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AUDIO FORUMS >> TROUBLESHOOTING >> Seeking advice on a buzzing problem
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Message started by milkplus on 05/04/25 at 05:45:16

Title: Seeking advice on a buzzing problem
Post by milkplus on 05/04/25 at 05:45:16

Hey folks,

Just wanted to share a bit of a saga I had last night trying to track down a pesky buzz in my system. I had previously thought it was an errant ZRock 2 that had been causing a buzzing problem when placed between the preamp and amp and had solved it by moving it before the preamp stage. But now this no longer works to get rid of the buzzing. And when the ZRock is in the chain without the preamp the buzzing isn't there. After a few hours of fiddling (and probably annoying my wife with the mess!), I'm pretty sure I've narrowed it down to my CSP2+.

I should note that this has all reared its head because I've recently upgraded my speakers to 100db efficient Zu Soul 6. Lovely speakers but also very efficient at revealing noise, it seems.

Even with everything else disconnected – just the UFO25 and speakers powered on – if I crank the volume on the UFO past about 2 o'clock, there's a noticeable low buzz. Pull the power plug on the CSP2+, and poof, the buzzing vanishes! There's still a super faint hum if I put my ear right up to the speaker, but that's nothing compared to the buzz.

So, now that I've (hopefully correctly) identified the culprit, what's the next step? Is this a "send it in for repair" kind of situation?
Tried a DC blocker on various components (amp, preamp, ZRock 2) but no luck there, sadly. And trust me, I really wished it was just a dodgy RCA cable after the marathon cable-swapping session I had! Even tried borrowing an Audioquest Niagra 1200, but that didn't solve the buzzing either (jury's still out on whether it improves the sound, but definitely not buying another thing right now!).

The weird thing is, even if the CSP2+ isn't connected to the UFO25, just having it plugged into power causes the buzzing to appear when the UFO's volume goes past 2 o'clock. Unplug the preamp, and the buzz is either gone or so quiet I can't hear it unless my ear is right on the speaker. With the preamp plugged in, I can hear the buzz standing up, and definitely from the listening position at higher volumes.

Sounds like some kind of grounding issue with the CSP2+, but I'm way out of my depth trying to fix that myself. Guess I'll be shooting Decware an email to see if they have any ideas.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar with their CSP2+ or any other gear? Any thoughts or suggestions in the meantime would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!