The biggest long term problem I struggle with is inconsistent sound quality. Occasionally I get a level of sound quality that is obviously on another level than my norm. When this happens it’s immediately obvious. Bass is deeper and tighter and soundstage is more open. Sounds occupy their own space. This might last for hours or days. I bought a Puritan line conditioner to try and address this problem and, at first, I thought it helped but I’m still struggling. Can’t say that one source is more susceptible than others. I’ve heard talk concerning grounding but I don’t really have a good grasp on this subject. I’m not suffering from any overt audible noise issues like hum or hiss. I suspected this might be a noise floor issue in a more subtle way. Any suggestions?
Known issue.
The power grid
Grounding
Ethernet filtering
State of mind
Room temperature
I’ll add to the list:
humidity
acoustic feedback-structural
acoustic feedback- airborne
Contacts/cables
noise in power lines
ambient noise
The causes can be varied. Our own well-being and emotions can also influence how we perceive music. Power supply is crucial. The Puritan provides a good foundation. Cell phones, Wi-Fi, and other sources of interference can affect sensitive electronics. In my experience, the digital part of a component is most susceptible to interference. A grounding box that absorbs such interference can help sharpen the sound image and make the background appear blacker. The Grey Knight Blackhole from AliExpress is a good option for eliminating interference from digital components and isn’t prohibitively expensive compared to other products. I’ve had good results using a Grey Knight connected to an unused USB port on my preamplifier/streamer. The arrangement of cables behind the components can also have a negative impact. Power cables, speaker cables, and signal cables should ideally not be run parallel to each other. Use cable lifters to raise speaker cables off the floor. The floor can have static effects, transmit vibrations, or influence the magnetic field around a cable. Even small wooden blocks or cardboard boxes can be used as cable lifters. I’ve had good results using a Grey Knight connected to an unused USB port on my preamplifier/streamer.
Greetings Andreas
I always neutralize the noise from my HVAC system for listening by turning it off. On the rare occasion when I forget, it’s usually apparent after a few minutes.
I got that when I had older PSA components such as DS MK1, P15, and BHK pre. I often needed to push P15’s recycle button (do not even remember the name).
With my newer PMGs and other brands, I seem to experience the flat sound much less. In fact, I do not remember when was the last time I experienced it.
I have tried a couple of your ideas already with no success. I am careful about power cords and interconnects not running parallel and recently tried lifting my speaker cables. These things are thoughtful things everyone should be trying as a matter of course. So, all you have to do with the Grey Knight is connect it to an unused USB output on my streamer or input on my preamp? I might try this. I said earlier that the problem appears to affect all my sources but on second thought I’m not sure about that. I mostly stream so it’s possible it could be from that or digital in general. I will make a conscious effort to listen to vinyl the next time I notice it.
It’s a good idea to try vinyl when problems arise to narrow them down. Grounding boxes only need to be connected to ground. A free input is required, whether USB or RCA. There are various connector options. In my system, digital circuits are more sensitive and benefit from grounding that absorbs RF interference. Streamers benefit from a clean signal. A switch or filter can improve the signal quality. You can find plenty of posts about this in the forum. A Grey Knight is a good thing to experiment with. The mains voltage and quality might also be a cause affecting the sound. The Puritan should help with that. I had problems where DC components in my power grid were causing some transformers to hum. This could be interference from the power company or devices in the neighborhood. Internet over the power line also introduces high-frequency interference. An IsoTek V5 SYNCRO UNI DC filter solved the problem for me.
So, if I understand you, the Grey Knight is to be connected to an unused input not output. USB or coax. I would take that as a DAC. My DS MKII has one USB input which is occupied by my Eversolo streamer and one coax input which is occupied by my CD transport. Could an unused I2s input be used to connect the Grey Knight?
You’d just need to check if there’s a suitable cable available or replace the connector. Only the ground wire is connected.
Not likely it would escape your notice but might it be volume levels?
Loose jumpers on bi-wire enabled speaker.
I’m sure it’s nothing like that. It’s real. It’s like I replaced a really good component with a crappie one. When it’s sounding bad I have to keep myself from deleting songs from my favorites list. I keep asking myself why I added it when it sounds so mediocre. Then on a good day I can’t turn it off.
I haven’t read from the beginning of the thread but mayhaps you’ve discovered a perfect application for a regenerator?
My floor isn’t noisy.
A regenerator has crossed my mind as a possible solution but early on I made the decision to avoid yet another powered component drawing power from the wall. That’s the main reason I went with my Puritan 156 instead which hasn’t been the answer in my case. Maybe it’s lowered the floor in general but hasn’t solved the variability issue.
The primary reason for the regenerator is variability, or "I’m sick of “variability”.