My CD5 XS has developed an intermittent and fairly loud transformer buzz. The Supernait 2 has always had a bit of background hum, but nothing intrusive. But, this buzz from the CD player is very annoying. Has anyone experienced transformer buzz on one of Naim’s CD players? Is it likely to be due to DC in the mains? (If so, why would the CD player buzz, but the Supernait not do so?)
I’ve had this kit (from new) for about 4 years and this buzz only started about 7 or 8 months back.
Every toroidal transformer is pretty much unique in how it will respond to mains pollution. At the factory all the transformers are run through a special machine that tries to replicate the most usual types of mains pollution, they are then listened to and any that exceed a certain level of “hum” are rejected. But, it’s not exhaustive as that would be nigh on impossible.
You say, it started 7 or 8 months ago. So I assume that whatever is causing it arrived around that time. Is it permanent, or does it come and go? If so, are there certain times that it happens? Fridge or freezer faults are a usual cause. At this time of year, poor, cheap or faulty heating elements can be a common cause. My own experience has shown that anyone using a electric blanket in particular gets some of the transformers buzzing in my own system. They are otherwise totally silent. I’m afraid some detective work may be in order…
Lots of info on this issue, unfortunately its all on the old forum. Doh !!!
Yes it could be a mains problem & just because the SN2 does do the same that does not mean its not mains, the CD5 transformer has its own unique construction.
Can you tie it down to a particular time of day/night/evening. Can you link it to something else in the house switching on, fridge, heating etc. Try turning off all electrical items when it hums & does that have an effect. If you have a hair drier does it hum when thats running on half speed. All these will prove or eliminate it being a mains power issue. Once thats done you know which route to go down to fix it.
Agreed the usual conditioners & filters probably won’t do anything, however a pukka DC blocking filter does stop a lot of mains induced hum, but better still a balanced mains transformer. However the prior detective work is a must; why spend a bunch of money on barriers when finding & fixing the cause might be peanuts. The fact that the noise comes & goes indicates it might well be a specific load variation on the mains. Whereas a steady unchanging noise could well be just a naturally noisy transformer
I had a similar problem with some of my Naim gear buzzing at certain times. I switched off all the items in the house one by one to try to eliminate the problem. In the end, it wasn’t any of the items in my home, as even with everything switched off, the buzzing would still occur occasionally, so I deduced it was DC on the mains from one of my Neighbour’s houses - although I never did find the culprit! In the end, I changed my Naim set up to a Linn Klimax DS with ATC Active Speakers and all the buzzing has now gone!
It is definitely the sort of thing which could prompt a change of direction for me too! But I’m hoping to sort it out, or speak to Naim. We’ve got a cheap heater in the kitchen, but I’m sure the problem started before we bought it. Anyway, it’s unplugged now and I’m on the lookout for buzzing!
What are the best DC blockers out there (for reasonable money)?
An Iso-8 Powerline Axis worked very well in our old house — terrible humming in particular between 8 and 10pm. Was reluctant to splash out £500, but the humming drove me mad. Demo’ed the Powerline Axis for a week to be sure that it would eliminate the humming — and it did. Puuuh…
I use a DC blocker on my system, and it works very well, it’s been in place for over a year now with only positive effects. If you cannot find the source of the DC, then this is the next best route to take. You don’t need to spend a lot on it, Mine was only $120US at the time. Emotiva CMX-2. Hard to find on the used market, but if you do you could probably get it for a decent price.
Quick update. So far, when connected to the Axis, the buzzing has not occurred. I’ll keep it under close surveillance!
There is still a hum, but there’s always been a hum! It’s nothing like as intrusive as the buzz.
