View Full Version : Hi Fi help? :(
MajikMoo
02-12-2016, 13:50
Hi all - well, I am truly fed up this afternoon. I've taken out my hi-fi from storage, made new speakers, etc etc. Just taken deliver of the puck for my CD player as until now not been able to test it - and it's crackling lots through the left channel. Just had the amp (Nait 3) serviced and it seems to work via the aux, as do the speakers. So assuming its the CD player - an old Naim CD3.5. Any suggestions? I wanted to get it serviced, but nobody will touch it due to postage/possible damage. I'm stuck on what to do - and totally gutted :( It was to be the final piece of the jigsaw.
What do you mean when you say that "it seems to work fine through the aux"?
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Take it you tried a different seperate through the aux? If do try the working one through the cd input, just to make sure its not the input of amp. Also try cd into a different input like aux, and could try a different cable that you know works. If that fails then it would be reasonable to assume the cd player to be faulty.. you could also check the sockets of cd player for dry connections by gently flexing the plugs near the unit.
If it is faulty, I'd ebay it. Faulty Naim CD players seem to fetch almost as much as working ones, which seems mad but I have see seen a few examples. Then all you have to do is wait until a working one pops up and buy it.
Do a full fault check first. Substitute interconnect cables and speaker cables and source equipment and try all the amp inputs.
CD players tend to fail completely rather than start crackling, it may well be a cable/connection that is the cause.
Plenty of players out there that are as good as the Naim ones, nowt wrong with them but they were way over-priced for what they are. So it is easily replaced for not much money and as Scooby says, you can sell a broken one for spares/repairs without much bother.
Arkless Electronics
02-12-2016, 16:23
Do a full fault check first. Substitute interconnect cables and speaker cables and source equipment and try all the amp inputs.
CD players tend to fail completely rather than start crackling, it may well be a cable/connection that is the cause.
Plenty of players out there that are as good as the Naim ones, nowt wrong with them but they were way over-priced for what they are. So it is easily replaced for not much money and as Scooby says, you can sell a broken one for spares/repairs without much bother.
It's not unusual in my experience for the internal DAC (and of course those in stand alone DACs) to crackle and pop something serious! Often no crackling then very sudden and at a volume that has one leaping for the vol control to save the speakers... Another common one is strange "burbling" distortion as errors can no longer be corrected or a bit or two is permanently missing...
Of course the OP should follow the good advice to rule out the amp and leads etc though.
MajikMoo
02-12-2016, 16:26
What do you mean when you say that "it seems to work fine through the aux"?
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The amp/speakers are fine when using my airDAC from the laptop
MajikMoo
02-12-2016, 16:28
It's not unusual in my experience for the internal DAC (and of course those in stand alone DACs) to crackle and pop something serious! Often no crackling then very sudden and at a volume that has one leaping for the vol control to save the speakers... Another common one is strange "burbling" distortion as errors can no longer be corrected or a bit or two is permanently missing...
Of course the OP should follow the good advice to rule out the amp and leads etc though.
Yes - actually it was perfect at first. I listened a couple of tracks and then the crackles started. So do you think this sounds like the internal DAC?
Amp has just been serviced...
MajikMoo
02-12-2016, 16:31
Thanks everyone - have swapped cables/outputs etc and I do think it is the CD player sadly. Been looking at an ex-demo 5si and looks like I will just eBay this one as suggested. Good to know knackered ones still sell well. It's not worth me posting it back to NAIM for £270 at least (without postage being taken into consideration). MAy as well bite the bullet and get new shinyness....shame.:lol:
Arkless Electronics
02-12-2016, 16:33
Yes - actually it was perfect at first. I listened a couple of tracks and then the crackles started. So do you think this sounds like the internal DAC?
Yes. That's normally how it happens... heat sensitive. I once bodged one of my Philips CD104's back into usable condition by gluing a small heatsink to the DAC IC so it never reached a temperature where the crackling started!
Let it completely cool (colder the better) and try again and see if it follows the pattern of a couple of tracks then the crackling starts.
The amp/speakers are fine when using my airDAC from the laptop
As Grant suggests, try the CDP through the AUX input, and if it works fine try the other one through the CD input. Also check different cables as per suggestions.
Good luck I hope it's an easy fix.
