Hiss thru speakers when watching TV...help

[Clint B]

Hi. I'm not a very technical person, so I'll describe my problem as best as I can. I have a Yamaha RX-V596 receiver, the Mirage AVS-500 sub/sat system, and the Sony Wega KV-27FS13. Overall, I'm happy with it, but I notice that any time I try to watch TV (I have cable) thru my stereo speakers, I get a fair amount of hiss when I turn up the volume even just a little bit (I first notice it when the volume knob is at around "eight o'clock" and it gets worse when I turn it up from there). I never have this problem watching DVD's. Is it just something inherent in the cable system, or have I hooked something up incorrectly. Please help if you can, and please keep your explanation relatively light on the tech-speak.

Thanks!
EDIT--Mods, if this needs to be moved to another part of the forum, go right ahead.

 

[Robby]

Sorry, but you are just amplifing the noise that is already there. Just use the Sony's speakers when watching cable. Upgarde to DSS if you can for improved picture and CD quality sound.

 

[Clint B]

Thanks, Robby. It's not really that big a deal in the scheme of things, but I would've liked to be able to watch sports on TV using my speakers with little or no hiss.

Why is it, though, that many systems that I've heard don't have this problem? I know that it's not necessarily speaker size, because my dad has some in-ceiling speakers, and his system produces no hiss whatsoever.

 

[Paul Clarke]

Virtually every analog cable system out there has a fair amount of background noise. The only thing to do is to max the volume on the cable box while your system volume is at your preferred listening level. Then slowly back the cable volume down until the noise becomes tolerable.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Clint,

The problem is that many TVs have tuners with rather cheap audio sections (TV manufacturers are more concerned with the picture).

Paul’s advice might work if you have a cable box (don’t have one myself, so I’ll take his word for it). However, if you are sending audio to the receiver directly from the TV’s jacks, I wouldn’t turn them all the way up. They might well get a cleaner signal at less-than-full volume – say at ¾ volume instead.

Also, make sure you have the TV’s treble control set to flat. Boosting the treble at the TV definitely will get you noise.

In addition, if the TV has fixed-level audio jacks, use them instead of the variable-out jacks.

You don’t mention if you have a cable box. If you don’t and all else fails, get a decent stereo VCR and let it be your tuner. It will have a much cleaner audio section than your TV.

Regards,

Wayne A. Pflughaupt