Buzzing/Crackling noise in headphones

[Resonance]

Hello all,

 

I've been plagued by this issue for the past year and just decided to do anything about it.

I own the Audio Technica ATH-M50's and I get a buzzing/crackling noise in the headphones. I went searching online to find out where the issue could be. Since I was getting some of the issue when I scroll up and down a webpage or switch tabs, etc. there were some people saying that the motherboard had trouble with audio and such. I owned the ASUS M5A99X EVO, if that puts anything in perspective. I just replaced my motherboard and processor to an ASUS Maximus VII Hero. I installed all the drivers in hopes that everything would be fine now. However, I still get this issue and starting experimenting. At first, I just thought that since the motherboard didn't fix the issue, then my headphones connector was going faulty. I moved around the connector in the 3.5mm jack on the back of the motherboard to notice that if I do twist the cable in jack or press up, against gravity, to find that the issue does go away in some aspect, if I position it correctly. This again reaffirmed my issue that the connector was the problem. I again looked into the issue and found other sources leading me to believe the power supply wasn't grounded correctly to the case. This seems to be the most probable case, as I don't see this buzzing/crackling effect connecting to my laptop.

 

However, since this may most likely be my problem... I was wondering if any one would know how to either properly ground the case/power supply?

I was planning on upgrading my power supply soon anyway. If I do switch it out... if the problem is the case, for grounding, will there be no point in switching out the power supply?

 

Thanks.

[kwljunky]

Hello all,

 

I've been plagued by this issue for the past year and just decided to do anything about it.

I own the Audio Technica ATH-M50's and I get a buzzing/crackling noise in the headphones. I went searching online to find out where the issue could be. Since I was getting some of the issue when I scroll up and down a webpage or switch tabs, etc. there were some people saying that the motherboard had trouble with audio and such. I owned the ASUS M5A99X EVO, if that puts anything in perspective. I just replaced my motherboard and processor to an ASUS Maximus VII Hero. I installed all the drivers in hopes that everything would be fine now. However, I still get this issue and starting experimenting. At first, I just thought that since the motherboard didn't fix the issue, then my headphones connector was going faulty. I moved around the connector in the 3.5mm jack on the back of the motherboard to notice that if I do twist the cable in jack or press up, against gravity, to find that the issue does go away in some aspect, if I position it correctly. This again reaffirmed my issue that the connector was the problem. I again looked into the issue and found other sources leading me to believe the power supply wasn't grounded correctly to the case. This seems to be the most probable case, as I don't see this buzzing/crackling effect connecting to my laptop.

 

However, since this may most likely be my problem... I was wondering if any one would know how to either properly ground the case/power supply?

I was planning on upgrading my power supply soon anyway. If I do switch it out... if the problem is the case, for grounding, will there be no point in switching out the power supply?

 

Thanks.

Do you have your headphone connected to the back of the motherboard and not to the front audio connectors right? 

 

Do the headphones cackle if you use them on something else like an iPhone or something? 

 

Can you take a picture of which one port you are connecting it to? 

 

Also does that mobo come with a built in amp? if so what's the Independence settings? 

[yourdad165]

You likely have the same problem as me. Coil whine might be coming from your PSU. It sounds like it's coming from your headset which somehow it is because of electrical wires, and basically it's an ear rape and a half. There is no fix except some people say lubricating your PSU coils can fix it. 

 

If it happens when you move around and look in different directions during games it's likely the problem. The frequency will change and the noise will get quieter / louder.

[Resonance]

Do you have your headphone connected to the back of the motherboard and not to the front audio connectors right? 

 

Do the headphones cackle if you use them on something else like an iPhone or something? 

 

Can you take a picture of which one port you are connecting it to? 

 

Also does that mobo come with a built in amp? if so what's the Independence settings? 

Wow you guys are blazing fast in replies.

Also, yes,  they are connected to the back of the motherboard.

Yes, I've tested them on my laptop, in which they don't create the same feedback.

It's connected to the light-green port, where the 3.5mm audio out is.

It comes with the Sound Sense Amp, for ROG boards, apparently it can range from 65ohms to 150ohms.

 

You likely have the same problem as me. Coil whine might be coming from your PSU. It sounds like it's coming from your headset which somehow it is because of electrical wires, and basically it's an ear rape and a half. There is no fix except some people say lubricating your PSU coils can fix it. 

