[John Casler]

I hate hearing things not in the recording

Just recently I received a new preamp that is solid state.

My former preamp was tubed.

I know tubes are generally a bit more noisy than SS.

On my former, if I turned the volume up much past 10:00 I heard hisssssss coming from the tweeters if I was standing by the speaker.

Well the other day I wondered what kind of Hissss level the new preamp had.

12:00 no his....

2:00 no hisssss....

FULL VOLUME PEGGED...... NO HISSSS!!  

While this may not be the be all, end all. test for "noise" it certainly must mean that when I could hear hiss "noise" that it must slightly obscure sonic detail at the most subtle levels.

Does anyone else have a preamp that they can run "full volume" on with no signal and have no hissss?

Or if you have hisss when does it become noticable?

[zybar]

No hisses on my TacT 2.2x preamp.  

No hisses on my previous preamp - Bent NOH  

To be honest, I think maybe you are being a little anal if you can only hear a little "tube rush" when you are standing next to the speakers.

To date, I have not heard a tube preamp that doesn't exhibit some "tube rush".  While some are better than others, they all have it to some degreee.

That's the price to pay for some of that glass magic.  

George

[Bingo]

Hiss is also relative to the gain of your system's components, one and all.

[SuperMart]

No hiss on the AKSA Swift (tubed) preamp even on full volume. I know that Hugh spent a lot of time on this aspect of its performance. Only my guess but this "quietness" seems to contribute a lot to this preamp's ability to resolve atmosphere. My technical knowledge is restricted to that of a keen amateur and I leave it to more enquiring minds to provide the reasons.

[zybar]

Hiss is also relative to the gain of your system's components, one and all.

What happened to the pulsing speaker?

George

[warnerwh]

My previous pre, and ARC LS 16 had some. The Krell KRC-3 I'm using now has none wide open.  It's like it's not there or the amps are off.  You're right about that hiss obscuring details. The sound can't be "more" accurate with the hiss.

[cornelius]

Although I'm using an integrated, when I upgraded from an Arcam Alpha 8 to a McIntosh MA6200, I went from buzzy/hissy noise to dead silence.  Big difference when music is playing too.[/i]

[ooheadsoo]

Maybe I haven't been that critical lately, but the Sharp EX111 seems to have no hiss at full throttle.

[mr_bill]

John Casler,
How are you enjoying your Bryston BP26DA now that you've had it awhile?
Thanks,
Bill

[John Casler]

John Casler,
How are you enjoying your Bryston BP26DA now that you've had it awhile?
Thanks,
Bill

Hi Bill,

So far so good, (I can't hear it, which is a good thing )

Certainly amoungst the most quiet. cleanest, and neutral (whatever that is) I have heard.

[Steve]

Hi Guys,

If one cannot hear hiss at the volume selected, esp with ones ear at the speaker, then no detail is missing, as the "covered up" detail would be = to or less than the hiss, which one cannot hear anyway.

Having a small hiss, with ones ear at the speaker, at full volume really isn't that important as no one cranks the volume up to that level anyway.

As mentioned earlier, the amp gain and speaker sensitivity makes a difference.  

(Modded 6-24-05)

[nathanm]

There probably aren't that many recordings that really feature true low-level sound which comes close to blending with the noise floor, be it analog tape noise or system noise.  The one example I am thinking of is the Michael Carvin "Drum Concerto At Dawn" cd from Mapleshade.  There's a tune where he 'fades' out the tapping on the skins lighter and lighter until it goes right into the noise floor by the end.  That's one recording where one can be really critical of the system's noise.  On that particular one the tape hiss is louder than the system hiss.

The RE Designs SCPA-1 is noiseless even when the attenuator is cranked.  My Monolithic PA-1 is also very silent and the very little head-near-driver hiss comes from my tube amp.  Generally I like to sit back a ways from the speakers, though.

Even if the recording is plenty loud to mask the noise floor, the noise floor itself can be an annoyance in the rests\pauses in the music and also a psychological deterrent because you know it's there (audiophilish anxiety).  There's more factors affecting a low noise floor than the preamp itself of course, but if the pre was hissing very noticeably I'd say it's not a very good product.

[lcrim]

I have a relatively inexpensive Audio Electronics Supply (Cary's low price line) AE-3 with very cheap Electro Harmonics 6SN7 tubes and there is  a very slight tube rush from about 6 inches.  From the  listening position it is utterly undetectable.  Room treatments from Eighth Nerve contributed enormously to the perception of black backgrounds as did balanced power.
I also have a (George) Wright Sound pre/phono, the WPL11, with a Decware Select and tube rush from the 95dB Parker speakers is apparent again very close close to the speaker drivers.  I think with all the gain necessary to play LP's in that system that a slight amount of tube rush is inevitable.  I've never found it at all distracting.

[John Casler]

Yes, all these things.

Hopefully everyone knew that I am alluding to "noise" that can be heard "at some point" from the listening position.

I have heard hiss from that position at "listening" levels.

If when standing near the speakers and at a gain level below normal listening levels there is no "noise" (hissss) then you are probably in pretty good shape.

[Steve]

Yes, John, I think you were very clear and we understood your intent.
 
I recently had the experience of auditioning my preamp with an integrated (a preamp and basic amp combined), an active crossover (another gainstage) and then my preamp. Basically it was three preamps into a basic amp. It turned out to be an interesting experiment showing how hiss covers "detail". Obviously, one would never connect three active gainstages this way.

This unique situation, with super high gain is completely different than using a preamp and phono stage as the phono stage incorporates RIAA equalization, which reduces the gain by approximately 40db as the frequency rises from 20 to 20khz. Thus as the frequency rises, the hiss is attenuated.

A straight 3 preamp combination has no RIAA equalization, so all the hiss arrives, in all its horror, at the speakers without any attenuation.

This is a situation that is very seldom, if ever, encountered, but it demonstrated what the effects of loud hiss is  

[meilankev]

John,

As I responded to a post of yours on HTT (I think it was a couple of months ago), if I were to recreate the "best" 4 or 5 audio systems I've ever heard in my life, one thing they all had in common was audible hum.

Don't get me wrong, I've heard some systems (that had audible hum) that were totally un-engaging.  So, I'm not someone who is obsessed with tube equipment.

Kevin

[djbnh]

I hate hearing things not in the recording ...

Does anyone else have a preamp that they can run "full volume" on with no signal and have no hissss?

Or if you have hisss when does it become noticable?

Odyssey Tempest - no hiss on line components.

[Panelhead]

I hate hearing things not in the recording

Just recently I received a new preamp that is solid state.

My former preamp was tubed.

I know tubes are generally a bit more noisy than SS.

On my former, if I turned the volume up much past 10:00 I heard hisssssss coming from the tweeters if I was standing by the speaker.

Well the other day I wondered what kind of Hissss level the new preamp had.

12:00 no his....

2:00 no hisssss....

FULL VOLUME PEGGED...... NO HISSSS!!  :mrgree ...

  My solid state linesatge, low gain, exhibits no noise when the pots are cranked up all the way. This is Steve Eddy's Tao Buffer the eight part harmony. Details are shown over at www.diyaudio.com
  It has CineMag CMLI 15K/15K input transformers, 25K Pec pots, the buffer, and S & B LO410 output transformers. The power supply is a simple 317/337 regulated supply with a CLCLC filter.
  You have to place your ear against the drivers, PM7A Lowther, to hear a low level grundge from a T amp. The noise level is constant, no matter if the pre is connected or not.
  This buffer is dc coupled, single ended with current sources. The input is a dual JFET, followed with bipolar.
  It has kept all my tube preamps stacked in the closet. None are dead silent. This buffer has no feedback also.

                    George

[guest1632]

Yes, all these things.

Hopefully everyone knew that I am alluding to "noise" that can be heard "at some point" from the listening position.

I have heard hiss from that position at "listening" levels.

If when standing near the speakers and at a gain level below normal listening levels there is no "noise" (hissss) then you are probably in pretty good shape.

Hi John,

Curt Wishman and I have had many a email discussion about background noise. He and I both agree that any background noise is masking something somewhere. That is why he worked hard to have a a minus 140 db figure, and because of it his preamp, the Purist, really shines in its ability to just play and get out of the way and make music. Now, is this pre the best? no, but it illustrates 1 aspect of how to make a piece of gear and have it sound good. If I ever get rid of this piece it will be hard to find something this quiet without paying an arm and leg. .

Ray

[jt1stcav]

I'm impressed that there's virtually no hiss with my BEZ Model Q4B 6SN7-based SRPP linestage pre. With its gain control set at the 11 0'clock position (the highest I ever go with my 91dB sensitive Triangle Zephyrs), I do not hear anything at my sweet spot, and with my ears up against the tweeters only a faint hiss is detected. For a tube pre, I can live with that!