Studio monitor speakers without hiss?

[stevenswall]

I was complaining about hiss with 8030C even at 1m50. Recently I swapped RCA to XLR cables for XLR to XLR, and hiss decreased. It is now less audible from that distance. Source is a CD player connected to a Little Beat MC2 pre-amp. I don't know why it is better now. Perhaps the RCA cable was picking some interferences?

In my experience RCA cable is trash. Even double/triple shielded stuff seems to add a little hiss. Now that I have a full digital 2.1 system, there is zero added hiss. Plugging in and unplugging the analog XLR cables for the surround speakers is the same. No additional hiss. Love it. Maybe it's just RCA equipment doesn't get made to high standards? Also, with all the stuff going through the airwaves these days, I wouldn't be surprised if the unshielded RCA connectors act as tiny antennae.

 

[gasolin75]

Mackie MR524/624 should have less hiss than most active studio monitors, right ?

 

[stevenswall]

Mackie MR524/624 should have less hiss than most active studio monitors, right ?

Why should they?

The HR824 has less hiss than a JBL 3 series which has less hiss than the Kali LP series.... BUT: Now that the IN-5 and IN-8 are out, that is fixed and they have the least hiss I've heard from active speakers under $2000

 

[gasolin75]

Reviews say the makckie mr has low hiss

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

They do but it makes no difference to the hiss.

Are you sure about that?

The 1st gen LSR-305 only has audible hiss at maximum gain setting

Turning it down to 50% completely eliminates the hiss

If you need more volume than your computer will give you, buy a JDS Labs Atom and your done

If you are having a ground loop issue, add an outboard DAC to the optical or USB port

Many of the newer DAC's have great noise rejection even over USB

 

[mononoaware]

In my experience RCA cable is trash.

If I read this a few weeks ago before first ever experience with RCA, I would believe you are exaggerating and inflammatory.

But upon using RCA cables for the first time (few weeks ago) due to getting a pair of Monoblock's with only RCA inputs, I believe you are correct.

From the beginning of using RCA I have been having issues with ground loop/or ground loop amplified power-supply noise in the signal coming out from speakers.
Up until this point I have strictly used trouble-free XLR connections, and quite frankly I am very upset with this RCA noise which in my experience with long troubleshooting is unavoidable in this setup.
The exact same DAC connected using XLR outputs in the exact same location results in absolute silence.

I have narrowed it down to being caused by the Switching power-supply inside the Apple TV which I use as a wireless streamer.
Wherever it is plugged in (tried all wall sockets), and awake from standby, the noise starts within the system using RCA.
Same setup but with XLR, absolute silence.
For years there was silence thanks to XLR, just replacing the connection cables with RCA causes the audible noise at listening position.
RCA = Terrible.

 

[Andysu]

How comes speakers don't get tinnitus with hissing noise? And why I do cos of SENSURROUND at frigging 120dB for 2hrs of rubbish movie called 'battlestar galactica'. Answer me that one. Otherwise my system has some hiss that is so faint I don't notice it and pink noise or movie will mask it even at low fader level of below -10dB. Also the hiss will have a certain frequency range that one can see on the RTA.

 

[gasolin75]

Has there in this thread been a top 10 of hiss free or so low hiss that almost no one would notice it ?

just becuase of the good price, sound, review, it could be a Mackie MR524 or MR624 i would like to buy http://digitalstereophony.blogspot.com/2019/05/mackie-mr524-or-adam-audio-t5v-which.html

 

[Koeitje]

Are you sure about that?

The 1st gen LSR-305 only has audible hiss at maximum gain setting

Turning it down to 50% completely eliminates the hiss

If you need more volume than your computer will give you, buy a JDS Labs Atom and your done

If you are having a ground loop issue, add an outboard DAC to the optical or USB port

Many of the newer DAC's have great noise rejection even over USB

This is not true, they only don't hiss when you have the gain to 0. Apart from that the hiss barely changes at all with the gain setting.

 

[gasolin75]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hiss-list-s-r.18050/

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

This is not true, they only don't hiss when you have the gain to 0. Apart from that the hiss barely changes at all with the gain setting.

You are incorrect,

I have 2 pair of LSR-305's and they only hiss near max gain

There is no hiss at 50% gain

If I need more gain, I use a clean preamp

 

[Koeitje]

You are incorrect,

I have 2 pair of LSR-305's and they only hiss near max gain

There is no hiss at 50% gain

If I need more gain, I use a clean preamp

Mine hiss even without any input.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Mine hiss even without any input.

1st Generation or the Mk 2 ?

Mine are 1st Gen

 

[gasolin75]

1st Generation or the Mk 2 ?

Both version should have hiss problems

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Both version should have hiss problems

Mine don't anywhere near 50% or less

Only at max volume

 

[Koeitje]

1st Generation or the Mk 2 ?

Mine are 1st Gen

First gen.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

First gen.

Very Strange

I just double checked with the DAC ON, and DAC OFF (Same result)

Hiss still increases with volume but cannot hear it @ 50% volume or less (only near max)

DAC is optical SPDIF (USB Powered)
No ground loops!

 

[stevenswall]

Has there in this thread been a top 10 of hiss free or so low hiss that almost no one would notice it ?

just becuase of the good price, sound, review, it could be a Mackie MR524 or MR624 i would like to buy http://digitalstereophony.blogspot.com/2019/05/mackie-mr524-or-adam-audio-t5v-which.html

Hopefully he compares the hiss in his video. Here's is one I made:

 

[stevenswall]

The JBL LSR3 series has hiss. As does the 7 series. The Mackie HR series also hisses, but much less than the 3 series. The IN-5 and IN-8v2 and Genelecs are the few I've heard that don't have audible hiss to me at the listening position.

If the 3 series doesn't have hiss to you, enjoy. A quieter room may help though.

 

[gasolin75]

New owner of a pair of Mackie MR524 with A/B amps, i can comfirm that they have no hiss