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

Showing 2 responses by carlsbad2

Assuming the hiss comes from both speakers, then it is not your speakers or your amplifiers.  It comes from further upstream, a component that processes both channels. 

I would guess your preamp.  

Unplug the interconnects from your preamp.  that will rule it out.  is there anything else plugged into your amps (besides power)?

If it is still there, then it is likely a power or interference issue as Erik has described.  It can't really be any of your equipment since the likelihood of the same problem happening in both channels at the same time is astronomically small.  Or would that be particle physics small?