One thing I have become curious about is the type of amps used. Both new Rokits and Adams have class D. I'm wondering if they struggle to make quiet class D budget amps. But now I found some HS 5 spec pdf which says: "The monitor speakers shall have built-in bi-amplified power with class-D amplifiers." I've seen everyone saying that Yamaha HS series has AB amps. Has it changed and if yes, could the newer ones be noisier?
-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
Hiss List (S&R)
- Thread starter pozz
- Start date
dasdoing
Major Contributor
this KRK is still AB and has the hiss
It's just a cost–benefit thing. They couldn't produce these products with totaly quiet amps. And most who use them don't need them to be totaly quiet either. I mean, the hiss "goes away" when you play them at mixing levels. Plus when you have lots of analog gear the noise floor is probably higher anyways. most studios use air conditioning also.
lowkeyoperations
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2021
- Messages
- 407
- Likes
- 442
My Dynaudio XD-20s, while not studio monitors, have quite loud hiss. I can hear the hiss from 1.5m or so. I find it fairly annoying. At my usual listening distance in the living room the hiss is barely inaudible but i find I do a fair bit of ‘living’ in that room closer to them. Yoga on the floor, sitting by the fireplace. When I complained to Dynaudio they said it’s normal and apparently gave some benefits to the overall design. Not sure what exactly they meant by that though…
The Neumann KH120S I used to have in my studio were pretty good. Only just audible but very low at about 80cm away. Well designed for nearfield use.
I find that in nearfield setups hiss is super annoying. No way I could deal with some of the ones high on the list there.
The Neumann KH120S I used to have in my studio were pretty good. Only just audible but very low at about 80cm away. Well designed for nearfield use.
I find that in nearfield setups hiss is super annoying. No way I could deal with some of the ones high on the list there.
Last edited:
I understand that, but it depends on what you're mixing. Something with lots of cymbal content? Sure, all the hiss gets masked. Quiet parts in classical music or vocal tracks? Hiss was very audible for me. I don't find that acceptable, even for cheaper speakers. Rokits I didn't test enough, because they were unbearable. With T7Vs I tried to get used to the hiss, but it would constantly grab my attention because I hear something that shouldn't be there. Like it's hard to tell for example if the kick sample is noisy or it's the speaker hiss, especially with the more minimalistic samples like 808 kicks. Had to use headphones to double check. I can't work like that.
If the comments and hiss spreadsheet are to be trusted then Yamaha HS series and Mackie MR series should be significantly quieter. That indicates it's possible to make low hiss speakers that are still cheap. I wish companies were at least honest about it. I don't remember seeing any data about hiss in KRK or Adam specs. Neumann KH 80 for example clearly says in the specs: "Self-generated noise at 10 cm (with input gain set to 100 dB SPL for 0 dBu): <20 dB(A) SPL." I understand that these things might not be easy to measure but it's something to work with. Big differences would clearly come out. T7Vs definitely aren't <20 dB SPL at 10cm.
dasdoing
Major Contributor
I think the real question is: why do the amps need to be at max (the knobs will only attenuate)? there is probably a simple reason for this, but I don't understand it. most stand-alone amps will also hiss at max, won't they?
That's one of the things I don't understand. My old amp would be quiet when turned all the way down and would hiss a lot when at max volume. That makes sense and that's where gain staging comes in. Usually had it set around 25% and that was loud enough for my small room and the hiss was not easy to hear from my seating position. With both KRK and Adam monitors the hiss would be louder at 100%, but when turning it down, below 75% or so it doesn't get any quieter. As I understand, there's a lot of electronics in it that isn't just for amplification, but to achieve a flat frequency response. Maybe that causes the hiss. My technical knowledge about amps is very limited though.
I have a pair of JBL 306P MkII, they are listed as having poor hiss characteristics, mine have none, zero...also have a pair of Yamaha DBR10s,, again said to have poor hiss, but mine have none...so it would seem to be either manufacturing tolerance on components or I'm deaf in that region of the spectrum...
I think I read on Reddit that older JBLs had horrible hiss but the issue was fixed and newer batches don't have it. Or maybe it was Kalis. But reviews of many speakers seem to be a bit mixed in terms of hiss. I suspect there is enough variation in components used that different batches can have worse hiss. Also, hiss can be caused by different things. Most hiss complaints about Yamaha HS series that I found seemed to be linked to other issues. For example, the hiss would only be present when plugged into the audio interface or started after 2 years of use. That's a different issue than having hiss in new speakers when nothing is plugged in and they're gain staged properly.
dasdoing
Major Contributor
my old KRK has -30dB to +6dB written on the "volume" knob, which probably means that the amp gain is only ajustable by 6dB?
Because of calibration. Each speaker has its own volume trim setting that is adjusted so that the image will be centered in your listening position. Once that's done you do not touch speaker output adjustment any more and you adjust decibels coming out of them with input signal to the speakers, with preamp.
dasdoing
Major Contributor
why can't you do this by ajusting the AMP gain?
Curvature
Major Contributor
- Joined
- May 20, 2022
- Messages
- 1,211
- Likes
- 1,631
bede
Member
I'm being driven mad by my new KRK RP7 G4s, which surely must be worse than the numbers in this list suggest. I can hear the hiss >3m away without a source connected in a house near a road. They're going back but I've no idea what to replace them with. I'm wondering whether to take the refund and save for Genelec M8030Cs.
I don't see KRK RP7 G4 in the list.
I Tried Genelec 8030C and they hiss noticeably. Take the refund if you can and try Neumann or newest Kali models.
Last edited:
bede
Member
Sorry – yes it isn't in the list and I appreciate that I'm extrapolating wildly from different KRK models to the RP7 G4.
Thanks for these great recommendations. By shattering my 8030C dream you have saved me a great deal of cash.
Last edited:
Try Kali LP6! Very similar but much better speaker with less hiss and deeper sub bass, love mine!
bede
Member
Ordered! Thanks for the recommendation. Ideal for my needs on paper.
Edit: The V2s, of course!
Last edited:
great to hear, as long as you got the V2 and not some second hand V1's im sure you'll be happy, Kali specifically fixed the hiss on the V2 and its very good as i mentioned, i look forward to hearing your opinion on the speakers
edit: testing mine i can hear a light hiss at about 5-6 inches and where i sit about 16-18 inches from the speaker i hear basically nothing at all.
Last edited:
