2. amps-preamps
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Help with hiss

Hello Friends,

My speakers have developed an audible hiss that I am trying to chase down. The hiss can be heard from across the room and while music is being played. Sometimes, the hiss is pulsating and sometimes constant. It occurs at all hours, perhaps less so in the early morning. Sometimes there is no hiss at all and everything is silent. It is an intermittent issue that is unpredictable.

My speakers are powered by mono block amplifiers. Both speakers exhibit the exact same behavior. The monos are plugged directly into the wall outlet. I also plugged them into a PS Audio AV Power Center with no relief. I changed power cords with no relief. No other piece of gear is on, although all are plugged in and some are in standby. I turned one mono off of course stopping the hiss in that speaker. The other continued to hiss. In reverse, same result.

This is not a “hum” (like from a ground loop). It is the same hiss that you can hear with your ear next to the tweeter but much louder.

I’m happy to answer any questions at all to help me resolve this. Thank you in advance.

 

forestg
barts's avatar
barts
687 posts
 

@forestg

OK so it sure sounds like its a power problem coming into your house. Your last post about plugging/unplugging each amp amp in turn and they exhibit the same symptom individually. Next step for me would be to purchase an isolation transformer and locate it in another area. I’m not talking about power conditioner here, but a real medical grade isolation transformer. A little pricey, but it will stop you from pulling your hair out. Good luck.

 

Regards,

barts

audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,017 posts
 

If it can’t be heard while music is playing, then why worry....there is some degree of hiss or noise in ever system. It depends how sensitive you are too it. My tubed phono preamp is noisier than my solid State. However, once the music is playing, I'll take the tubed phono any day...

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
4,366 posts
 

What power issue would cause an audio component to hiss? We are still talking about hiss are we? Hiss as in ssssssss type sound. Not the hmmmmmmm sound. Correct? 

Amplifier or preamplifier hiss can go unnoticed or may not be as noticeable if you have inefficient speakers. Once you move to a pair of speakers that are above 91 or so db efficiency from an 85db speaker the hiss will be more apparent. 
 

There’s something fishy going on here that sounds like some sort of a user error or a faulty piece of electronic equipment in the signal chain or a pair of new very efficient speakers is revealing this hiss. Very curios now….

fatdaddy2
368 posts
 

I've got hiss 24/7.  It's called tinnitus.

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