The third try: Naim Superline with Rega RP10

I just cannot believe that the Superline produces such a noise. The noise is clearly and disturbing perceptible at volume levels of 40 and higher. My room has about 50 qm, so that I often use higher volume levels.

I thought you'd solved this in your previous thread. The issue was a long cable between the Hicap and 272. What changed to get the noise back ?

With your dealer did you try the Rega RP10 and Superline with another pre?

Regards,

Lindsay

When I tried a RP8 I found the motor controller box needed to be as far away from the record player and the phonostage as possible. Where's yours?

The problem was solved with a simple 5m 4 pin to 5 pin Chord cable for the signal and a Audioquest DIN to RCA cable from the HiCap to the 272. I have used the Chord DIN input. The RCA input was only a kind of grounding cable. When I tried to replace the simple Chord cable with better the noise has come back. When I disconnected the Audioquest cable the has come back. When installing this combination with two cables from the HiCap to 272 at the dealer we could not comprehend that the noise was gone. At the dealer every combination produces noise.

Does someone uses a Superline with a 272? If so, do you also clearly observe a disturbing noise at higher volume levels?

Lindsay: We tried two different RP 10, two different Superline and another pre. The only way to avoid the noise was using another pre.

Christopher: Thanks! But I tried different positions of the boxes with distances of nearly one meter. That is unfortunatly not the solution.

I get no noise with my Superline and RP10 combination.  In fact, it's probably the quietest phono stage I've ever used.   You have to advance the volume up to crazily high levels before hiss starts to become obviously noticeable. No hum at all. However, I can easily make it very noisy and humming by moving it close to digital devices, power supplies, amp etc..  I have it on the bottom shelf of a two medium level Fraim stack with the NAC552 above, and the RP10 on top.

I too thought this had been solved in your setup.  Chris, have you ensured the locking Phonos are done up nice and firm with good contact on the conductors of the Next Gen RCA sockets? Have you tried re-siting the Superline at its most advantageous to minimise any noise?

Sorry Chris, our posts crossed.

So, from what I can make out, it's silent with the Chord 4-5DIN interconnect.  Do I read correctly that it's 5meters??! That sounds way too long for the Hicap to drive without instability. Is it slugged? That may be the issue if the Chord lead is slugged and the others not?

Chris - the only other thing. With the 5m cable, it sounds like your TT setup is away from your 272 ?

Do you have the 272/XPS/300 onto the same mains block as the RP10 / Superline / Hicap.  If you don't then try connecting them all into the same mains block.

One other thing - do you use Ethernet over the mains for home networking or have any devices which may be using this method of communicating in your home. I'm wondering if something external is causing the issues with the Superline.

James

noise is comming from the rega's dc motor which is picked up by the cart. Same here with pro-ject tt and a planar 3 with elys from a friend. 

The problem was solved with the discribed adventurous combination of cables. But that was not the way I want to go, because even the replacement of the simple Chord cable produces noise.

I reconnected the phono rca from the RP 10 lots of times. And yes, I always tried to make it nice The tested SME Model 15 also uses a RCA connection. The result was the same even the noise was louder...

Robiwan: As mentioned, the problem with noise was even bigger when connecting a SME Model 15 to the Superline.

ChrisBerlin posted:

Robiwan: As mentioned, the problem with noise was even bigger when connecting a SME Model 15 to the Superline.

okay

First of all: Thank you for all your advices.

Richard: Yes, I am using a 5m simple Chord interconnect between HiCap and 272. That's necessary because of the distance between the phono stack and the rest. But astonishlingly this thin, simple and long cable is the solution in combination with the "Audioquest grounding cable". When I replace this cable, the noise gets louder, even when it is replaced with the original short cable.

I don't know what you mean with slugged. Sorry!

James: All the components are connected over the same mains block. And the main socket in the wall has a separate connection to the mains block of our house. I am not using any kind of ethernet over the mains. I am using LAN for Hifi and WLAN for lots of other issues.

ChrisBerlin posted:

The problem was solved with a simple 5m 4 pin to 5 pin Chord cable for the signal and a Audioquest DIN to RCA cable from the HiCap to the 272. I have used the Chord DIN input. The RCA input was only a kind of grounding cable. When I tried to replace the simple Chord cable with better the noise has come back. When I disconnected the Audioquest cable the has come back. When installing this combination with two cables from the HiCap to 272 at the dealer we could not comprehend that the noise was gone. At the dealer every combination produces noise.

Does someone uses a Superline with a 272? If so, do you also clearly observe a disturbing noise at higher volume levels?

Lindsay: We tried two different RP 10, two different Superline and another pre. The only way to avoid the noise was using another pre.

So is something not quite correct with the 272?  Can any other 272/vinyl users comment on their experience?

Lindsay: I ask my dealer to try this. He will replace the 272 in the setup with a 252. Tomorrow I will get the answer... But if this is the solution this must be a general issue with the Superline and 272, because we heard the noise with three different 272 - my own one and two ones from the dealer...

Thanks Chris - ok understand a bit more about the configuration.

Just one more thought - have you experimented with the ground switch setting on the 272 ?

It does sound like there's some kind of earth issue somewhere. 

Did you try substituting the SNAIC5? And what about using with the standard Naim 4-5 between Hicap and NAC-N272? 

Guys - for my own education is there any reason why the 272 as a pre-amp should behave any differently to say a 202or SN when fed with a signal from a Superline?

Regards,

Lindsay

James: The problem occurs in the same way with both positions of the ground switch.

Richard: I also think that it is a kind of earth issue. We also tried different SNAIC5 and we also tested the standard Naim 4-5. No change.

How's your mains earth? Is the polarity correct?

Polarity is correct. I use a HMS Energia RC 3/1. This filter only works, if the polarity is correct.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Guys - for my own education is there any reason why the 272 as a pre-amp should behave any differently to say a 202or SN when fed with a signal from a Superline?

Regards,

Lindsay

I would think, though don't know for sure, that the 272 would introduce quite a bit more noise because of the streaming electronics within the case compared to dedicated pre-amps.

I've also noticed more noise with the 272 with phono pre amps, whereas dedicated pre amps,282,252, Naits, were dead silent. Maybe a coincidence, maybe something with the setup.

If the noise that I notice is usual for the combination of Superline and 272 then Naim should not offer it. In this case Naim must say, that this combination does not work! And because of no such statements from Naim, I think it works. I just don't know how...

Have you tried without the filter?

Failing that, assuming you are in Germany then it's probably a good idea to take this issue up with Music Line who can confer with Naim.