HOw to minimal Hiss ? Pc sound still hiss. suggestions?

[Ultrasonic]

Don't underestimate the number of people 'out there' who don't see the significance of identifying hiss, versus general RFI or bus noise pickup, or ground loop mains hum - it can lead to misdiagnosis, and expense, and may get mis-reported. (even on ASR, surprisingly). And people do the weirdest of things with kit sometimes.... My point is that if you listen to music on a PC, you should get a good experience with most of the common DACs.

Oh yeah, loads of possible causes.

Here's an example of someone way more experienced than me discussing the USB issue (including mentioning a specific DAC example early on) - it will start on the relevant section:

 

[Redacted]

Isn't the video about digital-to-digital converters? (And 5 years old)
That's all beyond my needs, and possibly that of the OPs - a simple USB DAC is probably fine in 2026.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Isn't the video about digital-to-digital converters? (And 5 years old)
That's all beyond my needs, and possibly that of the OPs - a simple USB DAC is probably fine in 2026.

The information is relevant whether you or the OP has any interest in a DDC. Just watch it and you'll see .

Edit: little of relevance will have changed in just 5 years.

 

[antcollinet]

Isn't the video about digital-to-digital converters? (And 5 years old)
That's all beyond my needs, and possibly that of the OPs - a simple USB DAC is probably fine in 2026.

Maybe - maybe not. If this is graphics card induced ground currents then a DAC is unlikely to help. Galvanic isolation will be required.

As a cheap n cheerful solution I'm gonna be suggesting a bluetooth receiver. Cheaper than a DAC and fully isolated.

 

[gwing]

The information is relevant whether you or the OP has any interest in a DDC. Just want it and you'll see .

Unfortunately the info (I didn't bother watching the video) is probably tosh as DD converters are essentially snake oil. I agree regarding the earlier posts that there is value in using an optical Toslink to completely eliminate electrical junk being transferred between devices, and I would have suggested that myself except the OP was clearly on a budget and might not have a sound card with that output and also it is a 5.1 system which, possibly, might need more than a single coax output.

It is true that USB can transfer interference across ground wires but that is usually hum and other interference not hiss so, probably, USB does remain the easiest and cheapest digital connection for the OP.

 

[Redacted]

Ground links are about mains hum. Not general hiss or clicks picked on local PC buses.

I may misunderstand the OP, but to me it seems he just wants less hiss (not said he has mains hum so far) - I think this thread is spiralling off into hyperspace! A simple USB DAC will work fine. DDC not needed.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Ground links are about mains hum. Not general hiss or clicks picked on local PC buses.

I may misunderstand the OP, but to me it seems he just wants less hiss (not said he has mains hum so far) - I think this thread is spiralling off into hyperspace! A simple USB DAC will work fine. DDC not needed.

I think the OP's problem may have been speaker self-noise and nothing to do with PC audio at all. We need them to answer questions above to have any idea.

To be clear, at no point have I recommended a DDC.

 

[Redacted]

I think the OP's problem may have been speaker self-noise and nothing to do with PC audio at all. We need them to answer questions above to have any idea.

To be clear, at no point have I recommended a DDC.

yes - we need answers to all the questions, but I assure you that on all my PCs there is audible hiss that comes out of the headphone socket, which if then connected to an amp is also audible, not matter how good the amp is. But I get silence using any of my USB DACs.....

The title on the posted video is "How do DDCs improve audio?"

 

[Ultrasonic]

The title on the posted video is "How do DDCs improve audio?"

And yet I have repeatedly explained why I actually linked to it.

 

[antcollinet]

Ground links are about mains hum. Not general hiss or clicks picked on local PC buses.

Ground loops can carry any sort of common mode noise - not exclusively mains hum.


PC's - especially their graphics cards - can create significant common mode noise, which can manifest as hiss, squeaks or buzzes etc.

Suggesting solutions without getting to root cause is just another way to have him buying stuff that doesn't help.

 

[audioloveryes]

Buy refurb Adam Audio D3V for $280, connect via USB, problem solved.

hi why do you recommand this model in particular. a bit pricey but would like to know and if you have the knowledge to answer mypost questions great if you dont its fine thanks

 

[audioloveryes]

Do you get hiss from the speaker even with nothing connected to the speaker?

yes

Or does it only start when you conect the PC? What inputs do you have available to. your speakers - what input are you using?

I include a picture. the red and white join into a 3.5 that go into the pc. ignore the speaker on the right it is not in use

EDIT : if this is noise from the audio system itself - then there is nothing you can do. If it is noise coming from the PC then there might be a lot. Which is why I am asking you to test with nothing connected.

Nothing ican do about the speakers except return and find another setup , is that what you mean?

EDIT some more: Does the hiss change when the graphics on your PC screen changes - eg when you move the mouse or scroll windows?

I put the specker volume to max and the windows sound at 80 pourcent. no music. mouse the screen and can not hear alteration of the hiss that is present

EDIT a third time: Do you have anything else as a music source you can plug in instead of the PC - to see if there is still noise from that?

I tried to put the 3.5 in the cell phone same problem

Thanks

 

[Redacted]

Seems like normal electronic hiss from the external amp then.
I'm afraid the answer is to buy something that is a better than that amp - even if you used a USB DAC on the PC, it would still be feeding that same noisy amp.

