final WS420 testing

[sincity]

did some more testing today in regards to the WS420 hiss, but this time the new Exile Audio ZLD line drive was part of the testing, the 420 by itself produces a hiss when the volume is all the way down on the HLCD'S that can be heard while sitting on the engine hatch, i purchased the arc audio line driver and installed inline between the CDA 118 alpine head unit and the wet sounds 420, the hiss is less noticeable but still can be heard, just received the new exile audio ZLD line driver which was built with burr brown components, i first tried it by itself inline between the HU and the amps, hiss went completely away, next i installed it in between the HU and the WS 420, hiss was back. after all this testing the WS420 seems to be the piece of equipment not causing the hiss, but making it worse. i personally like the 420 for its features, especially the individual frequency adjustments for the tower and the boat, the exile ZLD doesnt have that, if your adjusting the frequencies on the exile, both the tower and the boat get the same adjustment, but the Exile audio ZLD seems to sound better. my personal opinion of course. i will take out the 420 for this weekend and install the exile audio ZLD and try it for the day.
sin city

[Timmy!]

Interesting results! Every boat I have been on that has a WS420 also has a Clarion head unit and they all have that hiss. I thought maybe it was the Clarion but your research is pointing to the 420 or at least the 420 makes it more noticeable. Is the real issue the length of the RCA's that have to be run between the 420 and the amps?

[shawndoggy]

Sincity, what's the rest of your system made up of (what amps and speakers)?

After I so boldly proclaimed "no hiss" from my clarion EQS746 last week, I double checked this weekend and sure enough there is a very faint hiss from my Rev10s (powered by arc ks600.2) if I stick my head right up to the horn. You have to be very close (almost like you are trying to "hear the ocean" from a seashell), but it's there. Undetectable from 18" away. I didn't try to figure out where it's coming from (amp, EQ, or HU) because it's so minimal I can definitely live with it.

[sincity]

I did the exact same thing with the clarion,like i said the hiss really doesn't bother me , it's just fun to make it the best it can be, my system is all exile audio amps and tower speakers or Samson by another name The RCA cables are all good quality Rockford fosgate, the hiss is derived from the power supplies in the amps and the head unit, you will be able to hear the hiss even with the deck off as long as it has power to it.
Sin city