Lowering the noise floor

     The largest reduction in the noise floor I've  ever perceived in my many systems over the past 40+ years occurred about 3 years ago when I first substituted a class D amp in my system after using class A/B amps for virtually my entire home audio life. 
      In retrospect, there have been many changes in my sources (vinyl to cds to Super Beta Audio recordings of my cds to DVD-A and SACD to my current computer audio with ripped cds and 24 bit/96khz downloaded files) and many changes in my speakers (no-name Pacific Stereo to Klipsch Heresy to Mirage to Maggie IIB with single sub to my current Maggie 2.7qr with 4 subs) but relatively few changes in amps (from Pioneer and Yamaha am/fm receivers to Adcom separates to various mid-level class A/B amps with a VTL tube preamp to class D stereo amps to my current D-Sonic class D mono-blocks).
      Without any doubt, the change from class A/B amps to class D amps in my system resulted in the biggest perceived lowering of my system's noise floor of any system changes I've ever made.  I was not expecting this dramatic perceived noise floor lowering with the switch from class A/B to D amps since I didn't recall it being mentioned by others who had switched to class D amps. 
       I did immediately notice other changes to the sound of class D that others had mentioned such as increased bass response, increased dynamics and a detailed but smooth mid-range and treble response comparable to good class A/B amps.  But the lowered noise floor, that made it seem like the music was emerging from a dead calm inky blackness, was just a big bonus that made all my familiar music sound even better.  I also think this lowered noise floor enabled my system to sound more detailed. 
     Given these results with a class D stereo amp,  I subsequently bought another stereo and a pair of mono-block class D amps to replace the remaining class A/B amps in my combo ht and 2-ch music system which has increased the performance of both. 

For what it's worth,
     Tim 

I don't care if balanced cables with XLR connections are actually superior or not.  I'm going to keep using them because they sound good in my system, provide very secure connections and, truth be told, are infinitely cooler than RCA cables and connectors.

Just my take,
    Tim

"I have one word. Cryogenics. Cryo everything! Everything in the signal path and everything not in the signal path. "

I sure hope geoffkait is right about the cryogenics treatment on everything; I've got an appointment tomorrow to have my entire body cryogenically treated.  Our ears and brains are in the signal path, right?

 The doctors warned me that my entire body will become very brittle after the treatment, like fine crystal.
  They said a high, sustained tone at just the right resonant frequency or even being nudged or bumped could cause me to shatter into 1,000 pieces.  
     I'm sure everyone's in agreement that these risks are definitely worth taking for a bit better system sound, right?
    My wife's trying to talk me out of it but our commitment to better sound trumps any silly marital vows, right?
   Okay, all systems  are a go for the treatment unless geoffkait tells me before 2 pm that he may have exaggerated just a scooch on this cryo stuff. since the cryo treatment  is non-reversible.

Wish me luck,
    Tim

" Wouldn’t that be a moot point if one is using an integrated amp?"

gdhal,
Not really, since almost all integrated amps just have a built in active preamp section. However, integrated amps do eliminate the need for external cables that are required between separate preamps and amps that may help keep the noise floor a bit lower.

dodgelum,
A very quiet tube amp really is unusual, congrats on finding one.
I’ve always loved the sound of a good tube preamp or amp in a system but realized they had to add something to the signal (even order harmonic distortion?) to flavor the sound like most do. Whether this added something adds to the noise floor of a system, I’m not certain.
Tim

I posted this in December of 2017:

" "I have one word. Cryogenics. Cryo everything! Everything in the signal path and everything not in the signal path. "

I sure hope geoffkait is right about the cryogenics treatment on everything; I’ve got an appointment tomorrow to have my entire body cryogenically treated. Our ears and brains are in the signal path, right?
The doctors warned me that my entire body will become very brittle after the treatment, like fine crystal.
They said a high, sustained tone at just the right resonant frequency or even being nudged or bumped could cause me to shatter into 1,000 pieces.
I’m sure everyone’s in agreement that these risks are definitely worth taking for a bit better system sound, right?
My wife’s trying to talk me out of it but our commitment to better sound trumps any silly marital vows, right?
Okay, all systems are a go for the treatment unless geoffkait tells me before 2 pm that he may have exaggerated just a scooch on this cryo stuff. since the cryo treatment is non-reversible.

Wish me luck,
Tim"

Well, I had my entire body cryogenically treated and I promised an update on the results. I was just released from the hospital last week. I’ve been in what they call their "Super-Duper Complete Body Cryo Treatment Just in Case Isolation Chamber" since I underwent the treatment way back in 2017.
All of my attending doctors were required to remove all of their existing body hair and wore completely sealed body suits with hoses attached that fed oxygen in and and carried exhalation emissions out of my sealed glass room. Any possible ’contaminates’ such as tvs, radios, computers, books, magazines, clothing, telephones or visitors were strictly forbidden. I was constantly being poked, prodded and monitored. My wife divorced me and I’d actually forgotten what colors looked like because everything was white or metallic.
It was a bit difficult to go through and I’m just so glad it’s all over and I’m home again. Thank goodness my very good health insurance ran out. Nobody ever said getting great system sound was going to be easy, right?
Okay, enough of the whining, what were the results?

Well, it’s only been a week, but I think my system sounds a scooch better. Of course, I haven’t heard music for almost 2 years but I doubt that would have any affect. The weird part is I’m now constantly cold and shivering. I can also constantly see my breath, my wife’s gone, I’ve lost all contact with family/friends, I have no idea what’s going on in the world and I lost almost 2 years of my life. But on the positive side, I think my system might sound marginally a bit better, maybe.
     Yes, it was definitely worth it, no doubt about it, it was so expensive and painful it must sound better, what was the friggin point otherwise?  Uh oh, do you think this could be what’s called the ’placebo effect’?

Tim