Ever hear a hissing sound while listening to music? If you didn’t know better, you might suspect a snake was slithering around, but when I hear hissing, I know what’s up.
While listening to music, hissing is an indication something is amiss with your electronic devices.
It’s definitely not music to my ears and I’m guessing you’re not a fan of it either, or you wouldn’t be reading this.
What Causes Hissing Sound from Speakers?
Essentially, it happens when the electrons stray off the path of their intention due to heat. They’re like little gremlins, causing the output signal voltage to change and create an audible noise that we perceive as a hiss, particularly when the quality of the equipment is low.
Plenty of people enjoy that hissing, when they’re expecting it. It’s the same sound you hear in white noise machines or on white noise apps.
If you have a baby in the house, this might be a sound you’re all too familiar with since it is rather effective at helping babies fall asleep. Just don’t turn it up too loud (more on that momentarily).
There are some environmental factors that can lead to hissing too. I’ll get into that plus ways to hush that hiss below, so keep reading.
Is the Background Hissing Harmful for Your Hearing?
I guess it really depends on where you’re getting that hissing from. Most of the time though, it won’t do any harm. The JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery medical journal published research conducted by the University of California at San Francisco, which delved into the world of white noise.
More specifically, the goal was to determine if white noise could cause ringing in the ears (which is officially called tinnitus).
So, the research crew started looking at an old series of animal studies in which it was proposed that listening to white noise for lengthy durations with consistency would affect brain cells and cause the listener to have ringing in the ears.
The creatures in the study endured noise that ranged between 60 and 70 decibels, along the same level as the common white noise machine produces.
This level of decibel is noted as a safe level, according to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
It’s considered minimal risk at those decibels. Anything under 120 decibels is.
However, anything tuned higher than that, especially every night, could pose serious damage to the hair cells within your ears.
That damage that comes when those hairs are destroyed could lead to temporary hearing loss, or worse, permanent hearing loss down the road.
So, likely, your baby is safe when listening to white noise. Just keep tabs on the volume. But what about the hissing noise that comes from your speakers when you want to listen to your favorite albums? Keep reading and we’ll put a stop that hiss.
How to Stop Hissing Sound in Speakers
If you don’t want to hear hissing from your speakers, I don’t blame you.
Some adults do find that white noise relaxing, but when they want to hear music, it’s irritating to listen to a hiss interfering with your favorite tunes.
Don’t worry though, because there are a few things to do to clear up the sound quality. It all starts with some simple checks.
■ Check the Volume
While that hissing is annoying, it really could be something very minor. You’ll want to go check the volume level. You should have it at a minimum of 75% of the max capacity of your speakers. Is it? If not, adjust it and take a listen. Sometimes, that’s all you need to correct the problem at hand.
But if that doesn’t work…
■ Check Your Audio Cable and Port
So, you tried adjusting the volume, but you’re still hearing that hiss. It might then be a question of your audio cable or port. Switch them and see if things keep hissing away.
Most current signal cables are built rather well, but hissing can endure if it’s not a ground loop.
Another thing to check is that the cables are audio signal cables rather than output cables. That could be your problem right there!
Some equipment might present the option to use balanced inputs or outputs. If yours has this option, do it.
Speaker cables probably won’t be affecting it but to avoid any conflict, keep the AC cords free and clear.
Another thing to know about wires is that you shouldn’t loop antenna signal cables.
This can make things noisy by turning them into antennas via electromagnetic induction.
But above all, cable quality matters. Cheap cables that aren’t made well can cause noise issues even from the start.
I’m not saying you need to spend gobs of money on cables, but you might want to look at how it’s made.
Let’s look at gold connectors on the cables. This is usually the more expensive option, and it’s gold, so it must be best, right? Nope! Gold doesn’t oxidize, which is good.
And it is a better choice over chrome and nickel. But silver and copper are better. And while platinum makes for good jewelry, it’s not ideal for conductivity.
So, what’s best? I personally favor copper wire with gold connectors. But there are cheaper ones that will do in the $10 to $20 ballpark. Understanding conductivity will help you get the best one for your needs.
■ Check the Transformer
Another place to look is at your transformer. It’s last on the list of things to check because when all else fails, it’s likely the cause.
But generally speaking, I’ll say it’s one of those other things first. If you’ve taken action with the volume and the cables and ports, that just leaves your transformer.
And let me tell you, if there’s something unstable about it, you should make sure you get a new one immediately. That could spell disaster if that blows!
Again, in most cases, it’s one of those other things. And if you’re wondering how to fix it, keep reading because I’ve got you covered.
■ Fix a Ground Loop
I’m going to say this is the most likely cause of your weird hissing sound. I don’t even need to look because it is so easy to have happened.
You’ll see it come up in humming, or if you’ve got it all connected to your TV, you might have some bands running through the screen.
Sometimes, you might not notice the humming because it’s so low until you’re home alone with your thoughts and the remote in your hand.
Whatever the case, you’ll want to fix it. It usually happens when you’ve got one or more things plugged into the AC at differing points and then joined together with electrical signal cables like HDMI or RCA with shielding connected to the ground.
