Residual noise.

Every system I have ever heard, including mine, seems to have a slight hiss up close to the speakers, this gets louder as volume increases and I assume isn't good for sound quality.

What can be done about it as I'm both annoyed and paranoid...

I have traced mine to the amp is it normal or what?

 

Hey, my speakers do this!

I thought it was because they were cheap and crappy.

What gives?

 

Largely this is thermal noise in the early stages of the amplifier that gets amplified by the amplifier. It can be as small as a few microvolts in the early stages of the amplifier, but it gives enough of an output to cause an audible hiss.

You could try cooling the input resistors...

 

Mine doesnt do it at all AFAICT

 

Further to my previous post, you will also find that if you switch to a phono stage on your amp, this hiss is much louder still, due to the still increased level of voltage gain from a phono stage.

 

This only applies when the turntable input is the selected source in my system.

 

This occurs on mine even if the mute button is on, its something I never understood and never worry about, I think you would have to discount most recordings and vinyl and compressed music all together if this level of noise worries you.

That leaves you Nora Jones then, lovely recording, wake me when its finished.

 

You can't avoid it, don't worry about it it, they all do it, and it will be louder with more sensitive speakers.

Cheers

 

You can avoid it. Just don't stick your ears next to the speakers

 

Well, yes of course, just don't do it. But if you can't resist, don't worry about it if you hear something.

It is in effect, like complaining that you can hear the engine of a Mercedes running, but only when you've got your ear pressed against the bonnet.

Cheers

 

I suppose it would become objectionable if your listening position was 4mm from the speaker but as it probably isn't...worry not... can you hear it in a "normal" listening position with the Vol at your "normal" listening level...??.. No?? thats ok then..

Regards

 

I wouldn't normally worry but as the volume increases so does the hiss so at high volumes you have a high noise floor and the silences between music are not silent as they could be and it's annoying...Sort of thing....

It's not a huge problem but I wonder if some sort of mains treatment stuff would help or if the noise if just a product of the amp and can't be helped.

 

You could of course buy yourself a Tact S2150 digital amp and then you won't hear the slightest bit of hiss, at any level

You might not like what you do hear however.

 

IMO mains treatment (from either school) will not reduce hiss. If you can hear the hiss from a listening position at a usable volume setting then you need to change your amp. Or speakers. Turntable inputs will always be noisier than line level. With a line level input selected and everything powered on but not playing I think that with a well designed amp the hiss level will not change hugely with volume.

Paul

 

I get a hum through my A400, is that the same thing? Transformer hum? How do you reduce this btw.