 

If it happens when you move around and look in different directions during games it's likely the problem. The frequency will change and the noise will get quieter / louder.

Yeah, that might be it. I was thinking it may be EMI. I just thought that it could be issues with grounding. Though if that's the case, your description fits this issue better. It doesn't really happen in games, it's just constantly there. I suppose I'll switch out the power supply. I was thinking that I'd get myself the AX860 to match my color scheme but I've also heard that it could have coil whine also. I could also get the AX860i, which the manufactuer is different. Would you happen to know if either of the cases would be an okay option?

[kwljunky]

Wow you guys are blazing fast in replies.

Also, yes,  they are connected to the back of the motherboard.

Yes, I've tested them on my laptop, in which they don't create the same feedback.

It's connected to the light-green port, where the 3.5mm audio out is.

It comes with the Sound Sense Amp, for ROG boards, apparently it can range from 65ohms to 150ohms.

 

Yeah, that might be it. I was thinking it may be EMI. I just thought that it could be issues with grounding. Though if that's the case, your description fits this issue better. It doesn't really happen in games, it's just constantly there. I suppose I'll switch out the power supply. I was thinking that I'd get myself the AX860 to match my color scheme but I've also heard that it could have coil whine also. I could also get the AX860i, which the manufactuer is different. Would you happen to know if either of the cases would be an okay option?

What is the impendence set to in SonicStage? 

[BoredErica]

What is the impendence set to in SonicStage? 

Why would that matter? It's just gain, right.

[kwljunky]

Why would that matter? It's just gain, right.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/635307/what-does-putting-low-impedance-headphone-into-a-high-gain-amp-do

 

It apparently creates a hissing sound, Buzz is a ground issue and Hiss could be the amp. 

[yourdad165]

Wow you guys are blazing fast in replies.

Also, yes,  they are connected to the back of the motherboard.

Yes, I've tested them on my laptop, in which they don't create the same feedback.

It's connected to the light-green port, where the 3.5mm audio out is.

It comes with the Sound Sense Amp, for ROG boards, apparently it can range from 65ohms to 150ohms.

 

Yeah, that might be it. I was thinking it may be EMI. I just thought that it could be issues with grounding. Though if that's the case, your description fits this issue better. It doesn't really happen in games, it's just constantly there. I suppose I'll switch out the power supply. I was thinking that I'd get myself the AX860 to match my color scheme but I've also heard that it could have coil whine also. I could also get the AX860i, which the manufactuer is different. Would you happen to know if either of the cases would be an okay option?

 

It doesn't really matter which PSU you go for, either could potentially have coil whine. It's kind of unfortunate that the manufacturers don't take credit for it. You could RMA it but they likely won't replace it. Those power supplies should work though, get a modular one so you can prevent coils from touching each other and make it look neat.

[Resonance]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/635307/what-does-putting-low-impedance-headphone-into-a-high-gain-amp-do

 

It apparently creates a hissing sound, Buzz is a ground issue and Hiss could be the amp. 

I went to the Sonic Soundstage but it says that it's only used for front headphones.

 

It doesn't really matter which PSU you go for, either could potentially have coil whine. It's kind of unfortunate that the manufacturers don't take credit for it. You could RMA it but they likely won't replace it. Those power supplies should work though, get a modular one so you can prevent coils from touching each other and make it look neat.

I'll look into getting it replaced and see if that fixes the issue. If not, possibly a dedicated sound card.

[kwljunky]

I went to the Sonic Soundstage but it says that it's only used for front headphones.

 

I'll look into getting it replaced and see if that fixes the issue. If not, possibly a dedicated sound card.

Hmmm, what's it like plugged into the front then? 

[Resonance]

Hmmm, what's it like plugged into the front then? 

Yeah, plugging it in the front gave me some dialogue saying that the impedance will change to a lower ohm comparison. Also, when I do try and mess with the connector that plugs into the front I no longer get any buzzing. I placed it back into the rear IO and I still have to place the plug in an optimal fashion, so that I don't get any buzzing.

[BoredErica]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/635307/what-does-putting-low-impedance-headphone-into-a-high-gain-amp-do

 

It apparently creates a hissing sound, Buzz is a ground issue and Hiss could be the amp. 

