Phono stage 'hiss'

[Darth Vader]

Well clearly hiss free is achievable as many of you are reporting? This is my first experience with a separate phono stage so I have nothing to compare or judge it with. I was not expecting to hear the level of hiss I do hence asking the forum for some advice.

As to whether the hiss I hear is due to poor components, incompatibility, just simply what one would expect or if it is an indication that the amp, phono amp or another source/component is possibly faulty I do not know?

That some systems are apparently hiss free and others are not is clearly due to certain factors. What I am trying to understand and establish is if you do have a hissy phone stage should one automatically assume that there is a fault?

At this stage there does not seem to be a definitive answer since the indication is that both hiss free and hissy phono stages would appear to be the norm?

What did you pay?

The Naim NA523 cards were priced just under £100 a pair. You paid what? £500? 900? No hiss at that price.

Cheers,

DV

 

[Paul R]

The OP has hiss without his phono amp connected,

With the phono amp not connected and the vol level at the 12 o'clock position there is some audible hiss with you ear close to the speakers but not at the listening position, approx 3m away. At the 3 o'clock position, don't normally play above the 12 position, there is audible hiss from the listening position.

All MC phono amps hiss, it's just physics. According to HFW the ANT is at the low end. So I reckon the basic problem is the line amp, which really should be inaudible at any gain level.

Paul

 

[sprint]

What did you pay?

The Naim NA523 cards were priced just under £100 a pair. You paid what? £500? 900? No hiss at that price.

Cheers,

DV

I guess it is the luck of the draw then.

 

[sprint]

Did we establish that the hiss is with a cartridge wired in to the phono amp? This can lower the noise of a non inverting stage.

The hiss is the same whether the cartridge is connected to the phono amp or not.

 

[telehack]

Have you tried different line inputs into the amp? Are they all noisy without the phono stage connected? I agree that this is suspicious.

I have a Creek OBH-9SE MC phono stage (same designer as the ANT, I believe). I had too much hiss at normal listening levels, but moving the phono stage power supply and the stage itself around minimized this. You might see if repositioning any of the components helps. I also moved to less efficient speakers (not for this reason), and that helped too. The noise is now what I would consider acceptable.

In contrast, with the MM stage of my Creek integrated (obviously having to do much less amplification), I could crank the volume and it was dead quiet.

-Tom