Noise from the RCA1 Port on the Stellar Gold Pre-AMP

Audio Components Preamplifiers
1

The RCA1 is connected to the new Stellar Phono Pre, RCA2 port is used for HT Bypass to my Receiver. These two ports are the only ones I use RCA’s on everything else is XLR. I don’t have the noise problem on the RCA2 nor any of the XLR ports, only RCA1 which I use for phono.

I have in my system the following:

PSA Direct Stream MKII DAC
PSA LM1200 Mono Bloc’s
PSA Stellar Gold Pre-AMP
PSA Stellar Phono AMP (replaced a Bob’s Devices1130 SUT & Graham Slee Reflex Era Gold Phono AMP)
Airlens
Tascom DA-3000 Analog to Digital Converter
VPI Classic II Turntable - Dynavector XX2/MKII Cartridge)
Magnepan 3.6R speakers.

I put RF chokes on all the power (that I could find big enough chokes for), RCA and even XLR cables in my system, no joy.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

John

2

If you unplug the phono preamp from RCA Port 1, do you still have noise?

3

Swap the gear on the two RCA inputs and see if the noise follows the phono preamp or if you just have a bad input on the preamp. Also what are you calling noise.

4

I moved the connection from RCA1 to RCA2. My Tascom DA-3000 that registered the noise on RCA1 measured nothing on RCA2. I put my ear directly up to speaker and heard nothing. I played a couple of albums and the sound was night and day better. Unfortunately, Home Theater Bypass doesn’t work on RCA1. I would gladly switch HT Bypass to RCA1, if I could.

5

I swapped the rca1 to the rca2 and the static went away. Unfortunately, PSA doesn’t recognize rca1 for HT Bypass otherwise,I would permanently switch.

6

Sounds like you’ve either got a bad set of RCA connectors or a bad connection to them inside the case. If you don’t mind opening the preamp might want to check the solder joints on the back of that pair of connectors.

7

I was afraid it may be something like that. It’s been 50 years since I left the army that I have soldered anythiing.

8

Not your job to do soldering work on an as new unit that’s PSA’s job. But looking under the hood may give you information to pass on. Also while you got it open hook it up the original way and while it’s playing and making noise gently move the wires and see if it affects anything. Also could be something in the HT circuit as the SGCD had noise problems related to the HT setup.

9

I hope, looking under the hood doesn’t void the warranty.

10

Never has with their products before and it it’s something simple that they don’t have to fix Service would probably appreciate it.

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