#11
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I have a number of great things going for me in the studio. The room was designed, built and insulated for sound. It has been fully treaded with bass traps and acoustic panels to tame the audible anomalies. Even the entrance door to the studio is insulated and seals top, bottom and sides when closed. The room is very quiet. You can hear a pin drop. Add to that the McIntosh system with premium interconnects, power cables and speaker wires. The sound system that is dead quiet, no hissing, humming, buzzing, nothing but silence at any volume setting with no signal present. This is wonderful, and helps paints an absolute velvet blackness behind every sound that comes from the system. This system in this room is highly revealing of any flaws in components and/or source material. There is no sneaking anything by this sound system. It is a true asset when everything is right, and a liability for the weakest link because it cannot hide. This is the case with the Pass Labs XP-15. It just cannot hide in this system, period.
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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 |
#12
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Dan, something does not sound right, either in the connections or the phono stage itself.
The c2300 MC stage is quiet as it has a FET in front doing the first amplification, however my XONO was not noisy in the way you have detailed. I am sure you have checked this, but I will ask. Is the MM DIP switch off? Try the single ended connection to see if there is any change to the noise. |
#13
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Dan, be sure to play around with grounding. Your SME 309 tonearm should have 2 separate ground tabs on the phono cable. Try the 3 different combinations... I usually prefer to ground the tab that comes out of the RCA plugs and leave the longer one floating. Or are you using the Pass in another system with the Micro-Seiki?
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#14
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The noise floor is not much louder than the C2300, but it is noticeable, and this disagrees with my nature. I don't want to pay for a component that delivers less than I already have.
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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 |
#15
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Thanks for the ground wire suggestions. I have both ground wires on the SME phono interconnet landed under the XP-15's ground terminal. I will try the different combinations.
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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 |
#16
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Sorry to hear you are not happy with the XP-15 Dan. It will be interesting to see if your opinion changes as the unit breaks in and if you are able to bring the noise floor down through grounding or change in ICs from balanced to single-ended. It may be worth your while to give a call into Pass Labs and walk them through what you are hearing and see if they have any suggestions (either in terms of settings or connections) that may result in a lower noise floor. Good luck.
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#17
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Cyril.......Thanks for that suggestion. If it becomes necessary I will do that.
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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 |
#18
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I have experienced it before with SS phono's, hence the continued use of ste up transformers in both SS and tube phono stages. Worst of all, like all SS noise/distortions, it is more objectable than tube noise to the ear maybe try reducing the gain on the c2300 line stage input you are using for the phono - might be a gain issue - I doubt it, but you my as well try all things. Last edited by turntable; 10-04-2011 at 12:46 AM. |
#19
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I told you the same thing Dan. Sorry that the Pass did not meet your expectations. The C2300 phono stage is very very good. Not only for the sound itself but the noise floor is very low. It is very kind of Serge to let you try the EAR.
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There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats Albert Schweitzer |
#20
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Dan,
Sorry the XP15 doesn't appear to be working out; I am admittedly surprised that it's noise level is above that of the C2300s, given it's a tube phono stage. OTOH, I remember that Michael Fremer gave the phono stage in the C2300 a stellar review, so it must quite an excellent phono stage. Serge's offer is most generous; I have a basic model MC/MM EAR834P tube phono stage as you might recall, and it's superb. I think Tim de Paravincini's designs are brilliant, so you may be quite impressed with it. That being said, I would give the Pass some time to burn in....leave it on for the next few days and come back and give it a re-listen. Something as simple as my Shunyata Hydra 4 sounded pretty dismal when I first got it, but after a week of using it in the Home Theatre system, it really blossomed, and it's just a simple power distributor. Other phono stages to consider are the Parasound JC3, the new Sutherland 20/20, both of which are reknown for how quiet they are, as well as their sound quality. Check back in with us in a few days and let us know how the Pass settles in....good luck.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components. Last edited by Puma Cat; 10-04-2011 at 02:14 AM. |
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