bel canto hiss

rca/xlr button is certainly on the poweramp. it could well not be on the integrated.

I'm with Godfather on this. absence of total (black) silence is the quibble, but its just that, and is not material when actually listening to what's playing. and I would recommend the bel canto poweramp, and I have no plans to sell mine thank you.

 

I guess it depends upon how attuned your hearing is and how quiet your home is. In my previous situation I found that once I had noticed the hiss problem, my ears always locked onto it from the seating position, where it seemed ever more loud through familiarity.

 

agreed, but as indicated, its only when up close that its discernible.

as a rule, 12 inches is tops for hearing anything. I'm usually more than 5' 7", though I like to think I'm 5' 8".

Alanbeeb and I were listening to a 1960s live recording which was wonderful music but the smallest cough was easily discernible - essence of realism but did make us want to give the guy a sweet to sook!

 

Have to say that my 2i has no hiss.

 

Neither has Cab856's or Henry T's or Gary G's or Mine

 

I just tried some different speakers, a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mk2. The hiss is nearly gone, barely audible within inches of the speakers.

 

It's upstream. When I put the DAX Decade into standby mode (not just mute), the hiss disappears.

 

Probably because dyn's are not exactly sensitive speakers.

 

Yep that's my theory too.

 

Indeed. My old dyns were rather smooth and not particuarly revealing in the treble detail. (Good speakers though)

 

Dunkyboy has just been round, returning some vinyl and borrowing an interconnect or two, and having listening from close up to tweeter (when music dont play) and from listening position (when it is either playing or not) he's told me in no uncertain terms that I'm quibbling to point of irrelevance - so, I'm putting that one away ...