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.
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?
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Man, I am so appreciative for all these suggestions and help! I knew I came to the right place! @erik_squires As far as the LED thing, this is a large kitchen ceiling light that I converted from 2x4’ fluorescent bulbs to 2 LED bulbs. I didn’t replace the fixture, but bought the LED’s that have the built in ballast to be able to operate them in the same fixture. I’ll replace the entire fixture when I find one I like. So, no strips, wall warts, etc. And they are not dimmable. Like I said, the hiss occurs whether or not that light is on. The WiFi modem/router is in the same place it has been for years (20+). It’s also the same one I’ve had for years. I did eliminate it on the off chance that it was creating a problem, but the hiss continued. @soix I can’t argue that the Mac is less than ideal. I was an early adapter of Roon and, at the time, the options were pretty thin. The Mac was something that could run Roon and I was familiar with them. My next upgrade is a real streamer, so the MacBook’s days are numbered. Even so, I’ve had this configuration for years. The only thing this Mac does is run Roon. It is the only thing it has ever done. I have never used it for any other purpose. I did unplug it from the Brick Wall ( those wall warts can be problematic), but the hiss continued. @carlsbad2 I will unplug the outputs from the preamp. Good idea. Power and one input (from the preamp) are the only things plugged into the amps. I, too, fear that this is less system related and more power grid or power supply problem (from outside). That makes it beyond my control which I don’t want to think about right now. @oddiofyl I don’t have anything like that. I’m hard pressed to remember that last “new thing” I introduced to this house. I’m not a big change person. I research the life out of something, make a decision and then live with that decision until it breaks or becomes so outdated that it no longer serves a useful purpose. That’s why this is a little baffling….nothing has changed, but the system suddenly began to exhibit this annoying feature. Thank you!
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@erik_squires I had that thought as well. I didn’t so much change any cables, but I did add a cable around Christmas time. I got a Schiit Loki for Christmas, so I broke out a pair of Raven Audio cables to use to put the Loki in the system. Unfortunately, right now, I have a hodgepodge of cables and not a full loom from one manufacturer. I have mostly Audioquest, but a couple of Zu Missions (I think), and the Raven. My turntable is a Rega, so the cables are captive. |
