Hum from new VX-5

[RLF]

Originally Posted by g997

I really think Alex is wrong here
It's not normal to hear a hum a foot away from any amp
My VX-5 is silent
Have your dealer replace your amp

Thanks for the input.

Your VX-5 is absolutely silent? Absolutely no noise at all?

I did not notice any hum from the dealer's demo when I had it home for audition as I had it tucked under my audio rack.

I have my amp on an amp stand in front of my audio rack and only hear it when directly above it. Even then at about a foot it is quite faint but enough to detect and draw my attention to it.

I am not sure why Alex would not be forthcoming about this to me since I know him personally.

Perhaps I will go to my dealer and listen to their VX-5 to see if I hear the same amount of noise (hum/buzz) that I hear from mine.

Thanks,

Bob

[RLF]

Originally Posted by jax4736

I just checked my amp. I hear an extremely faint hum but only when my ear is 2 inches from the top screen. From the listening chair, can't hear a thing at all. Can't hear anything when my ear is more than 2 inches away from the top of the amp.

Thats where I hear it--from the top screen of the amp. Absolutely nothing from listening chair.

I wonder what is causing the sound. Transformer? DC offset?

[Still-One]

When I first had the issue with hum I purchased a PS Audio Humbuster III. It completely eliminated the problem. I later loaned it to someone who was also having a issue and the Humbuster eliminated his too. The Humbuster showed how sensitive some DC in the lines could be.

[doug1956]

I experienced a fairly loud hum from a tube amplifier which started
several weeks after I purchased it. It turned out to be a faulty
transformer. When I got the amp replaced, the second amp developed
the identical problem after a similar amount of time!

[Kingsrule]

Originally Posted by jax4736

I just checked my amp. I hear an extremely faint hum but only when my ear is 2 inches from the top screen. From the listening chair, can't hear a thing at all. Can't hear anything when my ear is more than 2 inches away from the top of the amp.

Mine is exactly the same.....

[BillK]

It depends on how quiet the room is.

If it's absolutely silent, you can hear a hum from most SS amps from around a foot away as Alex suggested.

In normal ambient situations, you usually can't.

Certainly if you can hear it from your listening chair, there's something amiss.

When I had issues with hum with an amp several years ago, it turned out its filter capacitors had gone south.

[RLF]

Thanks to all of you for your input and suggestions. It is most appreciated.

I have sent my warranty card to Ayre with documentation of the hum/buzz and that I spoke with Alex of Ayre about it who said that it is normal at about one foot. The manager of my Ayre dealer is also aware of it. When I get a chance I am going to my dealer and see how much hum/buzz that their XV-5 emits and if I can hear it at only 2" as others here have reported or if it is about the same as mine.

As I mentioned previously, I cannot hear it more than a foot away when the amp is at full power mode and definitely not at the listening chair. The amp sounds great to me and from my memory, the same as the demo unit that I had home.

I am going to carefully listen to the hum as my unit breaks in. If it gets worse will have it checked out and/or demand a new unit if Ayre would do that for me.

It is possible that it might be something on my grid causing the increased buzz?? DC on the grid?? However, unlike a few other products that I owned that hummed over the years, the hum on the VX-5 has remained constant, at least so far.

For those of you who reported hearing noise at only 2" away from the top grid, did you have the amp a full operating power or Low-Power Consumption Mode?

Bob

[RLF]

Originally Posted by jax4736

I just checked my amp. I hear an extremely faint hum but only when my ear is 2 inches from the top screen. From the listening chair, can't hear a thing at all. Can't hear anything when my ear is more than 2 inches away from the top of the amp.

Did you have your amp powered up or on the "Low Power Consumption Mode" when you listened for the hum?

Originally Posted by BillK

It depends on how quiet the room is.

If it's absolutely silent, you can hear a hum from most SS amps from around a foot away as Alex suggested.

In normal ambient situations, you usually can't.

Certainly if you can hear it from your listening chair, there's something amiss.

When I had issues with hum with an amp several years ago, it turned out its filter capacitors had gone south.

Yes, the room has to be dead silent to hear it at a foot away and I have to be right above the amp. If not for getting right next to my amp to gently move it on the amp stand I would have probably never noticed it. Of course, if I heard it at the listening chair I would demand a new amp.

[BillK]

Originally Posted by RLF

Yes, the room has to be dead silent to hear it at a foot away and I have to be right above the amp. If not for getting right next to my amp to gently move it on the amp stand I would have probably never noticed it. Of course, if I heard it at the listening chair I would demand a new amp.

Then it sounds pretty normal.

My current (non-Ayre) SS amp has an audible hum from the transformers if I put my ear on the case, but I've never otherwise heard it unless it's 3 AM, there's no other noise in the room and my recording just ended.

[Kingsrule]

Full power mode
No hum at all with green circle mode