Why active speakers cannot easily get rid of hiss like laptop speakers or very tiny speakers?

[superbluecat]

Intel 13900K and Nvidia RTX 4090 has over 400 Watts and they do not hiss lol

 

[LTig]

Generally XLR is quieter than RCA as well. So you don't necessarily have to go digital, but XLR will likely reduce noise in most speakers that have this option.

I'd like to disagree. Balanced inputs are very good in suppressing external noise, but not regarding internal noise of the amplifier stages.

 

[superbluecat]

So you don't necessarily have to go digital

I think digital input is very convenient for a PC folk like me. Also, there will be only one step of ADC and DAC with digital interface.

 

[LTig]

SOTA is just state of the art and so should not hiss.

SOTA means to have as less noise as technically possible. This does not mean that there is no (audible) hiss. Connect a high sensitivity speaker (110 dB at 1W or more) to a 1kW power amp and listen at 1 foot distance. I'm sure even the best power amps will emit audible hiss under these conditions.

 

[superbluecat]

SOTA means to have as less noise as technically possible. This does not mean that there is no (audible) hiss. Connect a high sensitivity speaker (110 dB at 1W or more) to a 1kW power amp and listen at 1 foot distance. I'm sure even the best power amps will emit audible hiss under these conditions.

Haha, for me a SOTA GPU should run Cyberpunk 2077 with Path Tracing on at 4K 160FPS.
However, even 4090 just do 20 FPS. It proves can still get to about 100 with DLSS 3.5 on.
Even if we are far from theoretical SOTA, trade off can be made so that's R&D...

I still want SOTA though but can anyone afford them

 

[sigbergaudio]

I'd like to disagree. Balanced inputs are very good in suppressing external noise, but not regarding internal noise of the amplifier stages.

The noise you hear from an active speaker is usually a mix of internal and external noise. Good to at least eliminate one source, no?

 

[superbluecat]

The noise you hear from an active speaker is usually a mix of internal and external noise. Good to at least eliminate one source, no?

I think for all three pairs I have tried so far internal plays the most significant part.
There are no difference when no input or I insert 3.5mm/USB.


At least in my room and the home electricity I have, the sound I hear is from the amplifier itself.
Maybe for some people they do have larger interference in the air, and more attention needed for analog input shielding...

 

[superbluecat]

plifier itself.
Maybe for some people they do have larger interference in the air, and more attention needed for analog input shielding...

And I don't think there is any noise in USB/SPDIF. However strong the noise is, 0/1s are hard to be converted.

 

[antcollinet]

SOTA means "the best that is currently being achieved" It doesn't mean "The best that you can imagine"

Not all kit can be SOTA - in fact most kit can't, because not everything can be the best. Think of a scale - SOTA>Excellent>Good>Average>Poor

On that basis - only Poor would also imply poor engineering.

 

[sigbergaudio]

I think for all three pairs I have tried so far internal plays the most significant part.
There are no difference when no input or I insert 3.5mm/USB.


At least in my room and the home electricity I have, the sound I hear is from the amplifier itself.
Maybe for some people they do have larger interference in the air, and more attention needed for analog input shielding...

Yes, what dominates may vary of course.

 

[Sokel]

Generally XLR is quieter than RCA as well. So you don't necessarily have to go digital, but XLR will likely reduce noise in most speakers that have this option.

Hmm,I wouldn't agree with that or with the price range thing.
I listened to 8351 with nothing connected and they have the same hiss when connected with XRL.
(Yes,they also have hiss up close)

 

[sigbergaudio]

Hmm,I wouldn't agree with that or with the price range thing.
I listened to 8351 with nothing connected and they have the same hiss when connected with XRL.
(Yes,they also have hiss up close)

Not sure what price range thing you are referring to.

Did you also test with RCA connected?

 

[Sokel]

Not sure what price range thing you are referring to.

Did you also test with RCA connected?

I believe 8351 doesn't have RCA (not that I've seen anyway)

Edit:The price thing refers to the point discussed at the beginning of how the cheap implementations can have some flaws,8351 is considered as SOTA as it gets yet again the hiss is there up close.

 

[superbluecat]

Hmm,I wouldn't agree with that or with the price range thing.
I listened to 8351 with nothing connected and they have the same hiss when connected with XRL.
(Yes,they also have hiss up close)

8351 must be super large and powerful, so the gains are making noise louder, according to what discussed above?

That makes me think, any speakers larger than 5 inches are not for PC Desktop use. Bulky, hissing noisy, and the bass can blow my head away. Maybe try in the living room for large TVs.

 

[sigbergaudio]

8351 must be super large and powerful, so the gains are making noise louder, according to what discussed above?

That makes me think, any speakers larger than 5 inches are not for PC Desktop use. Bulky, hissing noisy, and the bass can blow my head away. Maybe try in the living room for large TVs.

This does not have to be the case. It depends on implementation, gain structure, sensitivity of the tweeter, etc.

 

[Sokel]

8351 must be super large and powerful, so the gains are making noise louder, according to what discussed above?

That makes me think, any speakers larger than 5 inches are not for PC Desktop use. Bulky, hissing noisy, and the bass can blow my head away. Maybe try in the living room for large TVs.

They are not super large but yes,large for desktop,super large are the ones more that 2 meters high

 

[Soniclife]

I found out that my JBL Flip BT speaker hisses A LOT when actually playing music, but if there's no input signal it instantly mutes itself and is quiet. I wouldn't trust active system with any kind of CPU in this regard

You can generate test signals with very quiet music to look for this, it's quite common behaviour, don't know if they do it for the silence or the power saving.

 

[TurtlePaul]

I would get a quiet desktop amp like the Fosi V3 and a low sensitivity speaker like the Philharmonic True Minis, if I was OP. Having a separate amp and passive bookshelf will ensure there is an l-pad on the tweeter and also separate amps should be of higher quality than a built in. Going to guess that this route is outside of the budget vs. Steelseries target market.

 

[superbluecat]

I would get a quiet desktop amp like the Fosi V3 and a low sensitivity speaker like the Philharmonic True Minis, if I was OP. Having a separate amp and passive bookshelf will ensure there is an l-pad on the tweeter and also separate amps should be of higher quality than a built in. Going to guess that this route is outside of the budget vs. Steelseries target market.

Same level price as going with KH80 or 8020? I think both routes work

 

[TurtlePaul]

Same level price as going with KH80 or 8020? I think both routes work

Umm, the 8020s definitely hiss. Probably quiet compared to the Steelseries, but not nothing.