Yes, a higher gain increases the noise floor. It is easier to hear it especially when playing nothing and it would be a hissing sound.

[kwljunky]

Yeah, plugging it in the front gave me some dialogue saying that the impedance will change to a lower ohm comparison. Also, when I do try and mess with the connector that plugs into the front I no longer get any buzzing. I placed it back into the rear IO and I still have to place the plug in an optimal fashion, so that I don't get any buzzing.

 

Is that mobo optimized for the headphone to be plugged in from the front then? Maybe just stick in the front and leave it at that? 

 

Also when it say's lowering the impendence, can you do it manually to what it suggests and then stick it in the back and see if anything changes? 

[kwljunky]

Yes, a higher gain increases the noise floor. It is easier to hear it especially when playing nothing and it would be a hissing sound.

I was thinking maybe the amp has the impendence set to max, and that's why he's getting the noise? Or maybe some other effect in there? 

[BoredErica]

I was thinking maybe the amp has the impendence set to max, and that's why he's getting the noise? Or maybe some other effect in there? 

Well, I think the terminology you're looking for is gain, not impedance. The amp would automatically adjust to the impedance of the headphone, that's not something the user alters. I used to own the Asus STX and I recalled that they mucked up the gain setting by mixing in "impedance" figures in there when in reality they should've just called it gain. If it's too high gain and he's hearing noise floor it would just be a hiss. It wouldn't be a buzz and it won't change depending on computer load. Another reason why I don't think it's that is because the OP has tried more than one mobo. Yes, they are both from Asus but I don't think Asus is THAT retarded and I don't think the mobo would fail in the same way twice in a row. I personally have had ground loop issues with my monitors. One way of trying to fix this is to make sure everything computer/audio related is plugged into the same wall socket. But that rarely is enough. What I did in my case was I stopped the ground loops with a ground loop isolator (a <$20 fix) and everything was perfect after that. I've never experienced it on headphones though. Ground loop problems would cause buzzing and other odd noises that change depending on what you're doing on the computer. And there are multiple possible points of ground loops.  I'm no expert on ground loops, I just know I used an isolator on my monitors and all was well.

 

Mostly irrelevant, but since this IS the audio subsection, in general you want your gain to be at the lowest possible setting while still having enough volume for your tastes. You only increase gain when you've already hit max volume in Windows/Youtube/amp/etc and it's still not loud enough.

[kwljunky]

Well, I think the terminology you're looking for is gain, not impedance. The amp would automatically adjust to the impedance of the headphone, that's not something the user alters. I used to own the Asus STX and I recalled that they mucked up the gain setting by mixing in "impedance" figures in there when in reality they should've just called it gain. If it's too high gain and he's hearing noise floor it would just be a hiss. It wouldn't be a buzz and it won't change depending on computer load. Another reason why I don't think it's that is because the OP has tried more than one mobo. Yes, they are both from Asus but I don't think Asus is THAT retarded and I don't think the mobo would fail in the same way twice in a row. I personally have had ground loop issues with my monitors. One way of trying to fix this is to make sure everything computer/audio related is plugged into the same wall socket. But that rarely is enough. What I did in my case was I stopped the ground loops with a ground loop isolator (a <$20 fix) and everything was perfect after that. I've never experienced it on headphones though. Ground loop problems would cause buzzing and other odd noises that change depending on what you're doing on the computer. And there are multiple possible points of ground loops.  I'm no expert on ground loops, I just know I used an isolator on my monitors and all was well.

 

Mostly irrelevant, but since this IS the audio subsection, in general you want your gain to be at the lowest possible setting while still having enough volume for your tastes. You only increase gain when you've already hit max volume in Windows/Youtube/amp/etc and it's still not loud enough.

Yeah, that my bad. Gain is the thing I am talking about! 

 

I was trying to think of things to try before he swaps out the power supply, that could be a cause. 

