Digital Clock Noise


I have a 1999 Panasonic DVD/CD H1000 that has developed strange noise in the left channel only. I have tried the player in two different systems and with different interconnects. The noise is subtle and can only be heard in the quieter passages of the music - but it IS there.

I would describe it as being somewhat like a tree full of little birds tweeting and chirping way off in the background somewhere - perhaps with some other "electronic" sounds added to the mix?

Is this digital clock noise? What might be causing it? Can it be fixed by a professional technician for a few hundred dollars?
poetcatullus
Am I serious about how to make the noise or am I serious that the noise bothers me? I listen to only classical music and there are often soft passages where system noises can be annoying if they exist. If the right channel is noise free, why should I not expect the left channel to be noise free also? I happen to own two of these players and the other one does not produce this strange noise. I am hoping that a fellow Audiogoner will come up with the professional name of the noise so that I can communicate that to the repair technician instead of making weird noises at him. Oh well . . .
Antigrunge, it took me about 20 minutes to recover from the laughter fit that your response caused.

Poet, don't take offense to the responses, no one is questioning your concern. But when describing facial contortions resulting in what sounds like a pig eating slop, it's hard to connect the dots as to how that sound coming out of your left channel would be properly diagnosed.

I would say, based on the age of that component, that it probably would not be cost effective to take it in to be checked, or even repaired. You have already eliminated the amps and the cables from the mix. So, it's most likely the DVD player. For a few hundred dollars above and beyond what it may likely cost to repair it, I might suggest looking at an Oppo BD 95 multi format player. I have one (no affiliation) It plays Blu ray DVD's, SACD, red book, etc. I use mine specifically for audio and I love it. The company has great customer service as well. That is my 2cents. Good luck
Thanks, Jud!
I did spend $35 for a diagnosis. When I dropped the player off, I mouthed my strange noises and the man at the counter immediately said that it was indeed some kind of digital noise - but probably not clocking noise. Within 24 hours the technician telephoned me and said that it was a problem with the main processing board. We were amazed that the board was still available - for almost $500. The labor would have been another $100. He said that it was not possible to try to repair the main board piecemeal - or at least not realistic. We mutually agreed that a repair was not cost effective. He further advised me to save the old unit for parts, especially since I own two of these units and the transport in the defective player still works fine. Oh well . . .
One must understand that there are certain risks to buying vintage equipment.