Speaker noise - hissing

How quiet should my speakers be with a 50 watt tube amp when no music is playing? Is this hissing sound possibly from the tubes?

adampeter12-26-2008 10:04pm

mlsstl Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 1,379 posts 12-27-2008 at 12:09am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete More info is needed. What make and model for the amp? How old is it? Has it been serviced lately? How many hours are on the tubes? Does the hiss occur when only the amp is on and no sources are connected? Same with the speakers. If the speakers are particularly efficient you may notice hiss that a less efficient set of speakers would not reveal. In short, the more information provided, the better the answer.
mlsstl Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 1,379 posts 12-29-2008 at 04:35am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete One other question & suggestion. Is the noise equal between channels? While small signal tubes are often the source of hissing (aka white noise) and can increase as tubes age, it is unlikely that all four of the 6SN7 tubes are deteriorating at exactly the same pace. If you find the noise is louder in one channel than the other, try switching the tubes between the left and right channels. If the noise is now louder in the opposite channel you'll have confirmed that it is time to replace those tubes.