Questions & Answers

Do the PreSonus Eris E8 studio monitors have a hissing sound when coming straight out of the box?

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asked Feb 16, 2017 in Sceptre, Eris, R-Series by thomasnouwt (150 points)
I just bought a pair of PreSonus Eris E8 studio monitors and they sound great, but when no sounds/music are being played I hear a slight hissing sound. I was wondering if it's normal for them to have this hissing sound when coming straight out of the box.

I've already tried the speakers on several different power outlets without anything connected, but they continued to produce the hissing sound no matter where I tried them.

1 Answer

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answered Feb 16, 2017 by AlexTinsley (924,980 points)
selected Jun 6, 2017 by AlexTinsley
 
Best answer

All audio electronics including audio interfaces, studio monitors, mixers, PA speakers, even a stereo all have a hissing sound if you turn up the output all the way. You are hearing the noise floor of the device. The best method to eliminate or greatly reduce this issue is to set your speakers to Unity which on the Eris speakers is at 12 o'clock. There is a notch in the rotation of the knob indicating the regular position where it should be. 

You can then use the gain knob to adjust up or down the loudness of your monitors. Keep in mind that turning up your audio interface inputs and/or outputs all the way will also reveal it's noise floor. By adjusting the output of both your audio interface and fine tuning of the setting for you monitors should get you to a setting you're content with. 

An internet search turned up this simple to follow guide on how to setup your studio monitors. He goes over the basics of setting up studio monitors and setting levels. Check it out. 

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