speaker interference question (audio novice)

[turtle]

hello
i have recently set up my stereo system - receiver, cd player, and two speakers. my problem is that there is a audible hiss coming from the speakers when only the receiver is hooked up. after trying various setups - speaker distance, new thicker wire (16 gauge), different outlets, roommate's speakers, etc. - i am pretty sure that it must be some sort of interference.
my question is what is the best - easiest and cheapest - route to solve this problem? after searching this forum and other audio sites, i am unsure what to do next - speaker cable, banana plugs, some sort of combination? any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks, justin

 

[markw]

I'm confused, but cables and connectors won't cure this.

What do you mean when you say "only" the receiver is hooked up?

At what level is your volume control when you notice this hiss?

When you say "audiable", from what distance are we talking? Your normal listening position or when you put your ears right up to the speakers?

 

[MDS]

Is the hiss audible when no source is playing and you turn up the volume on the receiver; for example, when the CD player is off and you select CD on the receiver? If so, that is normal - the receiver is amplifying its noise floor.

It is not a problem if there is no hiss when you actually play something.

However, you should still try to keep speaker wires away from power cords and if you have to run the speaker wire near power cords, cross them over the power cords at a right angle. That will help to eliminate any interference from the power cords.

 

[turtle]

some more info

thanks for the quick responses. some further information for markw:

What do you mean when you say "only" the receiver is hooked up?
only the receiver and speakers, so no cd player or other components are hooked up and therefore could potentially be the producer of the hiss

volume and distance of hiss?
noticeable at all levels. at low levels, i need to be right next to speaker but if i turn the volume up then the hiss increases as well, so i can hear it from ten feet away

For mds, the hiss is still there when i play something. It does not ruin the listening experience for "louder" cds but i listen to a lot of ambient music and the hiss is somewhat of a distraction.

Thank you for your help and I will try the right angle over power chord suggestion

Thanks, Justin

 

[markw]

Here's some general info on hiss and noise.

All powered electronic components produce some noise, and this is generally manifested as a hissing type noise. If you have to go out of your way to hear it, it's probably normal.

An unterminated input (an input with nothing plugged in) will produce more noise than one that has a source plugged into it.

Likewise, the gain of that input will have a lot to do with it as well. A phono stage with high gain will produce more noise than a line level input, such as an "aux" input.

Hiss is inherent in all sources as well, some moreso than others.

A lot has to do with the software used as well. Some recordings simply contain more noise than others.

Speakers that have more of a pronounced high end will make the hiss more noticable than those with a neutral or rolled off high end.

Likewise, high efficiency speakers tend to exaggerate noise more than mid/low efficiency speakers simply because they operate closer to your components noise floor.

 

[mtrycrafts]

thanks for the quick responses. some further information for markw:

What do you mean when you say "only" the receiver is hooked up?
only the receiver and speakers, so no cd player or other components are hooked up and therefore could potentially be the producer of the hiss

volume and distance of hiss?
noticeable at all levels. at low levels, i need to be right next to speaker but if i turn the volume up then the hiss increases as well, so i can hear it from ten feet away

For mds, the hiss is still there when i play something. It does not ruin the listening experience for "louder" cds but i listen to a lot of ambient music and the hiss is somewhat of a distraction.

Thank you for your help and I will try the right angle over power chord suggestion

Thanks, Justin

Let me ask you, do you by chance have the cable TV connected in any way to the receiver? Even if the audio comes from the TV itself?