Like all high quality audio systems, N.O.W. produces a low level background hiss that is audible if you place the speakers near your ears. N.O.W. actually offers CD sound quality (better than .mp3 recording) because it uses the same 16 bit .wav sound file type as found in CD players. The difference in what you hear is that the only recording in the N.O.W. speakers is that of pure sine wave tones played in a range that does not include the upper and lower noise-masking qualities that come with normal music and other recordings. It is actually the lack of masking sounds that makes the hiss noticeable when held up to your ears. It is also a lovely effect of the tones having been created in complete stillness, produced in real-time, in real ways, with analog instruments and recordings and free of any digital manipulation.

In other words, for those who at first notice the white noise outside of the tones, they are not meant to not be there so they are not a concern. And there are two considerations: If you hold the speakers away from your ears by about a foot, or place your N.O.W. speakers on a table or desk in front of you, and bring your attention to the tones themselves, you will not hear the hiss at all –– but you will soon notice you’re more relaxed! Second, we consider it a lovely way that the environment of the recordings connects in air to the environment in which they are played. They might just be more perfect than you realize!