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MajikMoo
02-12-2016, 16:50
Do a full fault check first. Substitute interconnect cables and speaker cables and source equipment and try all the amp inputs.
CD players tend to fail completely rather than start crackling, it may well be a cable/connection that is the cause.
Plenty of players out there that are as good as the Naim ones, nowt wrong with them but they were way over-priced for what they are. So it is easily replaced for not much money and as Scooby says, you can sell a broken one for spares/repairs without much bother.
Thanks for the advice... The amp is just back from a service so really hope it isn't the amp. But have swapped and changed as much as I can and pretty sure it is the CD player :(
MajikMoo
02-12-2016, 16:53
Yes. That's normally how it happens... heat sensitive. I once bodged one of my Philips CD104's back into usable condition by gluing a small heatsink to the DAC IC so it never reached a temperature where the crackling started!
Let it completely cool (colder the better) and try again and see if it follows the pattern of a couple of tracks then the crackling starts.
Will do!!
MajikMoo
02-12-2016, 17:16
Yes. That's normally how it happens... heat sensitive. I once bodged one of my Philips CD104's back into usable condition by gluing a small heatsink to the DAC IC so it never reached a temperature where the crackling started!
Let it completely cool (colder the better) and try again and see if it follows the pattern of a couple of tracks then the crackling starts.
Yep - done this. Track 1-2 absolutely fine. Track 3, starting to creep in. Track 4 unbearable. It's only crackling with the music - inbetween tracks it's silent. Does this sound similar to what you had? If it was a cable it would be crackling all the time, wouldn't it? Changing cables is about the only thing I can't do from the CDP as it's 5pin and I only have one cable :/ All other options are exhausted!
Also found this http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cd3---left-channel-crackle
Plenty of TDA1305 DACs around, but you will need good soldering skills as it is surface mount.
It is the CD3 that has the TDA1541A, which is much easier to replace. This DAC can also get heat damaged over time.
Yep - done this. Track 1-2 absolutely fine. Track 3, starting to creep in. Track 4 unbearable. It's only crackling with the music - inbetween tracks it's silent. Does this sound similar to what you had? If it was a cable it would be crackling all the time, wouldn't it? Changing cables is about the only thing I can't do from the CDP as it's 5pin and I only have one cable :/ All other options are exhausted!
Also found this http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cd3---left-channel-crackle
If you wiggled the cable housing you'd be able to spot it immediately...
Does sound like the player but a crackling DAC is new one on me. I have 9 broken cd players at the moment, none of them with that particular fault. None are a TDA1305 though.
Arkless Electronics
02-12-2016, 18:25
Yep - done this. Track 1-2 absolutely fine. Track 3, starting to creep in. Track 4 unbearable. It's only crackling with the music - inbetween tracks it's silent. Does this sound similar to what you had? If it was a cable it would be crackling all the time, wouldn't it? Changing cables is about the only thing I can't do from the CDP as it's 5pin and I only have one cable :/ All other options are exhausted!
Also found this http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cd3---left-channel-crackle
As I suspected.... There are other things it could be but I'd put money on it being the DAC IC. Especially as it's Philips as, come to think of it, all the cases of this I've come across have involved Philips DAC IC's... which are obviously used in all sorts other than Philips own machines!!
Does sound like the player but a crackling DAC is new one on me. I have 9 broken cd players at the moment, none of them with that particular fault. None are a TDA1305 though.
I've read a few threads on PFM about Naim players with crackling DAC chips. Replacement chips seemed to solve the problem as far as I recall. Might be worth searching but I still reckon putting it on Ebay and buying a working one is the cheapest solution.
loveoscar
02-12-2016, 18:56
Sorry to here about your cd player. I'm sure its happened to many on here. Thought I'd get this suggestion in early if you have to replace the cdp, does it have to be a Naim? If not look at the Cambridge CXC, I've heard nothing but good reports about this cd transport and it could be used through your airDac with more upgradable options with the dac at a later date. Never the less good luck with your present cdp.
pgarrish
02-12-2016, 22:05
My Rotel 965 did almost exactly what you describe. In my case it was the two valve amps on the shelf below causing things to heat up in the CDP :doh: and I'd lose a channel after much crackling. Do you have a fan handy to see if it would keep the CDP cool enough to work OK?
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