[gLer]

I thought exactly the same. Though not sure if using andros on SE would make any difference as i never use any dap on SE.

Same here. And I agree, no-go on Andromeda. Very few powerful DAPs can run those quietly without IEmatch or similar.

 

[Peter68]

Don't know the M15, so can't comment on that. But the R8 produces hiss with sensitive IEMs, even with not so sensitive ones to be honest. The Andromeda would be a no-go, unless you use an impedance adapter.

Thank you, that is very good to know.

 

[utdeep]

Don’t have any hiss with the Sennheiser IE900s. I think that this has been exaggerated greatly and it’s keeping people from buying a great DAP.

 

[Peter68]

Don’t have any hiss with the Sennheiser IE900s. I think that this has been exaggerated greatly and it’s keeping people from buying a great DAP.

Okay, thanks for that update. Guess I’d have to try it and see.

 

[Skullar]

Don’t have any hiss with the Sennheiser IE900s. I think that this has been exaggerated greatly and it’s keeping people from buying a great DAP.

Sennheiser is not Campfire. I dont think its exaggerated. It was simply a warning as CA iems are very sensitive and prone to hiss.
My LX did not hiss. Even Odins dont hiss as much even thought they are 3 ohm iems.

As i keep saying, its CA iem problem more than a DAP.

And even then single end out and turbo off might work just fine for him. Not all people are equally sensitive to hiss.

 

[gLer]

Don’t have any hiss with the Sennheiser IE900s. I think that this has been exaggerated greatly and it’s keeping people from buying a great DAP.

Sennheiser is not Campfire. I dont think its exaggerated. It was simply a warning as CA iems are very sensitive and prone to hiss.
My LX did not hiss. Even Odins dont hiss as much even thought they are 3 ohm iems.

As i keep saying, its CA iem problem more than a DAP.

And even then single end out and turbo off might work just fine for him. Not all people are equally sensitive to hiss.

Quite right, it's only super sensitive IEMs like CA - which in my opinion is a CA design flaw. Others will blame the DAP, but considering none of my IEMs have even the faintest hint (and I use high-gain turbo), it's been overblown to the extreme. You never see hiss being touted as an issue for FOTM gear like the C9 or even the A&K SP2000, and yet with CA IEMs they hiss like steam trains. Anyway, YMMV and all that. I still haven't seen a DAP I'd choose over the R8 at this stage.

PS. Synergy with the IE900 is superb.

 

[MatW]

Not overblown at all IMO. The very first thing I noticed when I plugged in an IEM, I believe the Fourte, into the R8 was the hiss. It's less prominent on SE but still there. With pretty much all my IEMs, albeit to a varying degree. It continues to be the one thing that bugs me about this DAP, which I love otherwise, and I have to resort to iematch to address it.

It is clear that not all people have the same hearing or are equally sensitive to hiss. I guess I am at the far end on this spectrum. I will receive DX300 today, so I'll be able to do a direct comparison with the R8. But of all previous DAPs I've owned (Kann Cube, SP2000, and M11 pro to this day), none of them hiss like the R8 does.

 

[reactor]

No hiss (that I Can hear) on LX, IER Z1R, Mest OG

 

[gLer]

Not overblown at all IMO. The very first thing I noticed when I plugged in an IEM, I believe the Fourte, into the R8 was the hiss. It's less prominent on SE but still there. With pretty much all my IEMs, albeit to a varying degree. It continues to be the one thing that bugs me about this DAP, which I love otherwise, and I have to resort to iematch to address it.

It is clear that not all people have the same hearing or are equally sensitive to hiss. I guess I am at the far end on this spectrum. I will receive DX300 today, so I'll be able to do a direct comparison with the R8. But of all previous DAPs I've owned (Kann Cube, SP2000, and M11 pro to this day), none of them hiss like the R8 does.

I think you should donate your ears to science

 

[xenithon]

Not overblown at all IMO. The very first thing I noticed when I plugged in an IEM, I believe the Fourte, into the R8 was the hiss. It's less prominent on SE but still there. With pretty much all my IEMs, albeit to a varying degree. It continues to be the one thing that bugs me about this DAP, which I love otherwise, and I have to resort to iematch to address it.