Basically, this causes a single-loop antenna that draws in noises electromagnetically.
If you have this loop, you simply need to break it to stop the noise. So how do you do that? You need to take everything and put it through one AC socket.
Just plug everything into one surge protector and then plug that into the wall. Your hissing days are over!
Ah, but what if you can’t get everything to reach the same outlet?
This might come up if you have those self-powered speakers or subwoofers. You could always use a three-prong or two-prong adapter, but I don’t recommend that since you could shock yourself.
The next idea you can try is getting an extension cord. That should solve the problem, but hey, everyone has a different setup, and if that won’t be of any help, then a hum eliminator is just what you’re looking for. They’re not cheap, but they’re effective.
If you’re handy with a soldering iron and other tools, you may be able to make one yourself, but again, not what I’d recommend unless you are a skilled craftsman.
Are you still having trouble? Then you could be looking at an OTA antenna or cable-TV coax cable with a path to the ground.
You’ll need to see if it’s being caused by your cable box or modem and if you find it’s the TV signal wire that connects your modem (just pull it out and see if it gets quiet), then it’s time to replace that equipment.
■ Update Your Drivers
So, let’s say you’ve got all your wires in the right places. Maybe all those things are new, but yet you’ve got a humming that continues to persist. You might want to take a look at your audio driver.
The good news is you can update it yourself. You’ll simply need to find out which driver version you need. You can go grab your hardware manual or download it online if you can’t seem to find it anywhere.
But that’s about where the simplicity to this ends. It’s a bit delicate since you need to be certain you’re downloading and installing the right driver.
What happens if you get the wrong one? You’ll have crashes and lags, and likely, big boot problems.
A great way to avoid drama is to use the built-in device manager tool. This takes out all the guesswork and automates the process.
Basically, your OS does all the dirty work and updates accordingly. It’s like having a bot work for you to ensure you’re getting the right drivers to play nicely with your hardware.
Are you still lost? I’ve got all the details here. If you have Windows 7, here’s how to make it happen:
- Click your Windows logo in the taskbar to get that Start menu open.
- Right-click “Computer” and choose “Manage.”
- Now you’ll see the computer management screen and an option for “Locate Device Manager.”
- Look in the list of your available devices. When you find your speakers, right-click on them.
- Now, choose the option which will update your audio driver.
Got Windows 8 or 8.1? Here’s what to do:
- Again you’ll look for the Windows logo icon in your taskbar. There will be a Quick Access menu where you can choose “Device Manager” from.
- When you see the device on which you want to update the driver, right-click it.
- Choose “Update Driver Software” and you’re done!
Windows 10, perhaps, is the easiest of all. You’ll choose the Windows logo key and hit “X” on your keyboard.
Then choose “Select Device Manager” from the list that comes up. Find your speakers and then right-click where it gives you the option to update. Voila!
Regardless of which version of Windows you have, you must make sure you’re choosing the selection that allows your OS to look for the necessary driver online.
Once it finishes doing its thing, restart your computer. That buzzing sound should be gone now!
The Device Manager doesn’t always get it right. You might be unleashing a string of curse words because it comes back with a failure to find the right driver.
This is why I strongly suggest you engage software that does this all for you so you can enjoy life without a constant droning hum every time your electronics are on.
■ Prevent Frequency Interference
In the world of electronic devices, metal seems to prevail when the rest of the things we use are all plastic.
This is deliberate though, because the radio frequency interference that would come up without it would be significant. Interestingly, your devices (computers, Wi-Fi modems, smartphones, and tablets) can generate plenty of that radiofrequency. Try moving these things further away from your whole setup.
Should it be something that is supposed to connect or join into the setup though, you’ll want to shield it properly, which should stop the buzz.
■ Bonus Tips for Reducing Hissing in Speakers
Want more ways to hush that hiss? Sure you do! Here are my best tips to reduce it and regain pristine sound quality from your speakers.
- Use a different power supply! When you join your speakers to the strip that also includes your computer, you’re likely to receive ground and hence, noise. Keep the speakers on their own source.
- Try a power conditioner! It will cut down the noise and keep your stuff safe from any surges.
- Avoid turning things up too high! This will result in a noise floor, something that isn’t as cool as it sounds, not even by a mile. When you turn any of your things too high and over-amplify, it brings awful results.
- Watch out with compression effects! Over-usage of these can make that noise floor very noticeable. Try setting your compressor to a higher value with a ratio at a lower one. As a side bonus, it gives you more dynamic range with your mix.
- The process of elimination is always a helpful problem-solver! When you find noise in the line, remove one thing at a time to locate the source. Start with unplugging your speakers from the interface, then plug them into some other source. If there’s no noise, then you’ll know that hissing was coming from the computer or your interface.
Conclusion
There are a few things that can be causing your hissing noises. The key is to troubleshoot down the list above to see what it is.
When you find the source of the problem, the solutions are easy. You might need to buy new equipment, update some drivers, or rearrange your setup.
Once you know what you’re looking for though, it’s a lot easier.
So, take a moment and isolate that noise. Then you’ll be able to enjoy the sound of silence, until you want to listen to music or watch your favorite movie in surround sound!