PC Studio Monitor Hum/Hissing Sound. Noise gets louder/quieter depending on computer usage.

[D3monw3st]

Hello,

 

I recently built a new PC using this motherboard: MSI X670E MAG Tomahawk. I have two KRK Classic 5 studio monitors.

 

Setup: PC (brand new), two Krk Classic 5 studio monitors, Scarlett Focusrite 3rd gen (brand new), XLR to TRS (brand new), RCA to RCA (brand new), one power strip. Everything is plugged into the one power strip and is 3 prong (grounded).

 

Problem: Humming noise that changes volume and frequency as I use the computer. For ex. if I am alt tabbing or moving my mouse the sound almost reacts my movements and changes volume and tone. Link to listen to sound: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cYPGc4e7qmxjJoCafgm54ZOahHLEROM8/view?usp=sharing .

 

I have tried a Scarlett Focusrite 3rd Gen w/ XLR to TRS and then the usb cable into the computer. Unfortunately the problem still existed.

 

I have tried a JDS Atoms Lab DAC w/ RCA cables. Unfortunately the problem still existed.

 

I connected via a 3.5mm male to dual 6.2mm TRS cables—one to each speaker. The 3.5mm end plugs into this mini DAC. Unfortunately the problem still existed.

 

I am looking to see what I need to do in order to resolve this static noise and use the speakers (what to purchase, etc.).

 

Thank you!

[MiszS]

Sounds like it's just the cooler, can you list your PC specs?

[anirudthelinuxwIzard]

Can youy say which power supply you have?

[D3monw3st]

1 hour ago, anirudthelinuxwIzard said:

Can youy say which power supply you have?

 

1 hour ago, MiszS said:

Sounds like it's just the cooler, can you list your PC specs?

[podkall]

So where's the sound coming from? Is it speakers or some component(s)?

[D3monw3st]

6 hours ago, podkall said:

So where's the sound coming from? Is it speakers or some component(s)?

I use the Scarlett Solo 3rd gen, so digital to the dac.

[Heats with Nvidia]

When i had the same problem, it was a little loose connections in the power strips, so makr sure that you have good power strips and try another power outlet.

[Omon_Ra]

That's ground loop interference/hum; you can read more about it here. There's a bajillion sources that could be coming from, but some things to do/try:

 

About your rig...you have TWO 4070's?? Just wanted to make sure.. but you might want to consider a new PSU; 850 Watt should be plenty, but if you've overclocked your CPU & GPU's at all, I would step up to 1000watt or more. You ideally want your PSU running at 50-60% capacity of it's max wattage for efficiency reasons.  Use a wattmeter, or HWInfo or something to gauge how much wattage you're pulling at any given time. If you're pulling 650-700 watts, a higher wattage PSU could help; but try some of these other things before you get a new PSU.

 

- Get a quality UPS/power conditioner. APC is probably the most popular, affordable UPS brand. this will work, though they have a ton of other options depending on your needs. If you can't swing the cost of a UPS, there are power conditioners, basically a beefed up surge protector. If that's still out of budget, a quality (not Monster Cables/Power/whatever they call themselves pls...XD) surge protector from Home Depot/Lowes with a 'Ground'/'Ground Protection' indicator LED

- identify what circuit and other appliances/devices are plugged into that same circuit. Try to minimize any other mid-high current devices on whatever your PC is on. You might need to call a friend with some electrical knowledge if this is unfamiliar territory.

- *for liability reasons, call a licensed electrician for this* check the wall outlet and make sure it is actually grounded. If you live in an older home (pre-1960) with older outlets, it's possible someone replaced the old two-prong outlet with a three-prong, grounded outlet, but the ground is not actually connected to anything.

- you could get a ground loop isolator; there are a ton of options for the type of connections, but if I were to only get one, something like this to go between your PC and an outlet

 

As far as the gear you already have, some questions and recommendations:

- where did you get your cables from, and are the XLR to TRS cables balanced or unbalanced. You want balanced cables, as they provide better interference rejection. For my audio stuff I prefer not to change connectors; so XLR to XLR, and TRS to TRS as long as gear allows, and your Scarlett/KRK pairing can do either. It technically shouldn't matter, but I've definitely experienced more issues with 'conversion' cables as far as noise/interference. Avoid using RCA or 3.5mm if at all possible, RCA is inherently unbalanced cabling, and 3.5mm jacks tend to be a bit noisier in general. I think it's because of how small/close together the contacts are, versus a 7mm jack/plug.

- how are your audio cables routed? Are they on top of/next to power cables and running parallel to them, if so, for how far, 6 inches? 3 feet? Try to route audio cables separately from power if possible, avoid long parallel runs of power/audio together, if they have to be parallel, try to give them some space apart, and don't let them wrap around each other.

- first thing I would do is get your longest extension cord, plug one of your monitors into that (leave everything else like normal), and plug it into an outlet ideally in a different room. See if you still get the hum or not. If the hum stops, then the ground loop is in the electrical circuit somewhere. If there's still hum (which honestly is what I think will happen), it's a device in the signal chain, IMO, most likely the PC itself being that the CPU usage dictates the pitch/loudness of the hum.