off" or at "full" and it is worst with the volum control at 12 o'clock which is maybe "half"

Seller sas it was fine when it left him and he has forty or so pos comments and no neg comments on audiogon so I tend to believe him.

[F-100]

Just a thought, make sure all your IC's and power cocrds are separated.
I was swapping out the IC's in my system  yesterday and got a humming noise, found out later that the IC's between the preamp and amp annd the IC's from the source are touching each other.

Found out later yesterday that the soldering on the ground wire in one of my IC's is bad, so double check your IC.  Good luck.

[TjMV3]

I've heard from more than a few electrical gurus,  that using cheater plugs as a long term solution could be a dangerous and damaging method.

To a man ,  they have said using cheater plugs for a short term solution till the problem is tracked down and corrected,  is okay. But never as a long term solution.

Anyone else hear this?

[KarlDL]

I'm an EE/PE and agree with the advice cited.  Safety first   If the cheater plug is the solution, there's likely a wiring deficiency (broken ground, neutral/hot reversal) in your electrical system that's an accident waiting to happen   Have a licensed electrician inspect your wiring or check it using an outlet check plug readily available from Home Despot, Lowe's, Menards, etc.

As for the buzz, start with the basics.  Turn off the power amp(s) and disconnect the interconnects from Tempest to PA.  Does the buzz remain?  If so, you have a spastic transformer or relay in the Tempest or a relay power supply that's lost its filtration; your buzz is mechanical!  Send to Indy for fix.

If the buzz went away with the power amp(s) off, restore power to the PA(s), but leave the interconnects from the Tempest disconnected.  If the buzz returns, it's likely in the power amp(s), either a filter capacitor or rectifier diode failure.  

Next, ensure that the Tempest volume control is fully counterclockwise and that the Tempest and PA power switches are off, but their power cords remain energized.  Disconnect all inputs from the Tempest, restoring only the interconnects to the PA (Stratos?) and energizing only the PA.  If the buzz is appears, you likely have an input interconnect ground fault.  Replace interconnects.

If the buzz is gone with the Tempest off, but present with the Tempest on, it's a Tempest problem, most likely an internal connection fault but possibly a filter capacitor and/or rectifier problem.  Either way, return to Indy for fix.

If the buzz returns only when you connect your sources to the Tempest, then you have either a source or source-Tempest interconnect fault.

Another means of checking the Tempest directly is to shut down your PAs, disconnect the Tempest-PA cables, and connect headphones directly to the Tempest output.  Go to Radio Shack and obtain a RCA plug to headphone jack adapter.  Using a set of higher-impedance headphones (e.g., Sennheisers, Beyers, or AKGs), plug the headphones into the Tempest output jack(s) using the adapter.  At low volume levels, you will do no harm to the Tempest by this connection.  If you hear the buzz via the cans, with no source connections to the Tempest, the latter is faulty.

Hope this helps,

Karl

[MaxCast]

NIce job, Karl.  We should have a sticky in starting block or the lab for hum problems.

[JasonL]

My Tempest has the buzz too.  If you put your ear on the Tempest, you can hear the buzz coming from the unit.  I hate this buzz and it's always annoyed me.  It comes through out to the speakers as well.

It can't be solved, the only way to solve it..... is to have Klaus put a new transformer in it for around $200.  which kind of pissed me off since it should have never been in there in the first place with a brand new unit like this, so I've just lived with the problem.

Jason

[klaus@odyssey]

SW and Jason,

Call me / 317 299 5578,

Klaus