Intermittent static driving me crazy

[(BB)]

Can static build up in an amp, or in one’s stereo system?

Sometimes the clarity will go away and I hear static in the music. If I turn everything off it seems to clear it’s self, briefly, or I can clear it briefly by disconnecting and then reconnecting the rca cables going from the pre-am (mitsubishi da-c7) and the amp (mitsubishi da-a7dc).

It is intermittent and very annoying. I am using the turntable 95% of the time, but I have also heard it when I listen to a cd.

Any suggestions for possible solutions or further trouble-shooting I could do?

Thanks,

Bill

[Chuck Nessa]

Is the turntable grounded?

[(BB)]

Is the turntable grounded?

Yep.

[Jim Alfredson]

Can static build up in an amp, or in one's stereo system?

Sometimes the clarity will go away and I hear static in the music. If I turn everything off it seems to clear it's self, briefly, or I can clear it briefly by disconnecting and then reconnecting the rca cables going from the pre-am (mitsubishi da-c7) and the amp (mitsubishi da-a7dc).

It is intermittent and very annoying. I am using the turntable 95% of the time, but I have also heard it when I listen to a cd.

Any suggestions for possible solutions or further trouble-shooting I could do?

Thanks,

Bill

I would have your preamp or amp checked out. Could be a faulty potentiameter somewhere.

[(BB)]

Would a faulty potentiometer give any other symptoms?

[Jim Alfredson]

Well, I have one on my cheap Kenwood amp (which is why I don't bother having it fixed) which causes static in the right channel and sometimes the channel goes completely dead. The fix is to move the volume knob and then the static goes away and the sound comes back, for the time being.

[(BB)]

Well, I have one on my cheap Kenwood amp (which is why I don't bother having it fixed) which causes static in the right channel and sometimes the channel goes completely dead. The fix is to move the volume knob and then the static goes away and the sound comes back, for the time being.

I have tried messin' with the volume knob and other knobs and switches and that doesn't seem to effect anything.

Based on a combination of ignorance and intuition I have thought:

A. It could be the cheap old rca cable that connects the pre-amp and the amp

B. A loose connections at the female rca connectors on the amp

C. The whole unit needs to be grounded.

by the way, it's running great today

[erhodes]

Well, I have one on my cheap Kenwood amp (which is why I don't bother having it fixed) which causes static in the right channel and sometimes the channel goes completely dead. The fix is to move the volume knob and then the static goes away and the sound comes back, for the time being.

I have tried messin' with the volume knob and other knobs and switches and that doesn't seem to effect anything.

Based on a combination of ignorance and intuition I have thought:

A. It could be the cheap old rca cable that connects the pre-amp and the amp

B. A loose connections at the female rca connectors on the amp

C. The whole unit needs to be grounded.

by the way, it's running great today

You may have done this already but...

The traditional way of isolating which component is generating the static is to switch one end of the cables for a specific connection. E.g., if you switch the amp to preamp connection at one end and the noise stays in the same channel, it's either in the amp or the speakers, i.e., downstream from the switch. If the noise changes channels, it's upstream, i.e., the preamp or sound source.

If the noise is in your preamp it could very well be the volume controls or any other knobs in the circuit. But if turning those knobs does not seem to directly affect the noise then chances are it's elsewhere. Cables are indeed a possibility but, again, if you manipulate them and get no response that seems directly related to the movement, chances are it is an electronic component. Tubes and even transistors, IC's, op-amps, etc., can sometimes generate intermittent noise when they are about to give way. Sometimes it clears up on its own, though that's usually temporary. If that's where you wind up you can take it for service or wait until it crashes.

If the volume, balance, or tone controls on the preamp are at fault, you can try to clean them but that involves opening up the unit. It's not the most technical thing to do but you ought to have some sense of what you're doing. You don't just want to spray contact cleaner all over the place. For the most part, there is no similar fix for a transistor. If tubes become microphonic, there are things you can buy to put on them that will damp the vibrations and quiet the noise. The problem can also be in an on/off switch but that's trickier to diagnose because it is problematic to turn an amp or preamp rapidly on and off to see if the switch is deteriorating. If the problem seems to occur with power ups and downs you can try cleaning or replacing the switch, though the latter generally means taking the unit for service unless your reasonably heavy into it.

Grounding problems usually result in hum rather than noise that sounds like static.

Hope this helps.

[(BB)]

Thanks for the info, especially the info on isolating which component is causing the trouble.

What I did that seems to be helping is attach a ground wire to the ground on the wall socket, then simply alligator clipped that to the amp.

I listened to to records for about 4 hrs. yesterday without a problem, plus I no longer get a little static shock every time I touch the unit.

Thanks again,

Bill

The