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Faint speaker hiss

Was wondering if anyone here might be able to help me out. I recently acquired a new naim integrated (XS2) to pair with my Harbeth p3esr. I am using straightwire speaker cables which I've had for years. I noticed when I plugged everything in that the speakers have the ever so slightest hiss coming from them. I cannot hear it unless I get extremely close to to tweeter and te sound becomes non-existent once music starts playing. I have had the amp for about a week now and have kept it on 24/7. Does anyone know where the small hiss could be coming from? I tried different speaker cables/power cord and that didn't change anything. I also tried unplugging all my sources and left just the amp and speakers plugged in ad still had the faint hiss. Like I said, it's not audible unless I really get my ear close to the tweeter (about 3 inches). I might be nit picking but was wondering if anyone has had experience like this before? Should I try a different outlet? I am in an apartment so only have one or two places to put everything. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
mgrec42
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,975 posts
 
Have 110db 1 watt loudspeakers running and no noise so while a bit of hiss can be normal in some systems its possible to not have any. Many point to tube amps as having noise but I have found that some SS amplifiers can be even more so.
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
You shouldn't worry about it given your current speakers but keep this in mind if/when you decide to upgrade or switch to more efficient speakers, e.g., > 92 dB/w/m, etc., since the hissing sound could become more audible. Ideally, the tweeters should be dead quiet if your amplifier/preamplifier - in case of separates, have a properly matched gains but there's nothing you can do with an integrated unit. One could argue this is an indication of a suboptimal design by the manufacturer.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,785 posts
 
No this is not normal anymore.
This statement is incorrect. With nearly any integrated amplifier a hiss will be heard on that speaker. But it is of no consequence as others have pointed out; I've yet to meet any audiophile that listened to their speakers from only a couple of inches.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
This.  All brands and models of amplifiers vary, as will individual examples of each.  Above all, don't go crazy throwing $$$ at this problem because you'll never eliminate it.  The most quiet integrated I've ever heard is the Ayre AX-7, probably because of built-in filtering and the unusual design/configuration of its transformer.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
I asked my young son: he hears a faint hiss at very close range.
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