Hiss on HD650
Feb 25, 2007 at 8:28 PM Post #31 of 68
Quote:

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Absolutely zero hiss here on my HD650s. This song kicks ass, though. Definitely a headphone song.


With the file I uploaded? D&mn! So it's not my headphones, not my amp,and i doubt it's the foobar. It's probably my soundcard on the computer or something else in the computer.
On a different note, the hiss is much more noticeable on HD650 than E500, listening to the same file with same setup.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 8:31 PM Post #33 of 68
Quote:

Originally Posted by Whitebread /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I don't ever see why the headphones would ever cause hiss problems.


Agreed.....especially with the HD650: the usual complaint about the HD650 failing is that it's "veiled" and lacks detail
icon10.gif
But hiss normally is a problem with sensitivity or source. For foobar, I'd also make sure your buffer is set to 1000 and bit depth is set to 16bit. See if that helps with the hiss.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 8:37 PM Post #34 of 68
Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Agreed.....especially with the HD650: the usual complaint about the HD650 failing is that it's "veiled" and lacks detail
icon10.gif
But hiss normally is a problem with sensitivity or source. For foobar, I'd also make sure your buffer is set to 1000 and bit depth is set to 16bit. See if that helps with the hiss.


They are. I just bypassed the internal soundcard with Bithead (I normally don't do that because it makes this high pitch noise) and still HISS... What does that leave? It's probably not the soundcard, not the headphone, not the amp, probably not the player (maybe something is wrong with the decoder on my foobar?), and not the file itself. Could it be something different inside my computer?
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 8:43 PM Post #35 of 68
Quote:

Originally Posted by shoenberg3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Just curious: please download this file and report how much hiss you hear. I hear way too much...

http://download.yousendit.com/F5974C1D5A3D31DA


Virtually zero hiss even when played loud (listenable but very unhealthy). Putting the volume WAY WAY up (painfully so) at the beginning (when there's not much audio) I can hear some low-level hiss.

How do you normally use your Bithead without bypassing the internal soundcard?? The only way I can imagine is a mini-to-mini out from your headphone jack on the computer, which would be inferior. And if you get some kind of high-pitch whine when using USB audio, I'd seriously wonder if your Bithead isn't fried somehow.

The only thing we've ruled out is the file. YOUR headphones might be screwed up (doubt it, but it's possible) - after all, the E500 don't give you this problem, you said. It might be the Bithead - have you ever unplugged/plugged in the headphones while the volume was on? Try lots of substitutions and switches, try listening directly from your computer out, try the setup on a different computer, try your bithead from an iPod, try anything and everything to isolate the problem.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 8:54 PM Post #36 of 68
Hey, I just listened that song you linked to with my 650's and wanted to say that there is no hiss at regular listening levels. However, if I boost volume so that it is too loud for listening, I hear a small amount of hiss!
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 9:01 PM Post #37 of 68
Do you have any equipment around you that is giving off radio frequencies? The Total Bithead will pick these up, with varying effects on the sound. If you're using a mini-to-mini jack, any hiss from your computer's internal components will be picked up as well.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 9:03 PM Post #38 of 68
Quote:

Originally Posted by gabedamien /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Virtually zero hiss even when played loud (listenable but very unhealthy). Putting the volume WAY WAY up (painfully so) at the beginning (when there's not much audio) I can hear some low-level hiss.

How do you normally use your Bithead without bypassing the internal soundcard?? The only way I can imagine is a mini-to-mini out from your headphone jack on the computer, which would be inferior. And if you get some kind of high-pitch whine when using USB audio, I'd seriously wonder if your Bithead isn't fried somehow.

The only thing we've ruled out is the file. YOUR headphones might be screwed up (doubt it, but it's possible) - after all, the E500 don't give you this problem, you said. It might be the Bithead - have you ever unplugged/plugged in the headphones while the volume was on? Try lots of substitutions and switches, try listening directly from your computer out, try the setup on a different computer, try your bithead from an iPod, try anything and everything to isolate the problem.


Well, the high-pitch is so annoying that mini-to-mini is how I do it, although I know that it is inferior otherwise, it gives me less headache. Is there any other connection you recommend given my setup?

Anyway, computer -> headphone = hiss, Iaudio x5 -> HD650 = hiss, Iaudio X5-> E500 = less hiss but still very present at med-high volumes. Conclusion: my ears???
eek.gif


At this point there are really only two possiblilites:

1) I am insane for hearing hiss.
2)You guys are listening through some amp/dac that somehow decreases hiss.

Wow this is really driving me insane.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 9:13 PM Post #39 of 68
Quote:

Originally Posted by shoenberg3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Just curious: please download this file and report how much hiss you hear. I hear way too much...

http://download.yousendit.com/F5974C1D5A3D31DA


I hear a lot of hiss which is noticeable in the first 60 seconds and again at 2.50 when the signing stops.

Also worth noting the audible hiss is picked up on my spectrum which means it's in the MP3 recording.

You're not going crazy and your equipment isn't faulty, my guess is you are just hearing the MP3 as it is without anything left out.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 10:29 PM Post #41 of 68
This is very strange. Apparently Graphicism also hears "a lot" of hiss.

I know that my hearing response is totally fine (22 years old, hate loud noises, lived in a quiet suburban area, kept my ears healthy, occasional hearing tests at the doctor's, etc). As I said before, there *is* some extremely slight (inaudible) hiss on the MP3, but I can only tell that it's there with the volume blasting at far greater than anything anyone would EVER listen to. Otherwise the sound is very clean (barring some very processed synth effects, but that's not hiss).

I'd be willing to entertain the idea that some people with better high-frequency hearing than me (not that there's anything at all bad about my HF hearing) and a severe psychological aversion to hiss might be more sensitive to some recordings, but I refuse to believe that anyone could hear what I'm currently hearing through my chain and claim that there is "a lot" of hiss on this MP3. If this is "a lot" of hiss, then I have recordings which would have never, EVER been allowed to go to production, because they have way more hiss than this. I.e., they have *audible* hiss. At sane listening volumes.

Something interesting going on here...
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 10:49 PM Post #43 of 68
Could it be a high noise floor? I know free sound editing programs like audacity can help there. I'd give it a try if I didn't have a prelim tomorrow.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 10:52 PM Post #44 of 68
Quote:

Originally Posted by shoenberg3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Just one more file, this time from Beethoven. Hiss is almost as bad on this one. I tried playing on my CD player directly from the CD, and still hiss... It sounds fantastic on HD650 otherwise, though. Pity...

http://download.yousendit.com/DE4F41AD62B74A02


There's a little hiss on that one, but I have to turn the volume up a bit to hear it.
 
Feb 25, 2007 at 10:59 PM Post #45 of 68
I have to go right now and I don't have OGG playback available offhand, but maybe I'll set it up later and check. Good luck,
-G
 
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