The hissing/white noise starts as soon as audio starts playing. It continues when you pause whatever is playing for 15 seconds (every time as I have timed it). This hissing/white noise remains at the same level no matter the level of volume from the speakers. The quieter the audio, the more you notice it when audio is playing. The Sonos Five is a hefty beast with a smart, slightly curved grille on the front. (Image credit: TechRadar) I am a current Sonos product user. I have two Five’s in stereo. I’ve previously had a 1st Gen Beam, two One SL’s and a 1st Gen Play:5. The name-plate is positioned so that when you flip it to it's upright orientation, it still reads. (Image credit: TechRadar) Sonos Five review: Design For yet another year, the Sonos multi-room system remains the best all-rounder.” ’What Hi-Fi?’ 2023 award-winner.

I had the same issue, but worse with Echo Studios. Same with Apple HomePods, not as bad as Sonos though. Stream Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, performed by Andre Previn, the London Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy, and the flute is never harsh through the sparkling and untethered treble. Piano notes are distinct, three dimensional and lilting with enough space around them to shine in a cohesive mix. I would have to put my ear right up close to a speaker to hear any such hissing. I was wondering if it maybe one of the symptoms of the tinnitus condition mentioned, perhaps? It’s worth perhaps exploring that too, but that’s not something I know too much about either. I also have a separated hi-fi of high end equipment and I get a small amount of hiss/white noise from the speakers but nowhere as bad as Sonos.

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The Sonos One also features revolutionary TRUEPLAY technology. TRUEPLAY scans your room, analyses the results and then fine-tunes the speaker for the ideal listening experience. Whether your room is large or small and the unit is placed close to a wall or in the centre, the One adapts to give the most natural and realistic sound possible. See those little feet –on the side?! It can be positioned upright too, you see, to create a stereo pair comprising two Fives or as part of a home theater system with a Sonos Arc, say. (Image credit: TechRadar) Sonos Five review: Sound quality The Sonos wireless sound system is simply one of the best-sounding, most reliable and flexible there is. With the latest Sonos components, you don't even require a BRIDGE or BOOST, as they are capable of linking via your home Wi-Fi system. For the very best results, though, linking one component to an Ethernet connection will allow you to take advantage of the famous Sonos 'Mesh' system. So why did it even refresh the product? Well, you're also getting an upgraded processor here, which is key – it signifies that Sonos is likely future-proofing this speaker for potential firmware upgrades, ie. the oft-rumored addition of hi-res music support. So, there's that.

The rear of the Sonos Five reveals its power cable, Ethernet and 3.5mm ports –so your turntable is catered for too. (Image credit: TechRadar) Sonos Five review: Features This hissing/white noise happens with HDMI inputs, line-in inputs and streaming via the S2 app, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon (Roon to Five, with Five Stereo as an endpoint and also a endpoint via line-in). I have adjusted various settings. Disconnected line-ins and HDMI’s and tried different power cables and also power conditioner extension cables. The issue remains. You don't get any built-in voice assistant here, unlike the Sonos Beam or Sonos Arc. No Alexa, no Google Assistant, and no Sonos Voice Control. That is because there's no mic at all, which seems a little bizarre given Sonos' recent focus on its proprietary Sonos Voice rollout, but there we are. I am aware active/powered speakers hiss. I’ve had the pleasure of owning other makes of active speakers.That's not to say it's bass-heavy overall though. Listen to Fontaines D.C.'s Skinty Fia and you'll hear a low-end that, while impactful and unwavering, never bloats or muddies other musical passages such as accordions, drum riffs, angered vocals and keys. With AirPlay, stream directly from your Apple devices or ask Siri to play your favourites from Apple Music throughout your home. My issue of hissing/white noise was first noticed with my Beam. It was replaced under warranty for a different reason but the hissing remained. All of my previous and also current Sonos equipment experience the same issue. I don’t recall the Play:5 being as bad though.

If your hearing is sensitive to these things you may want to consider alternatives. Maybe opt for passive speakers perhaps? I can only imagine that once you can hear these things though, that it’s then difficult to not notice them often, as I too would always be listening out for such unwanted sounds. Anyhow I am personally not noticing such sounds, thankfully🙏 Find the right music for every moment on Spotify. Search any artist or song, create and share playlists, and get personalized recommendations. Listen on Sonos and control the music with your voice, the Spotify app or the Sonos app. (Requires Spotify Premium account for full features). The more components you add, the stronger the dedicated wireless mesh becomes. Best of all, because it runs independently from your Wi-Fi, the reliability and strength of the signal is unaffected by Wi-Fi dropouts. With its smooth good looks, the Sonos One is designed to look every bit as good in years to come as it does now. Yet Sonos have taken the idea of design longevity further by engineering in the ability to update the electronics through future software updates. With its increased memory and updated processor, the One has more potential for future upgrades than ever.A soft self-generated hissing noise is so common on active speakers that some manufacturers publish the level of self-generated noise for their products.