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Tubes & Valves Upgrades, Spares & General Comments |
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#1
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Faint noise coming from tube area
My Prima Luna DiaLogue One integrated amp is making a faint "hissing" noise that seems to be coming from the power tube area/sockets. The noise is only audible if I place my ear very close to the tubes themselves, and not from the speakers or from a short distance. The best way to describe the noise would be like that of a CD spinning inside a player.
This amp has been rock solid, dead silent and problem-free so far. Could this be a bad tube, or one that's about to die? Could one of the tubes be producing the noise, or do you think I have reasons to believe the noise originates from the amp itself? |
#2
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Esteban.......This may be a premonition. Perhaps a new PrimaLuna HP is calling.
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A |
#3
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How many and what types of tubes are being used? Do you have any spare tubes? Have you tried to remove and reinstall the fuses at different locations.
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[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]2-Channel System: Luxman L590Aii, D-05 CD/SACD ,VPI Classic 3 (Rolling Stone photo shoot table), VPI SDS, Shelter 501 MKII , Wilson Audio Duette,Shunyata Denali 6000T, Anaconda Zitron, Alpha Digital, and Black Mamba power cables, Tara Labs RSC Air 2 speaker wire, RSC Prime M1 IC's. |
#4
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Dan, I would love to, and have in fact given that amp some serious thought. My main concern is heat. 8 X power tubes, plus 6 X small tubes... in a small room, in South Florida... listening 5/6 hours a day... Today it feels like 96 over here. And it's only going to get worse in the Summer. You get the idea!
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#5
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Apologies for the lack of a more detailed description. I am basically a tube noob. This is the only tube amp I have ever owned. |
#6
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... to add to my post above... If I had to be more specific, I would say that it sounds like the power tube/socket area is "leaking air", if that makes sense...
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#7
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This is what often happens when a power vacuum tube starts leaking air . . . .
And, You'd better get your equipment ready - just in case!
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.... I have a record player and a cd player and some other stuff that sounds pretty good. MAIN SYSTEM: . . . Audio Physic Caldera III Loudspeakers, Spectral DMC 30SL Preamp, Spectral DMA 250 Amp, Spectral/MIT interconnects and speaker cable, Basis Debut V Vacuum turntable, Walker Precision Speed Controller, Graham tonearm, [B]Koetsu Rosewood or Grado Statement 1 Cartridges, PASS - X-ono Phono Stage, Esoteric K03 CD/SACD Player, Lexicon RT-20 Universal Player, Exact Power EP-15A & SP-15A power regeneration and conditioning devices. Symposium Acoustics Svelte pads & RollerBlock Jr's under speakers. ASC Tube Traps, Arcici Suspense Rack System, OPPO and Cambridge Streaming Devices. DOWNSTAIRS SYSTEM: . . . Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento Speakers, JL Audio F112 Sub, McIntosh MA7000 Integrated Amp, McIntosh MVP871 Universal Disc Player, OPPO BDP-105 Blu-Ray Player, VPI Scoutmaster with periphery ring clamp, VPI SDS Motor Drive, Koetsu Pro IV, or Clearaudio Discovery Cartridges, Mark Levinson No. 25s phono stage, Wadia 170i Transport with a Meridian Bitstream 203 DAC, VPI HW-17 Pro Record Cleaning Machine, Five Richard Gray RGPC 400 devices scattered around the two systems, Arcici Suspense Rack System, Discovery Essence and Essential Cables, 14,000 ± LPs . Last edited by AudioNut; 06-29-2015 at 06:10 PM. |
#8
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Forgive the ignorance, but can a power tube really "leak air"? If so, how?
I appreciate the humor, but would love to get to the bottom of the issue. I did notice, though, that the noise is intermittent. I kept the amp on for about 4/5 hours today, with music playing in the background while I worked. Every 30 minutes or so I would get closer to the amp, stop the CD, and listen. Most of the times the noise was gone. Other times it was there. Again, very faint, very subtle... I also noticed one of the tubes has a VERY slight blue flame inside. Coincidence? Culprit? As a tube newbie, your insight is appreciated! |
#9
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Esteban.......The tubes have a vacuum inside the glass. There is nothing to leak out. If the tube somehow developed a leak, which is highly unlikely, it would draw air into the glass envelope and the tube would fail.
Depending on how many times you have had the different power tubes in and out of their respective sockets you could possibly have a loose pin connector in one or more of the tube socket holes that might be causing a slightly arcing that's causing the noise you hear. I have experienced that on a tube integrated amplifier before. This can be repaired easily. Unplug the amp, remove the power tubes, then using a narrow pointed awl or ice pick and a flashlight to see down into the pin socket holes slide the awl on the outside of the metal socket connector to slightly bend it tighter. In other words, make the pin connector inside the socket hole have a slightly smaller diameter opening. When done, reinsert your power tubes, power the amp and hopefully if it was arcing making the noise, it will have ceased. I have successfully done this repair more than once on several tube sockets without any issues.
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A |
#10
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