How to reduce hiss with phono at high volumes?

[Greg]

Can I ask if this is a problem at normal listening volumes or when you turn up the volume to test it, my 1000 can be heard hissing but only at settings that would pin me to the wall if I was actually listening to music. I have bought and tried a Ray Samuels Nighthawk phone stage and it sounds really good but I prefer the simplicity of just using the 1000.

Hi NickB

Per the reply all I just posted, I can hear the hiss on volumes as low as -27. I'm now wondering if the unit is defective.

Yes, it’s the same for me at this volume setting on my D250 Pro C/I although I can only just hear it at the listening position when the house is deathly silent. Hiss is obvious when stood next to the speaker. I can just about live with it because it doesn’t seem to spoil listening, but it does irritate. I’m going to experiment with a pair of SUT’s although these bring their own problems to the mix. 

I know NickB’s system well and certainly it has less hiss than mine. I think our speakers have similar sensitivity and you listen further from the speakers at Nick’s so any hiss has less impact.

I do think this problem is a weakness in the design of the various Pro’s. A well engineered MC Phono stage can be completely silent. There are plenty of them out there.