RS150B Ticking Sound? And other questions…

Support
#1

TLDR: At the risk of sounding like an idiot…

Can someone please put their ear close to their RS150B when it is powered on and tell me if your device is ticking like a clock? What is making this noise?

Longer version:

I recently purchased a RS150B from Northern Audio here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). The device has been burnt in for about 250 hours.

I have a couple of technical questions:

  1. When the device is powered on - either actively streaming music or in standby mode, if I put my ear close to the device I hear an audible ticking (clicking) sound from the hardware itself. It sounds like a clock ticking in a regular and consistent cadence. Is this expected? And if so, what is it? Fan? Power supply? Clock?

When the device is shut down or when I unplug from power, this clicking sound stops. I don’t necessarily hear this in playback… but it is concerning to hear any piece of electronic gear making an unfamiliar noise.

  1. What is your recommendation with regards to leaving the device on vs shutting it down when not in use? Have you noticed improved sound quality when leaving the device on vs. powering it off between listening sessions?

  2. The device seems to emit an almost inaudible high-frequency noise if you put your ear close to it… almost like the electrical noise of lights… it would seem that my Line Magnetic 845 Premium is picking this up in one of the tubes in the left channel (this actually is coming through speakers)… tube may be microphonic and simply picking up the noise… and I hate to point the finger at the HiFi Rose, but this didn’t start until I put it in the system.

Grounding and electrical (dedicated lines) are all in order… no ground loops or noises other than this in the entire system. I may have to try some IsoAcoustics pucks to lift the unit off my console top.

#2

Are you using a external DAC via i2s by chance?

#3

No. I am using the RS150B as a streamer/DAC, primarily as a Roon endpoint.

#4

I thought it could be a i2s issue. Not sure I can help.

#5

Thanks for trying duffer! I have an email out to the support team and hoping someone from HiFi Rose will respond here as well. I welcome any other thoughts from the community… the ticking noise is very faint and is heard from the RS150B itself. I find it most prominent on the right hand side of the screen. Need to get your ear within 6-8 inches (~10cm) of the device.

The device is set to only output to balanced and unbalanced adapters with no digital input or digital output ports turned on. Toggling these on/off does nothing.

Perhaps this is a standard operating condition for the device, but I find it prudent to ask questions when a piece of gear is doing something out of the ordinary.

1 Like
#6

hello, I have been careful on my 150b but I don’t hear any noise. I say a silly … try to reverse the power outlet (or use a different one) … so it costs nothing to try … Greetings

#7

I have tried 3 different outlets, running the device on its own dedicated line, running the device on a Nordost QB8 QBase, the original power cable, a Nordost Blue Heaven Cable - in all cases I hear the Continuous ticking sound (it sounds like a clock). This is not the start up/shut down clicks I am referring to - those are expected and normal.

#8

I’ve just tested my 150B - with music and without. No ticking at all. My Rose 150B is connected to C45 McIntosh preamp. I’m using ballanced cables.

#9

No ticking on my RS150B either. Have you tried disconnecting all cables except for the power to see if the ticking goes away?

#10

The ticking is coming from the device itself, not audible through speakers - but you have to get very close to the device and listen very closely. My dealer had a brand new unit which we unboxed and plugged in at the shop, and it made the same ticking noise, which we both heard.

#11

I wonder if the ticking units are from the same batch of builds… My unit has an April 2022 build date.