 

[audioloveryes]

Your hiss problem doesn't sound like a ground loop. It's just regular old noise from the amplifier section in your speakers. To get rid of it, you will have to get either active speakers without audible hiss (check forums for user reports) or get an ultra low noise amplifier + some passive speakers.

I'm sure some members can recommend hiss-free active speakers - I don't have any experience with those. But I know based on my setup that passive speakers combined with either a Topping Mini300, an 3e Audio A5 (or A5 SE) or Topping PA5 II will be totally silent unless you press your ear onto the tweeter. As speakers, you can temporarily use the crappy JVC ones you already have and upgrade down the line, as soon as you have some money to spare. Some used KEF LS50 might be an option, but there's many more.

Hi topping mini 300 is 230 dol. fosi v3 stereo is 119 . Do you or ANY BODY KNOWS IF FOSI V2 STEREO IS AS SILENT AS topping mini 300?
When you say crappy jvc. The are old yes. I not super audio quality demanding BUt I am Very no hiss or minimal Hiss demanding. That being said, would the eventual problem with the jvc speaker be that themself generate hiss when not music is playing but ready to play? or that their detailled instrumental quality would be average?

thanks

 

[audioloveryes]

From my (limited) experience (see spoiler below) - there is no such thing as a completely hiss free active speaker. Or a hiss free (cheap) amp.
Some listeners will be more sensitive than others, and a noisier room will mask it, but it is there.
To differentiate, you would have to turn on the speakers (or amp, if passive) without any signal source and then listen.

When you say there is no hiss free amp, just to be sure i get your idea:do you mean that the amp itself emits noise or that the noise it generates will be coming from the speakers?
thanks

 

[gwing]

If you are sure there is still hiss coming from the speakers when no input at all is connected then, yes, that indicates that the audio system itself is the problem.

However that hiss will be maximised by you having the volume turned up to 100% on the speakers, you might try reducing that volume until hiss is reduced to an acceptable level and then turning up the source volume higher on your PC. Look for and change any other settings on your software as well that might be reducing your headphone output to low levels which will allow you to send more signal to the audio system so that you can run it with less volume (strictly speaking with less gain) and hence less hiss.

 

[audioloveryes]

I'm struggling to unravel the original post.
I'm thinking you are playing music on a PC, using some kind of media player. You have some kind of amp and speakers plugged into the headphone output socket on the PC.

If so, the little amp on the PC will generate hiss to headphone port, whether you are actively playing music or not. Then, many modestly priced amps will likely add even more hiss. If you used a good quality amp to drive speakers, it will have no audible hiss if its own, but it will amplify any hiss coming from the PC.

IMHO, the best way to get good, hiss-free sound from a PC is to make sure you are sending only a digital signal out of it, usually using a USB port. If you do, you will need some kind of USB DAC to convert the digital signal to an analogue signal for your amp to use. Unless you have a good amp though, a cheap amp will still add hiss (as said) but at least that hiss won't be "PC amp hiss + main amp hiss" combined.

In my office, my PC connects to a Topping DX1 over USB and I feed it using exclusive mode from Foobar2000. There is no discernable hiss from either headphones or from a separate amp and speakers, driven from the RCA outputs on the DX1, when I prefer listening without headphones. There are hundreds of similar products that should give you less hiss, or none. If you have active speakers, you can plug them into the DAC (watch out for volume control though), but active speakers vary in the amount of hiss they may produce. A lot depends on budget.

Sorry if this is not your "use-case". But "digital out" is the only way to go with most PCs.

hi i have a pluggable dac as in picture . whether or not i plug the 3.5 edifier in it it makes the same hiss.

What you are basically saying is that whatever the speker and amp i choose i need to firts have something that plugs into the usb of the pc. correct.
There is dx1 at 135dol and Topping DX1 II Gaming DAC Headphone Amplifier, ES9039Q2M XU-316 DA at 169dol. does one plug the speaker into it or I still need an amp in between?

Maybe there is usb device DAC that also does the amping that is silent and that i could plug the spekers directly into? ) maybe it does not exist , im no expert

 

[audioloveryes]

It sounded more like a self-noise problem to me but you're right the OP should check.

@audioloveryes is the noise you're talking about reduced if you have no connection to your PC? Or no different?

the hiss is not reduced when i take the3.5 out of the DAC(or from the pc directly) same thing

 

[Redacted]

When you say there is no hiss free amp, just to be sure i get your idea:do you mean that the amp itself emits noise or that the noise it generates will be coming from the speakers?
thanks

Uh? There certainly is no hiss-free amp in a technical sense, not even if it's sat in liquid helium - its physics, and all electronics generate noise - but there are many amps where the inherent hiss is so low that humans can't hear it through speakers. I have a modest rig (in the lounge, not my office*), and even if put my ear on the speaker grille, with volume set at max, I cannot hear any hiss from the treble speaker or hum from the bass. Doesn't mean it's not there, just that my ears can't detect it...

* as a test, I am literally sat at my laptop right now with it connected to my USB DAC, and headphones plugged in, listening to a track using Foobar2000 - normally, it's loud enough at 10 o'clock on the knob. I pause FB2K and turn the DAC to the max volume. There is absolute silence.....

 

[Redacted]

the hiss is not reduced when i take the3.5 out of the DAC(or from the pc directly) same thing

This says the hiss is the external amp and not coming from the PC, but strictly, the test is to then short the 3.5mm jack, so that it's not acting as an antenna - but really that's pointless overkill, assuming you know the cable is good... The amp is the issue - it's noisy.