I lost a potential friend who became a frustrated client. He built a nice room. I designed the electrical and sold him a panel. His vinyl had a AM radio playing though his speakers. He blamed me. though my design was the problem. I showed up at his house with a scope, a Torus RM20 and 2 phono stages. I plugged the Equipment into the Torus. No change. Of course not. Its not on the power line. Its coming in via your vinly. RF meter in the room is very high. I put 2 phono stages in. Both dead quiet. Not a peep. I tell him its his phono stage. I feel I proved it was his phono stage. He would not let me change the cable from arm to phono.
Then he askes me to Deox his silver wires. OMG. Amazing change for the better. They he asks if I expect to be paid, while saying, isn't this warranty work. WHAT. I'm suppose to provide warranty repairs for a phono pre manufacturer. Mind you I drove 4 hours to Portland, spent the nigh and all day at his place. He already had a quote from another guy to do the same for around $3500. I should have asked for minimum $600. I stupidly say how about $200. He tells me to fuck off and give me $100. Then starts shit talking me to a local dealer I know. The dealer tells him he has no idea what he is talking about.
Well, a month later he calls me all excited. He got rid of the crappy phone stage he had and bought a new Zanden and all the noise was gone. Good for him. I got off the phone as quick as I could and never returned his emails.
That whole blablabla came up for 2 points. One. Location location location. Some homes are near high RF. Mine is one of them. I could see the radio towers less than a mile from his house. He had high RF.
Second, many manufacturer do not do what is necessary to mitigate RF from modulating into the power supply of their piece of equipment. They don't because doing so can rob sound. Or so I am told. One of the phono stages I brought to his house was an Allnic. They do a good job. I personally had about 8 phono stages at my house. 4 out of 8 were incredibly noisy. Hum. Some were absolutely dead quiet. For the most part the dead quiet ones were lifeless and the ones that hummed full of life. In the end the Lino walked the line. Very good sound and low noise. I have heard better. But the better in the $7k and under price were full of hum due to the location of my home. One of those noisy units I really liked is via a dealer that is a friend. He does not like to sell the product any more as its hit and miss on where it will work. Some houses dead quiet. Others it hums. So if your SUT is quiet. It may just be your rack is sitting in a low RF area.
Remember RF is a lot different the EMF. RF at my rack is around 1700. In my hallway about 7. It can vary wildly foot to foot in a home.
Then he askes me to Deox his silver wires. OMG. Amazing change for the better. They he asks if I expect to be paid, while saying, isn't this warranty work. WHAT. I'm suppose to provide warranty repairs for a phono pre manufacturer. Mind you I drove 4 hours to Portland, spent the nigh and all day at his place. He already had a quote from another guy to do the same for around $3500. I should have asked for minimum $600. I stupidly say how about $200. He tells me to fuck off and give me $100. Then starts shit talking me to a local dealer I know. The dealer tells him he has no idea what he is talking about.
Well, a month later he calls me all excited. He got rid of the crappy phone stage he had and bought a new Zanden and all the noise was gone. Good for him. I got off the phone as quick as I could and never returned his emails.
That whole blablabla came up for 2 points. One. Location location location. Some homes are near high RF. Mine is one of them. I could see the radio towers less than a mile from his house. He had high RF.
Second, many manufacturer do not do what is necessary to mitigate RF from modulating into the power supply of their piece of equipment. They don't because doing so can rob sound. Or so I am told. One of the phono stages I brought to his house was an Allnic. They do a good job. I personally had about 8 phono stages at my house. 4 out of 8 were incredibly noisy. Hum. Some were absolutely dead quiet. For the most part the dead quiet ones were lifeless and the ones that hummed full of life. In the end the Lino walked the line. Very good sound and low noise. I have heard better. But the better in the $7k and under price were full of hum due to the location of my home. One of those noisy units I really liked is via a dealer that is a friend. He does not like to sell the product any more as its hit and miss on where it will work. Some houses dead quiet. Others it hums. So if your SUT is quiet. It may just be your rack is sitting in a low RF area.
Remember RF is a lot different the EMF. RF at my rack is around 1700. In my hallway about 7. It can vary wildly foot to foot in a home.
