essence stx interference

[Meeklo062704]

I just picked up a bottlehead crack tube amp for my sennheiser hd650s. So I'm running rca out from my essence stx to the amp, then hd650s from the amp. The amp sounds amazing, but I'm getting an annoying amount of interference. I'm going to diy some pure silver interconnects soon, but tried some double shielded interconnects in the mean time. It did help a little but the ok interference is still there. I'm plugged into the same power strip as the pc, so the issue isn't there. Its odd because I don't get interference from headphone out, only rca. With no sound coming from windows, the interference changes whenever the cursor or windows move around the desktop, and seems to get worse the more white pixels there are.

I've read it might be a power supply problem, so my question is this. Is it safe to plug in an old power supply. That's not part of the system, and power just the soundcard with it for troubleshooting purposes? My current setup is this:

Gigabyte z68ma-d2h-b3 rev 1.3

I5-2500k

8gb 1600mhz

Gtx 770

Samsung 830 256gb

2tb Seagate

H80i

Essence stx

Cooler master gx750w psu

[Wferr]

Dats monitor interference. Havent had any problems with that so i cant help.

[t0wer]

well, you've got the problem that prevents me from recommending any sound card.

but if you get no noise from headphone out just use that.

 

skip the silver interconnects, just get copper, and only do it if you want a different look, termination, or length.

[ShearMe]

I'd be willing to bet you've got a ground loop. I have the same problem when I connect my external setup via anything other than optical. An audio isolator should solve the problem.

Also, don't waste silver on audio cables, man... snake oil's a dangerous drug.

[Meeklo062704]

So it has nothing to with ground issues or power supply? I would hate for a 2560x1440 to be my downfall in this scenario.

well, you've got the problem that prevents me from recommending any sound card.

but if you get no noise from headphone out just use that.

 

skip the silver interconnects, just get copper, and only do it if you want a different look, termination, or length.

The card has more than served its purpose up until now. I'm just using it for the dac until I can get a desktop dac. The silver interconnects are for balancing out the mellow hd650s, to add some clarity to highs. Custom length and look is a definite plus though. I'm not a fan of gold, so I wanted to for some silver or nickel plugs.

[ShearMe]

The silver interconnects are for balancing out the mellow hd650s, to add some clarity to highs. 

 

Sorry, OP, but this is bull.

[Meeklo062704]

I'd be willing to bet you've got a ground loop. I have the same problem when I connect my external setup via anything other than optical. An audio isolator should solve the problem.

Also, don't waste silver on audio cables, man... snake oil's a dangerous drug.

So a ground isolator solved the problem? As for the silver, buying a premade custom from cardas, moon audio, etc... Is pretty outrageous price wise. Buying the components and making them is cheap enough to justify trying it out. The way my setup is makes the stock hd650 long enough to be a problem, so I need a shorter one anyway. Oversized chair in the living room with monitors mounted to end tables was way more appealing than a desk.

[Meeklo062704]

Sorry, OP, but this is bull.

Ooooh, I wasnt aware you were the expert round these parts. Consider my opinion incorrect and changed sir.

[ShearMe]

So a ground isolator solved the problem? 

 

No, I still use Optical. I just did a quick Google and found out about these isolators, the reviews say they work.

 

If you've got a group loop, it should solve the noises you're hearing.

 

If you have EMI in the soundcard, then the sound isolator will not fix the noises you are hearing.

[ShearMe]

Ooooh, I wasnt aware you were the expert round these parts. Consider my opinion incorrect and changed sir.

 

I applaud your skills in effectively transmitting sarcasm over the internet.

[Meeklo062704]

I've just tried avoiding optical to keep things as analog as possible. The headphone out didn't seem to have the same sound, so I went back to analog. The double shielded rca's definitely improved the problem, so I might go try some ferrite beads for $5 too.

I applaud your skills in effectively transmitting sarcasm over the internet.

I applaud your skills making me not sure whether or not that was sarcasm. Call it even then?

[h264]

Sorry, OP, but this is bull.

 

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-cable-measurements-part-one

 

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-cable-measurements-wrap

 

 

Lastly, knowing with relative certainty that I was going to get a result that would tend to indicate that swapping cables made no measurable differences, I know I'm likely to just give fuel for objectivists to throw on the fire claiming that cables don't make a difference. I kinda don't like to do that because I do believe cables make a difference. Oh well...I guess I just have to let the chips fall where they may.

 

I've spent the last couple of weeks listening to various cables on my Sennheiser HD 600, and while I think I've noticed some differences between the cables, I'm certain I wouldn't be able to tell them apart in blind tests. Well...I might be able to pick out the stock HD 600 cable from the others---it sounded just a bit confused---but otherwise, the differences I think I might have heard are too small to reliably identify.

 

DAT expectation bias.  This one is a funny read since he's gotta dance around those sponsor products

[Meeklo062704]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-cable-measurements-part-one

 

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-cable-measurements-wrap

 

 

 

 

DAT expectation bias.  This one is a funny read since he's gotta dance around those sponsor products

That's funny, I just read that one not too long ago. Even a placebo effect is sometimes acceptable. Blind tests where some are administered real meds and some are given placebos, if itmakes them feel better, it's all the same to them. Silver cables are cheaper to make than the cost of some of the case mods in the build logs. While some have actual functionality benefits, sometimes it's just about how it makes you feel about the end result. While some things might not help, they won't hurt either.

[h264]

That's funny, I just read that one not too long ago. Even a placebo effect is sometimes acceptable. Blind tests where some are administered real meds and some are given placebos, if itmakes them feel better, it's all the same to them. Silver cables are cheaper to make than the cost of some of the case mods in the build logs. While some have actual functionality benefits, sometimes it's just about how it makes you feel about the end result. While some things might not help, they won't hurt either.

 

Right.  It's your money.