It is clear that not all people have the same hearing or are equally sensitive to hiss. I guess I am at the far end on this spectrum. I will receive DX300 today, so I'll be able to do a direct comparison with the R8. But of all previous DAPs I've owned (Kann Cube, SP2000, and M11 pro to this day), none of them hiss like the R8 does.

Strange indeed. Have you perhaps considered it may be an issue with your particular unit? I also have pretty sensitive hearing and have, to date, not heard hiss with any IEMs that I have plugged into the R8.

To be honest I would not be too surprised as there have been a couple of QC issues; I myself had several issues with my R8. Fortunately they were resolved with a full Android reset. May be worth trying in case there is something underlying contributing to the hiss?

 

[MatW]

Strange indeed. Have you perhaps considered it may be an issue with your particular unit? I also have pretty sensitive hearing and have, to date, not heard hiss with any IEMs that I have plugged into the R8.

To be honest I would not be too surprised as there have been a couple of QC issues; I myself had several issues with my R8. Fortunately they were resolved with a full Android reset. May be worth trying in case there is something underlying contributing to the hiss?

It's been mentioned in Twister's review as well, and others in this thread have mentioned the issue too, and even sold their R8 because of it (@Vitaly2017 I believe), so I think my unit is 'normal' but I'd certainly welcome the opportunity to compare it with someone else's. Maybe at a Canjam in the second half of this year.

I think if we go back in this thread, we'll find a similar exchange (which is not uncommon on headfi btw ... ). I'll refrain from further comments on the hiss as much as possible, but if a possible buyer asks about it, I feel it's worth pointing out that at least some folks have had issues with this.

 

[Skullar]

It's been mentioned in Twister's review as well, and others in this thread have mentioned the issue too, and even sold their R8 because of it (@Vitaly2017 I believe), so I think my unit is 'normal' but I'd certainly welcome the opportunity to compare it with someone else's. Maybe at a Canjam in the second half of this year.

I think if we go back in this thread, we'll find a similar exchange (which is not uncommon on headfi btw ... ). I'll refrain from further comments on the hiss as much as possible, but if a possible buyer asks about it, I feel it's worth pointing out that at least some folks have had issues with this.

You are far from only one hearing hiss issues. This has been mentioned in other comparisons too. But mainly with turbo mode on.
Its a powerful dap, so does not surprise me one bit.
As i mainly use LX i cant comment much as i have no issues with noise. Dx228, dx311, R8 or SP2000

 

[gLer]

It's been mentioned in Twister's review as well, and others in this thread have mentioned the issue too, and even sold their R8 because of it (@Vitaly2017 I believe), so I think my unit is 'normal' but I'd certainly welcome the opportunity to compare it with someone else's. Maybe at a Canjam in the second half of this year.

I think if we go back in this thread, we'll find a similar exchange (which is not uncommon on headfi btw ... ). I'll refrain from further comments on the hiss as much as possible, but if a possible buyer asks about it, I feel it's worth pointing out that at least some folks have had issues with this.

I don't for a minute dispute the R8 hisses with some IEMs and for some users. This is indisputable. The point is that the number of IEMs it hisses with is far, far smaller than those that it doesn't, and the number of users that hear it, I would argue, is also in the minority. Still, absolutely, you will experience hiss with some IEMs, especially when cranked up to full power. Show me another DAP or amp that pumps out >1W of power into 32ohms (so far, far more into 16ohm IEMs, and even more into IEMS with <10ohm impedance) that doesn't hiss with sensitive IEMs. And for the record I haven't heard any reports of hissing with 16ohm IEMs, even on the highest power setting. That's the only reason I call the issue overblown - context is everything.

 

[vicexxx]

No hiss whatsoever on my R8 using anole VX, bl-03 or IT01.

 

[gLer]

No hiss whatsoever on my R8 using anole VX, bl-03 or IT01.

All three of those IEMs are >16ohms (Anole 15-19). No surprises there. Hence my note about context, above.