Low-level "fluttering" noise, possibly produced from cartridge.

Richard Dane posted:

You could always try Apple AE wireless bridges.  These can work well - and that in spite of their switch mode supplies, a much better solution than those devilish ethernet over mains thingies that seem to feed noise into everything.

Would Airport Express wireless bridges have any advantage over what I consider to be a fast and decent wifi signal from my Sky router?

Graeme MacArthur posted:

Richard Dane posted:

You could always try Apple AE wireless bridges.  These can work well - and that in spite of their switch mode supplies, a much better solution than those devilish ethernet over mains thingies that seem to feed noise into everything.

Would Airport Express wireless bridges have any advantage over what I consider to be a fast and decent wifi signal from my Sky router?

Quite likely, yes.

In situations where a wired ethernet connection is not practical or easily possible, using an Airport Extreme as your Wifi "hub" and then an Airport Express as a bridge "satellite" works really well, being very stable, and usually outperforming reliance on a streamer's internal Wifi receiver.

You use your existing router just as a way to access the  internet and connect it to the Airport Extreme, which then acts as your Wifi hub.  Then configure the Airport Express as a wireless bridge and plug in the AE reasonably near to your streamer - although perhaps best on a different circuit - and then connect to your streamer via ethernet cable.

It's just one of a number of solutions that are far better than using Ethernet over mains devices, and it's one that I have used successfully myself, so I can recommend it. With secondhand Airport Extremes and Expresses available for  very little these days, it's a cheap solution too.

Thanks Richard. That’s interesting and I may well give it a try after changing the earth switch on the ND5-XS. 

Thank you all for your suggestions. I switched the earth switch to "Chassis" on the ND5-XS and removed all the ethernet over mains plugs from their respective sockets. I also removed a Sonos Connect from the system, even though there was no internet for it to connect to. Unfortunately this didn't make any difference to the fluttering noise that I get when switched to the turntable input. I can only guess that the mains has some other interference along the way that is only picked up by the cartridge, so maybe I should try some form of mains conditioning next. But I am most grateful for everyone's help with this.

Graeme

I know this may sound "crazy" but I had a similar fluttering sound with my system. I have an LP12/Aro/Armageddon with a Transfiguration Orpheus cartridge into Naim Prefix. The rest of my system is 202/HiCapDR/Napsc/200 and I also have a CDX2. When standing close to my system and when I first turned on the power for the LP12 I would hear this fluttering sound like you describe. I spoke to my dealer who asked me if I had my cell phone nearby when I heard this sound. I did,  as it's always in my pocket.  When I removed my cell phone or turned it off the fluttering went away! This may not be your problem but thought I would inform you of this.

Here is the explanation from my dealer for the  cellphone being the problem.

I think I know the noise that you mean. I used to get it when I went up to the teller's window in the bank. The induction loop would pick up the handshaking signal from my mobile phone  and it would come through the loudspeaker, quite loudly. They solved that by getting rid of all the bank tellers.

But this noise is not that. It isn't as startling as the handshaking signal; just a low-level gentle fluttering. Also, it goes on all the time. I did check, however, leaving the mobile upstairs. No change. Thanks anyway.

Graeme MacArthur posted:

Hello all,

I have a Linn Sondek/Akito/Krystal/Lingo4, all only weeks old, plugged into a Stageline K into Naim amplifiers. There is also an ND5-XS in the system.

There is a low-level "fluttering" noise audible through the loudspeakers when the turntable is selected on the pre-amp. It's quiet enough not to be audible when music is playing. At high volume other "dirty" noises are also audible. If the turntable is disconnected from the Stageline, there is no noise. If I reconnect it and turn off the mains to the turntable, the noise persists. This makes me think that it's something being picked up by the moving coil cartridge.

I've tried disconnecting the ethernet cable from the ND5-XS and that makes no difference. I do use ethernet over mains but there is normally no noise from this at all.

Does anyone have any ideas what might be causing this noise?

Thank you for any help.

This might be no help at all but I has something 'similar' and in the end the pre was identified as the cause (but as is the way the nature of the beast changed while being investigated)

Link - >>>     random-audible-noise-from-speakers

May not be your issue, but this sounds like something I had when I built my own amp as a teenager. In my case it was a faulty component in the pre amp - I can’t remember whether it was a transistor or capacitor, but it was one of those (it was a long time ago !)