[Resonance]

Well, I think the terminology you're looking for is gain, not impedance. The amp would automatically adjust to the impedance of the headphone, that's not something the user alters. I used to own the Asus STX and I recalled that they mucked up the gain setting by mixing in "impedance" figures in there when in reality they should've just called it gain. If it's too high gain and he's hearing noise floor it would just be a hiss. It wouldn't be a buzz and it won't change depending on computer load. Another reason why I don't think it's that is because the OP has tried more than one mobo. Yes, they are both from Asus but I don't think Asus is THAT retarded and I don't think the mobo would fail in the same way twice in a row. I personally have had ground loop issues with my monitors. One way of trying to fix this is to make sure everything computer/audio related is plugged into the same wall socket. But that rarely is enough. What I did in my case was I stopped the ground loops with a ground loop isolator (a <$20 fix) and everything was perfect after that. I've never experienced it on headphones though. Ground loop problems would cause buzzing and other odd noises that change depending on what you're doing on the computer. And there are multiple possible points of ground loops.  I'm no expert on ground loops, I just know I used an isolator on my monitors and all was well.

 

Mostly irrelevant, but since this IS the audio subsection, in general you want your gain to be at the lowest possible setting while still having enough volume for your tastes. You only increase gain when you've already hit max volume in Windows/Youtube/amp/etc and it's still not loud enough.

Hmm.. so the issue does come back to this, possibly. Is getting a ground loop isolater the best way of dealing with this issue? Since the length that my cable from my headphones have to travel to the front of the case is a pretty large distance, I would prefer having it put in the back, however, if it all comes down to just placing it in the front, that's what I'll have to do.

 

Thanks everyone.

[BoredErica]

Hmm.. so the issue does come back to this, possibly. Is getting a ground loop isolater the best way of dealing with this issue? Since the length that my cable from my headphones have to travel to the front of the case is a pretty large distance, I would prefer having it put in the back, however, if it all comes down to just placing it in the front, that's what I'll have to do.

 

Thanks everyone.

I don't really know. You said that fiddling with the connector helped fix the issue. AFAIK that's inconsistent with what a ground loop problem should be like. On the other hand, the isolator is pretty cheap. They're typically using RCAs though.

 

If you want to cut down on any possible EMI from within the computer, you need to take the audio components out of the computer with something like an external dac/amp.

 

BTW, if and when you find out what the problem is, gimmie a shout or post in this thread. I wanna know what it is.

[Resonance]

I don't really know. You said that fiddling with the connector helped fix the issue. AFAIK that's inconsistent with what a ground loop problem should be like. On the other hand, the isolator is pretty cheap. They're typically using RCAs though.

 

If you want to cut down on any possible EMI from within the computer, you need to take the audio components out of the computer with something like an external dac/amp.

 

BTW, if and when you find out what the problem is, gimmie a shout or post in this thread. I wanna know what it is.

Yeah, once I find a solution, if I ever do at least, I'll report back. I'll be replacing my power supply anyway soon, I'll see if that does anything, if not, I'll try other headphones and see what happens.

[Resonance]

I don't really know. You said that fiddling with the connector helped fix the issue. AFAIK that's inconsistent with what a ground loop problem should be like. On the other hand, the isolator is pretty cheap. They're typically using RCAs though.

 

If you want to cut down on any possible EMI from within the computer, you need to take the audio components out of the computer with something like an external dac/amp.

 

BTW, if and when you find out what the problem is, gimmie a shout or post in this thread. I wanna know what it is.

Hey Dark_wizzie, it would seem that I found the fix, sort of. I just purchased a gtx 970 and put it into my PC. The buzzing went away. My gtx 560 had tons of coil whine so I'm assuming that the audio from the audio has to travel through the pcie lanes to get to the 3.5mm output, that was most likely the cause, it would seem.

[BoredErica]

Hey Dark_wizzie, it would seem that I found the fix, sort of. I just purchased a gtx 970 and put it into my PC. The buzzing went away. My gtx 560 had tons of coil whine so I'm assuming that the audio from the audio has to travel through the pcie lanes to get to the 3.5mm output, that was most likely the cause, it would seem.

[xmx1024]

This is EMI.

[xmx1024]

I would try to get an external digital-to-analog converter, or a shielded soundcard.

[Resonance]

I would try to get an external digital-to-analog converter, or a shielded soundcard.

Yeah, thought it was EMI. Not sure if there would be degradation using a digital to analog converter. The thing about the sound card is that there is no sound cards that I would look... 'nice' aesthetic wise.

[xmx1024]

Yeah, thought it was EMI. Not sure if there would be degradation using a digital to analog converter. The thing about the sound card is that there is no sound cards that I would look... 'nice' aesthetic wise.

It would increase your sound quality x10.