2. amps-preamps
  3. 1129488953

"White noise hiss" through speakers.

Hello fellow music lovers, I have a newbie question so be gentle with me. I replaced my Creek 5350 with separates. I’m now using a Belles 21A Preamp with a Musical Fidelity A308cr. When I used the Creek, I could turn the Creek up full volume, and with no source playing there was not a single hint of noise through the speakers. Now, with the Belles & MF there is a faint hiss audible at 2 feet or less even with the volume at zero. Needless to say when I turn the volume up (with no source playing) the “white noise hiss” increases noticeably. Is this normal with a high powered amp? The MF is 225 watts per.
The speakers are Spendor S9s.

Any input is appreciated, THANKS!
tgyeti
rgcards
39 posts
 
This drives me crazy. It is something of which every component has a little. I would switch out the preamp and see if it goes away, otherwise it is the power amp, which I used to own and found very quiet. I once bought an ARC LS 15 pre which is well regarded. It hissed much worse than thhe 150$ Carver that it replaced. It did other things better but I could not get over the hiss. My deale said that thit was prt of the design, to get the detail and imaging it needed a higher noise floor. I returned it. In the cases it usually the pre
arni
313 posts
 
Your Creek had a passive pre-amp stage. The gain in your active pre-amp is probably the culpit, and I think this varies from one active pre to another, as suggested above. When I had a Creek passive pre in my system, it was dead quiet by the speaker with the volume turned all the way up. Now, with an active pre, it is a whole different story with the white noise you are experiencing. However, with music playing in my system, even at loud levels, I don't notice it, in part because with the active pre in the system, I never need to turn the volume all the way up.
tgyeti OP
84 posts
 
Arni hit the nail on the head. I just inserted the Creek in the line as a pre (it has "pre outs") and it is dead quiet when used with the MF. I now have to do some A - B comparisons to see if what I gain in sound improvements with the Bells is worth the hiss. The musician in me says I don't want that hiss, I want the "black nothingness" in-between the notes to be BLACK! lol.

Thanks everybody!
kw6
692 posts
 
I have a c-j tube pre and c-j tube amp. My speakers (MG12/QR) are a bit less effiecient than yours, but when I have the volume up to a reasonable good level and I put my ear right next to the panel its dead quiet. That much hiss on your set-up is not normal.

Good Luck!*>)
bigjob
30 posts
 
Might simply be a case of too much gain when combining these two components-it can be made worse if you happen to have efficient speakers. Try the Endler or Rothwell online attenuators.
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