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Hum, buzz, snap, crackle and pop?

I have a new Yamamoto HA-02 headphone amp that I use with Sennheiser HD800 headphones along with a MacBook Pro. Occasionally, I'll listen with Audio Technica W5000 headphones. The sound is excellent. However, is it true that in order to have tubes in the system, there are forms of hum, buzz, snap, crackle and pop during quiet passages? When listening to solid state, the background is dead silent. I'm simply wondering if this is the way that it is with tubes thrown in the mix. Other than this minor gripe, the sound is extremely exciting and engaging. Thank you.
aaronmadler
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Try different tubes.
All those tube noise problems are not a nessessary evil.
But headphones do reveal a lot of detail.. And the Sennheiser HD800 are very detailed.
(I own Sennheiser HD800s I use with a Rudistor RPX33mk2)
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,132 posts
 
I agree w Elizabeth.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
Does the unit make snap crackle and pops when the needle is not on the record? If so tube replacement is good advice.

If no, then you have a setup problem and tubes are not indicated.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
George Kaye used to make a small tube tester that is ideal for evaluating the noise level of tubes.
honeymonster
4 posts
 
Tubes are inherently more noisy than semiconductor/ transistor amps, but some feel the benefits of the warm, natural sound quality outweigh those negatives. The Sennheiser HD800 headphones are very revealing so you would hear all of the nasties that tubes can produce.
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