What is the difference between Hum and Noise?
I’m glad you asked that, because it’s a constant cause of confusion for us when users complain about “noise” problems! “Noise” (or “hiss”) sounds like escaping steam and is present over the entire audio spectrum from 20Hz to 20kHz. It results from random thermal vibrations in the electronics at a molecular level and is an inescapable consequence of physics and the nature of the universe we live in. We take every precaution in designing the electronics to ensure that noise is minimal and will not be noticed in normal operation. If you leave the inputs unconnected and crank up the Preamp Gain, Output Gain and the volume on your monitor amp, you will definitely hear some noise. However this is hardly “normal operation”, so don’t come crying to us about noise! As explained in the User Guides, what matters is “signal-to-noise ratio” (“SNR”). On the other hand “Hum” (or “buzz”) sounds like a flying insect. It is caused by radiated electromagnetic fields from mains transformers and mains wiri
