Hiss and Hum

metal83

I have the XPA-3 and a Pionner Elite 92, and yesterday i noticed my RTi A7 speakers making a very very slight hissing sound when i have it muted (same with my CSi A6). I mean very slight, my ear would have to be right up next to the drivers to hear it, i remember hearing the same thing with my RTi10's running off just the Pioneer AVR. I never gave it much thought since i couldn't hear it unless i planted my head right next to the speaker with the sound muted, but now i'm curious if this is normal or not.

Also, my XPA-3 it self seems to be making a very slight humming type of sound when i put my ear next to it, i didn't hear this before, unless i just didn't notice it, is this normal? Is it supposed to be absolutely 100% silent even when your ears are right next to it?

I have it hooked into my HTS 1600 right now, because it won't reach the wall outlet. I tried turning everything off, and unplugging the RCA's from the XPA-3, but when i turn the XPA-3 back on by itself, it's still humming. Almost like a slight vibration sort of hum, not loud at all, but can definitely be heard with my ear right up against it.

Maybe i'm being paranoid, and i hope so.......but maybe not, i don't know.

metal83

In regards to the XPA-3

Ughh i hope i'm being paranoid, or it's something else causing this. It will be pretty damn discouraging if i have to send my brand new XPA-3, that i fell in love with, in for service already after only 3 days of use. I'm sure they wouldn't send me another one either since they are out of stock.

metal83

In regards to the speaker hiss


Ok...well someone just told me that all speakers Hiss, but not Hum like electricity is passing through them. My speakers definetly have a very very slight hiss, but no Hum what so ever.......So if that's true about the hissing, i'd be relieved, at least in regards to the speakers.

TNRabbit

A ground fault, maybe?

metal83

TNRabbit wrote: »

A ground fault, maybe?

In regards to what, the Hiss of the speakers, or the Hum of the amp...or both?

Retro152

metal83 wrote: »

I have the XPA-3 and a Pionner Elite 92, and yesterday i noticed my RTi A7 speakers making a very very slight hissing sound when i have it muted (same with my CSi A6). I mean very slight, my ear would have to be right up next to the drivers to hear it, i remember hearing the same thing with my RTi10's running off just the Pioneer AVR. I never gave it much thought since i couldn't hear it unless i planted my head right next to the speaker with the sound muted, but now i'm curious if this is normal or not.

Also, my XPA-3 it self seems to be making a very slight humming type of sound when i put my ear next to it, i didn't hear this before, unless i just didn't notice it, is this normal? Is it supposed to be absolutely 100% silent even when your ears are right next to it?

I have it hooked into my HTS 1600 right now, because it won't reach the wall outlet. I tried turning everything off, and unplugging the RCA's from the XPA-3, but when i turn the XPA-3 back on by itself, it's still humming. Almost like a slight vibration sort of hum, not loud at all, but can definitely be heard with my ear right up against it.

Maybe i'm being paranoid, and i hope so.......but maybe not, i don't know.

Hey Metal, I just picked up the Pioneer sc-05, meaning you and i have virtually the exact same setup. I have the Xpa-3 plugged in direct to a wall socket. I just troubleshot my rig, and dont have any of the problems youve described. Wonder if its the 1600?

metal83

I was just told by Lonnie (i believe he works for Emotiva) over on the Emotiva lounge that the hum in my amp is normal.

This is what he said....

"Considering the size of the transformer in that thing, there is a lot of magnetic energy there and there will be mechanical atributes associated with that. We do install all kinds of vibration isolation pads and mounts but you can never get rid of everything. Given that you have to put your ear right on it to hear it, this is normal."




The thing is, even if the Hum in the XPA-3 is normal, my speakers are still making a very very, and i mean very slight Hiss, even with my AVR and everything else off, and just the XPA-3 on. I literally have to put my ear right next to the drivers.

Maybe it is my HTS-1600.

Retro152

That's a relief! I, like you have been paranoid about my gear, haha, just like bringing up a newborn.

metal83

retro152 wrote: »

That's a relief! I, like you have been paranoid about my gear, haha, just like bringing up a newborn.

Yeah, i'm still getting conflicting info about it being normal though, over on other forums people are telling me that it should be dead silent, the amp, and the speakers. It's tough when one has limited knowledge of all of this.

mewisemagic

i say as long as you can't hear this hiss 2 or 3" away it is ok. one of my carvers and both adcoms hiss,but my ear has to be almost touching the driver and there is no way you can hear that when playing music. just double check all oy you connections ,rca's etc. and maybe if you have any flouresent lights on the same circiut too

metal83

mewisemagic wrote: »

i say as long as you can't hear this hiss 2 or 3" away it is ok. one of my carvers and both adcoms hiss,but my ear has to be almost touching the driver and there is no way you can hear that when playing music. just double check all oy you connections ,rca's etc. and maybe if you have any flouresent lights on the same circiut too

Connections are all fine, all Factory terminated Banana's. RCA's are all fine as well, so that's one thing out of the way.

If i move my ear about 4" away from the speaker, then i cannot hear the Hiss.

I do have flouresent lights, in another room. Though to be honest, this an Apt, so i'm not sure if they are on the same circuit or not.

danz1906

Could be a ground-loop hum,Try to lift the ground with a cheater plug.

metal83

I think i was just being a bit paranoid yesterday. Emotiva says a slight hum in the Amp is normal if you put your ear right next to it. And the hiss from the speakers can't be heard unless my ear is right next to the driver, even then it's very slight. My XPA-3's power cord is currently near all of my other wires, so once i get a longer cable, plug it directly into the wall, and get it away from other wires, maybe the hiss will stop.

tcrossma

A slight hiss is normal in the speakers.

If the amp is buzzing *very* slightly, that's normal too. If it's buzzing more than slightly, then it's probably some DC in your AC, which is not too uncommon.

All in all, I'd say everything is fine with your equipment.

metal83

By the way, the hiss is actually not coming from my drivers. Silly me never took the grills off to confirm, i just assumed it was the driver. But today, i took the grills off, and the driver is silent, it's actually the tweeters hissing in my speakers, if that makes any difference.

I posted this in my other thread as well.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78413

polkie4life

In regards to hiss, i know of one possible reason.

When an amplifier has its gain ramped up to increase power output this is one of the side-effects.

Personally i have never heard a speaker hiss, the above is something i read from a reputable amplifier maker.