It wasn’t present with nothing connected.

Replacing the component fixed the issue so I wonder if you have the same in your Stageline. May be time to talk to Naim if you haven’t already. 

I just have to narrow it down one thing at a time. I'm going to try mains conditioning and then maybe another phono stage with more filtering, just to track it down.

Hobonono posted:

This might be no help at all but I has something 'similar' and in the end the pre was identified as the cause (but as is the way the nature of the beast changed while being investigated)

 

Link - >>>     random-audible-noise-from-speakers

Thanks. Mine is a very low-level noise, not at all audible when music is playing, and a much more defined "fluttering" sound. Yours sounded more like sizzling to me!

It could well indicate a faulty cap or similar component.   Can your dealership in their demo Stageline to test?

Richard Dane posted:

It could well indicate a faulty cap or similar component.   Can your dealership in their demo Stageline to test?

I'll call them to see what they can do. Could that still be the case even though there is no fluttering noise with the turntable disconnected from the Stageline?

Hi Graeme - sorry to hear the Powerline removal did not solve the issue but at least that's another avenue explored. Just to be clear on something, did you have the fluttering noise before you added the Lingo 4. I know you were a bit concerned around the pop when powering up the previous Basik supply on your LP12 but did that also produce the fluttering you get now ?

James

Hi James, to be honest I don't know. I didn't notice it. However, with the Lingo4 unplugged and the phono leads still connected to the Stageline, the noise is still present. Disconnect the phono leads and the noise is gone. So I don't think that the Lingo is the culprit.

Graeme MacArthur posted:

Richard Dane posted:

It could well indicate a faulty cap or similar component.   Can your dealership in their demo Stageline to test?

I'll call them to see what they can do. Could that still be the case even though there is no fluttering noise with the turntable disconnected from the Stageline?

I dont know - maybe feeding something in through the tonearm lead or perhaps just when under load.  Best for your dealer to confer with the boffins at Naim on whether this may be a possibility.

Ok thanks Graeme - As Richard suggests, it would be worth trying a different Stageline to be sure it's not that and then working back towards the cartridge from there.

It does sound like a visit from your dealer, bringing with him / her a few components to substitute in to your system, should find the fault. 

James

Here is a Dropbox link to a 10" recording of the noise at full volume

Phono noise

james n posted:

Ok thanks Graeme - As Richard suggests, it would be worth trying a different Stageline to be sure it's not that and then working back towards the cartridge from there.

It does sound like a visit from your dealer, bringing with him / her a few components to substitute in to your system, should find the fault. 

James

Yes. I called my dealer this morning and they're trying to get a demo Stageline K from Naim, as they don't have one in the shop at the moment. I've posted a recording of the noise in the previous post, if you're interested at all!

Graeme MacArthur posted:

Here is a Dropbox link to a 10" recording of the noise at full volume

Phono noise

That is to me 99% certainty  RFI.. and sounds in my experience like powerline adapters.. if it’s not from you it could be from a neighbour... such is the pollution from such devices. Try switching on an MW or SW radio and tuning to where there is no station... do you hear a similar sound?

The Sky Q products can also use powerline adapters in built, so you or a neighbour might be using these without not knowing... they can be disabled in the setup menu. Ensure all powerline adapters are physically removed as well from wall sockets.

OK thanks Graeme.  That doesn't sound like a faulty component (usually more of a random rustling noise), but rather, as Simon says above, more like some sort of outside interference. 

Thanks Simon. Interesting. But no Sky Q here, just the ordinary one. All powerline adapters were removed from their sockets in the test. If it is indeed a neighbour's powerline, then I'll just have to live with it. I'll try the radio test when I find one with MW.

Thanks Dan. I think swapping the cartridge will have to be part of the investigation, albeit the last thing. I did email Linn a few days ago about the problem but I’m still waiting for their reply.

Yes you might find changing the cartridge changes the characteristics of your phono input tuned circuit, and might mask/attenuate the RFI... but unfortunately it will still be there to some extent resulting in underperformance of what could be ultimately achievable.

Point taken: it needs solving rather than masking.