HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

In an apartment then your neighbours (above, below, beside) could be all running Wifi on different frequencies. You can check this with a free smartphone app like WifiAnalyzer.

Maybe there is an RF source close to the HiFi.

Andy-831 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:36 pm When I was struggling with finding the "right spot" for my Phono 2 I temporarily wrapped it in tinfoil to act as a Faraday Cage which seemed to work until I found a spot far enough away from the other electronics to allow it to be removed.

Not an elegant solution I accept but reassuring enough to give you the confidence that a solution did exist.

Thanks Andy for your input!
Great idea with the tinfoil. Will give it a try in the next days.
I tried with a sheet made of carbon fibre with metal coating, which I had laying around and which is said to reduce RFI-noise. Put it on top of the acrylic case of the phono 3. Results were not discernible as improvement.

Fretless wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:20 pm In an apartment then your neighbours (above, below, beside) could be all running Wifi on different frequencies. You can check this with a free smartphone app like WifiAnalyzer.

Maybe there is an RF source close to the HiFi.

Thanks Fretless for your valuable tip! Didn't know about such an app.

Wifi is everywhere these days... Apparently, not the audio friendliest times...
Below the apartment is cellar, besides is no neighbor. But one above and they most likely have modem / router with wifi. Good thing is that we live in an older house with high ceilings and thick brick walls (3,4m room height). We of course have also a modem with wifi - wifi is not used often, so most of the time off - in about 6 to 7m distance from my audio equipment in an adjacent room...

Thank you all for the inputs.
Great forum with highly supportive members!

I don’t have a phono 3 but have had my fair share of phono stages- namely Bellari Vp129 that was very sensitive to power supplies (wall warts) the best cure was an additional earth wire from phono stage to an adapted single pin plug- I know this was mentioned and tried- just my experience- use one on my phono 1 and makes positioning less sensitive

Norbert my Wi Fi Router and No 1 (of 3No) Wi Fi mesh extenders are all with 4m of my phono 2 and since a reorganization I have managed to quieten it down significantly enough that RFI pick up is no longer audible (to my ears anyway).

One last thing, I did approach Doc about 6 months ago to ask whether he could make longer umbilical power supply cords to get the phono stage box further away from the PSU's he said he could and that there would be no loss of SQ. So maybe that's another option to consider.

If you try the tinfoil trick make sure you wrap it fully, I did several layers in both directions (looked like a joint of meat ready for the oven LOL)

Latteman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 10:53 pm I don’t have a phono 3 but have had my fair share of phono stages- namely Bellari Vp129 that was very sensitive to power supplies (wall warts) the best cure was an additional earth wire from phono stage to an adapted single pin plug- I know this was mentioned and tried- just my experience- use one on my phono 1 and makes positioning less sensitive

Thanks for sharing your experience! Appreciated
Agreed, the additional earth wire helped a bit to cure possible power supply induced hum (although Phono 3 unit is seperated as far as possible from ps of other equipment). Floating of the BBPSU for example made a positive difference, too. But the higher frequency RFI, which my phono 3 picks up couldn't be cured so far.

Andy-831 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 12, 2019 9:26 am One last thing, I did approach Doc about 6 months ago to ask whether he could make longer umbilical power supply cords to get the phono stage box further away from the PSU's he said he could and that there would be no loss of SQ. So maybe that's another option to consider.

If you try the tinfoil trick make sure you wrap it fully, I did several layers in both directions (looked like a joint of meat ready for the oven LOL)

Thanks a lot Andy.
In case I send the phono 3 back for inspection to Doc, I will ask for longer umbilical ps cords for sure (to have more flexibility in positioning).
On the weekend should be time enough to try the tinfoil trick. Good that it's not barbecue time of the year currently...

eagwok33 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:49 pm

Fretless wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:20 pm In an apartment then your neighbours (above, below, beside) could be all running Wifi on different frequencies. You can check this with a free smartphone app like WifiAnalyzer.

Maybe there is an RF source close to the HiFi.

Thanks Fretless for your valuable tip! Didn't know about such an app.

Wifi is everywhere these days... Apparently, not the audio friendliest times...
Below the apartment is cellar, besides is no neighbor. But one above and they most likely have modem / router with wifi. Good thing is that we live in an older house with high ceilings and thick brick walls (3,4m room height). We of course have also a modem with wifi - wifi is not used often, so most of the time off - in about 6 to 7m distance from my audio equipment in an adjacent room...

I can say my wi-fi which is generally on has no effect on the Phono 2 (pre foil version).

My Phono 3 head unit sits less than two feet from it's massive power supplies and eight feet from the wi-fi router with no issues at all.
My Phono 2 sat in the same spot and that was fine too. However, when I took it to a friend's house to listen to it made an awful, loud constant "chirruping" which turned out to be his router which was in another room.