mgmmgm2

I have two HX One's. I never had any noise issues with the first one, including when using it with other drive pedals, but I had never used it in 4CM until recently and I usually had it set to true bypass. I got the second unit used. I immediately had noise issues with it, but I eventually figured out that both levels had been set to line level. Once I set them to instrument level I had no problems. After reading about the 4CM noise issues people reported, I tried both of my units in 4CM with both an amp and a Boss IR-2. There was no doubt that it raised the noise floor significantly. I personally wouldn't say that it brought the noise floor up a crazy amount, but both units definitely added noise. It was readily apparent if you switched to true bypass mode while an effect was activated. It did not make the HX One unusable to me, but the issue was readily apparent. It would be nice to see more controlled comparisons across different units in which we know none of the settings are "off"--- line level being used in the wrong context, for example. It would also be nice to know if people reporting no noise in 4CM have actually A/B'd it with the HX One true bypassed (either internally or externally), or maybe even if some folks haven't had amp volume levels high enough to notice it. Power supplies being used might also make a difference. Anyway, it's hard to know what to make of wildly differing reported experiences with noise issues and the HX One. Given that both of my units have the issues in 4CM, I doubt it was just a "bad batch," but who knows?

You can go on Mouser, look at spec sheets, and order a large quantity of an already-UL listed supply with appropriate specifications from a reputable company in a mater of minutes. I'm not saying it would be costless, but since when do we not expect companies to make reasonable expenditures to improve products that a lot of people think have significant design flaws? As for not knowing the exact number of complaints Line 6 has received about the power supply, I guess since we don't ever know the exact number of complaints that a company receives about anything we should never conclude based on our reading of (many) threads on (many) forums that many people think something is designed poorly and should be fixed? Given that Line 6 saw fit to add information about alternative power supplies to their FAQ, I think it's safe to say that they're asked about the power supply... well... frequently.

It's kind of crazy (and exceedingly frustrating) that given the number of complaints about it that they have received, Line 6 has not said that they will either develop a better alternative that people can buy or certify some currently available power supply as being compatible. Testing power supplies to ensure that they meet the necessary specs would not be terribly expensive. It's not rocket science. Line 6 could even make money off of it if they offered their own option. Maybe they're thinking that people would demand to see the alternative power supply ship with the HX Stomp moving forward, but that's exactly what should happen anyway.