brand new naim nait buzzing inside and through speakers

Posted by: slaw on 21 November 2017

Hi all,

I've renctly purchased new Naim Nait 5si. It sounds good!

The 2 issues I have with the product are:
1. The transformer is buzzing constantly. I know it can happen from time to time so I'm not complaining too much..
2. There is constant buzz from my speakers even if there is no source connected at all. This makes me troubled a lot.

My dealer replaced the unit and both issues are still present.

I have a few questions about these issues:

-Can any of these 2 issues be cured with a DC blocker ??
-Can the buzz from my speakers be stopped with IFI Groundhog ?
-Do you have any idea what can be wrong with these amplifiers and how can I solve these 2 issues (esp. no2) ?
-Can the buzzing damage my speakers if I dont turn the device off overnights?

I'd be very thankful for any help or tips,

Cheers,
slawek

ps. the dealer told me he will not accept the return of the item

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Posted on: 22 November 2017 by Adam Zielinski

Kacper posted:
take a deep look to your el socket and make sure that there is no solution as you can see on the photo. - it's famous one in old polish buildings - but that's crap in my opinion.
If you haven't any knowledge just call someone (electrician- expert) who can help you with that. Amplifier shouldn't buzz / hum if everything works properly. I have at home 4 naim devices and there is no buzz or hum from those transformers whatsoever.

That is exactly what I was referring to in my post - lack of proper earthing is bound to result in a transformer buzz + speaker noise.

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by Kacper

Adam Zielinski posted:
Kacper posted:
take a deep look to your el socket and make sure that there is no solution as you can see on the photo. - it's famous one in old polish buildings - but that's crap in my opinion.
If you haven't any knowledge just call someone (electrician- expert) who can help you with that. Amplifier shouldn't buzz / hum if everything works properly. I have at home 4 naim devices and there is no buzz or hum from those transformers whatsoever.
That is exactly what I was referring to in my post - lack of proper earthing is bound to result in a transformer buzz + speaker noise.

exactly... there where Slaw should start digging. Because there is a risk of electric shock - take an expert!

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by joerand

Before enlisting an expert, what about a circuit tester (circa $10) that will identify faults in the outlets of your home's wiring, should they exist, and decide from there. This works with wiring in the US. Not so in Poland?

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by Kacper

yes, it might work. As you can see on the photo above , in Poland (especially in old flats) where TN-C installation is involved "N" is combine with "E"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWxeb2MI37c

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by slaw

I tested a DC Blocker and it removed the noise from the transformer. It seems to me to change the sound -subtle but "seems" noticeable. Well, now I have 3 choices
1. to use a DC Blocker, and to accept the sound is not so good
2. to check or modify my electricity installatioin at home
3. to accept the noise from the transformer..

Do you think the no 3 will influence the lifetime of my speakers or the amplifier?

Sorry Kacper, I didn't have enough time yet but when I back home I will defintelly watch your film! And probably need to test RCA to DIN as well. Thanks !

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by Mike-B

What brand/model DC blocker did you use ??? When I fitted mine (own design & made) it changed SQ for the better, subtle but better.

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by Ravenswood10

Isol-8 Axis - two of them and the work a treat. I haven't noticed negative impact on SQ and it certainly beats transformer humming away to the music - the one in my Supercap DR used to send me nuts!

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by slaw

well this is a Polish product Tomanek dc blocker and is quite unexpensive and costs about 70 USD, sound "seems" less detailed in upper parts of the scale and tonal passeges have less nuance, more midrange though

can you guys explain how changed SQ in your instances?

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by Mike-B

Czesc Slaw, I have looked on www & it seems your Tomanek device is based on the same design as mine, I'm not 100% sure but its most likely, I could not find out the specifications & values of the components to confirm more.

Its a long time ago I made my filter, but I still have the notes; I fine tuned my design to over spec the diode bridge to 400v 35 amps & have made the capacitor network up to a size that actually is over sized, meaning the diode bridge never comes into action even during system power ups. The capacitors I used are high ESR & I've added an additional small very high ESR to further aid sine wave form conformity.

I originally made it to fix a CDX2 transformer hum, It did not fix that & I concluded it was just a noisy transformer beyond help. But the sonic improvements the filter added were all positive, & very surprising as I was not expecting it & I still don't know why for sure. The most obvious was better bass with added firmness in bass, not more bass or deeper, but better dynamics, detail & tone differentiation. The same improvement carries through into the lower midband, Careful listening also adds more detail in the treble with more defined instrument/voice separation & sound stage position, this (compared to the better bass) is a lot more subtle.

............... I hope this helps

Posted on: 22 November 2017 by slaw

well, it helped a lot... thanks Mike B... I 've been reading today a lot of comments on electrical appliances/accessories removing or adding something to the sound.. well I'm undecided if I should keep the DC Blocker as it seems to degrade sound a bit.. maybe I should look for another device or arrange an electrician... we will see