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Audioengine A2...deeply impressed but inevitable hiss(UNnoticeable) or QC problem??

post #1 of 21
4/6/08 at 12:42am
Thread Starter 
hi all,

so i just got a pair of new A2 a few days ago. they sound amazing to me even straight out of the box....very nice soundstage, clear sound...n so on

BUT then today i just noticed that there's hiss coming out of the tweeters from both speakers...and i thought speakers of this quality should not have ANY hiss?? yet the hiss is extremely UNnoticeable when music is on

anyway, i went on to figure what's causing the hiss, and i found out that it's the amplifier of the speakers (by putting the pc to sleep, connecting the speakers to nothing and reading various posts here; also the hiss grows when i turn the volume knob on the back of the left speaker up, altho in this condition, i still won't hear the hiss when i am sitting on chair(so about 30cm from the speakers))

so i would like to ask for advice from you experts or fellow A2 owners that 1a if this unnoticeable hiss should be present ?? 1bn maybe in most of the other speakers at this price level?

and i read that the issue could be due to something about ground loop??
i hv tried to plug the power into different sockets but the hiss stays?
1c shud i get a 3-to-2 socket adapter? 1d shud i return them n request a new pair in any stupid sense? 1e or i m just too picky?

thanks in advance for any knowledge n feel free to input any additional information that i should know?
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post #2 of 21
4/6/08 at 3:54am
hiss is pretty normal when using PC headphone out as a source. Nothing to be worried about. Other speakers at this price range will probably also hiss when used on your computer. Bookshelf speakers in that price range will probably have less hiss than the audioengines because you power them with a dedicated amp/receiver. In short, don't worry about it, hiss isn't determined by the quality of the speakers alone.
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post #3 of 21
4/6/08 at 4:03am
I'm not sure if I read what you wrote correctly.

Theres hiss when you have no source connected to the amp/speakers with the volume on the speakers maxed?
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post #4 of 21
4/6/08 at 5:00am
Huh, I have the A5's (MBP > Apogee Duet > A5's) & I never experience any hiss. Every once in a while, I do get a weird noise that sounds like an electronic fart..sorry, I know, and inelegant description, but that's what it sounds like....
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post #5 of 21
4/6/08 at 6:20am
i have the a2 and have not had any hiss problems. sure it isn't your source/pre-amp?
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post #6 of 21
4/6/08 at 8:52am
Thread Starter 
wow thanks for the replies guys... in general it's not reli an issue
but there does exist hiss when you hold ur ears very close to the speakers
i m NOT saying that you find it noticeably annoying even when music is on

Quote:
Originally Posted by Guarneri View Post
hiss is pretty normal when using PC headphone out as a source. Nothing to be worried about. Other speakers at this price range will probably also hiss when used on your computer. Bookshelf speakers in that price range will probably have less hiss than the audioengines because you power them with a dedicated amp/receiver. In short, don't worry about it, hiss isn't determined by the quality of the speakers alone.
my source is a m-audio transit usb....and as i said when the speakers are not connected to any source with the volume maxed out but they still hiss...

Quote:
Originally Posted by jinp6301 View Post
I'm not sure if I read what you wrote correctly.
Theres hiss when you have no source connected to the amp/speakers with the volume on the speakers maxed?
exactly...you have got it completely right

Quote:
Originally Posted by kugino View Post
i have the a2 and have not had any hiss problems. sure it isn't your source/pre-amp?
yes i am definitely sure....can you try this for me please .....don't connect to any source...max out the volume on the speakers....hold ur ears close to the tweeters....any hiss? (i mean not a huge amount but u will hear it when you r very close like 5cms)

Quote:
Originally Posted by feverfive View Post
Huh, I have the A5's (MBP > Apogee Duet > A5's) & I never experience any hiss. Every once in a while, I do get a weird noise that sounds like an electronic fart..sorry, I know, and inelegant description, but that's what it sounds like....
can you try the above for me as well

thanks again!!!
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post #7 of 21
4/6/08 at 10:34am
It could be from your transit.... When I had one and installed it on my dads computer (didn't work on mine because of it being MCE), there was some very slight, but noticeable, hiss.
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post #8 of 21
4/6/08 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by oicdn View Post
It could be from your transit.... When I had one and installed it on my dads computer (didn't work on mine because of it being MCE), there was some very slight, but noticeable, hiss.
thanks..but i think i hv concluded that it's from the amplifier of the A2's..

ok, sry to all that i haven't mentioned that it hisses as well when it's connected to the line-out of my ipod(whether the ipod is on or OFF)
i hope i've made the situation clear for you guys to give help
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post #9 of 21
4/10/08 at 12:37pm
Yes,

I have the hiss also. I noticed it the other day while at work early when the room was quiet. It is barely noticeable. It is present even when no source is connected. Definitely NOT noticeable when no music is on otherwise a non-issue for me. I am extremely happy with both my A5's and my A2's. Audioengine makes good products.
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post #10 of 21
4/10/08 at 12:48pm
I think you've answered your own question. If you can't hear it unless you hold your ear up right up against the speaker, then it's not a problem unless that's how you spend most of your time.
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post #11 of 21
4/10/08 at 1:04pm
Well, aside from that, hows the bass on the A2s? Does it go deep enough for most types of music?
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post #12 of 21
4/10/08 at 3:41pm

A2's are a little lacking in bass

I like my A5's better for punchy bass. The A2's are great little speakers and have impressive bass for their size.
If I didn't own both I'd have little to say on this particular subject. I listen to the A2's at work and the A5's at home. I have cranked up both and am equally impressed with the sound of both units. I just think the A5 is a better choice if their size is not a problem for you.
The A2's are great litttle speakers for a desk at work like I have. For home use I'd go with the A5. I am a huge Audioengine fan. I believe you can't go wrong with either set up. However, if you are looking for the deeper bass and "better" overall sound I think the A5's get my vote.
Sorry bout that, to answer your question Yes, the A5 goes deep enough for most music I listen to. I however do not listen to much R&B so I guess it depends on your musical taste.
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post #13 of 21
4/10/08 at 4:25pm
Every speaker I've ever heard has hissed from the tweeter when powered, though some were very quiet even with my ear right up to the driver... It seems like a fact of the speaker world, and you're much more likely to hear it in a near-field situation.
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post #14 of 21
4/10/08 at 9:03pm
All amplifiers have a background level of hiss.
All electronic parts contribute a small amount of noise, in any circuit. If you have to be very close to the speaker to hear it, that would be a normal amount of hiss noise.
For more info-

Johnson–Nyquist noise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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post #15 of 21
4/10/08 at 10:23pm
Yes, if you put your ear up to the tweeter and turn up the volume on your amp, you'll hear some hiss with analog amplifiers. That doesn't mean anything. If you hear hiss when the volume is at normal listening levels and you are in your normal listening position, and you're not playing an analog cd or record, then you may have an impedance matching problem.
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