SN3, The speakers singing even with volume turn off

Never notice that, i have this amp for 2 years
Today will watching movie i heard songs whispered through the speakers, the volume is completly turn down still the speakers singing very very quietly. It isnt normal! Any one experienced this before?

Ilan v.

Can you clarify? Is the music from a known source like a DAC or CD player? Or is the music of unknown origin?

The inputs are sensitive so a high output DAC may still be audible with the volume down if the speakers are sensitive enough. But speaker cables acting like antenna and picking up radio is also common.

2 Likes

Dac and turntable, those are my sources, both of them can be heared

I think what @feeling_zen is saying here is ‘are you actively playing music at the point you can hear it? With my system if I am streaming music and turn the volume off I can hear it but mainly from one speaker. If I am streaming nothing then its just hiss. Can’t hear the Turntable unless it has a record on it playing of course!

2 Likes

IF there is a source (streamer or turntable or your TV) that is playing into the SN3 via the input that is selected then, if you have relatively sensitive speakers, it is possible to hear music coming through even on zero volume. This is because the amplifier channels are still live when the volume/gain is at zero and the speakers are sensitive enough to require very little power to playback music. My 90db full range drivers in my OB speakers do exactly this: with the amplifier set at zero volume I can make out and follow music up to a few metres away from the speakers.

However, if you are hearing music from a source that is not selected on the input on the amplifier then that is not normal as the input selector should be good enough to not let music through from a non-selected source. A simple fix for that would be not to have another source playing at the same time but I would argue that any good amplifier should not do this.

Hi alex, my speakers are 91 DB, i never notice that before , so you say it normal and you facing the same affect in your place ? Luckly it dosent appear if i choose none wired channel…

1 Like

I don’t have an SN3 but with sensitive speakers (90db) the Arcam I use in that particular room does this. The same amplifier does not do this with less sensitive speakers (Tannoy Revolution Signatures 87db sensitivity). When I first heard the effect it was a little surprising (one thinks something is wrong) but, knowing the effect of different speaker sensitivity I’ve got used to it.

What is slightly surprising in your case is you have not noticed it before. Perhaps it was a particularly loud piece of music? I assume you have not recently changed your speakers?

I mean that i streaming or playing a record with my volume turing off completely and still can here sound , its in a volume of a whisper but can be heared if the house is quite and you are 4 meters from the speakers

I guess the solution is to press stop on the streamer or stop playing a record when not listening to music.

3 Likes

Or press the mute button.

It simply means the volume control doesn’t quite go down to zero. Solutions include (some suggested by others): Hit the ‘mute’ button. Select an unused input channel. Unplug speaker cable from amp. Turn power amp off between listening sessions (or rather the amp as it is integrated). Leave the room.

:grinning:

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.