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Serious issue with my audio

JamesHewitt
By JamesHewitt
in Audio
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So, serious question. I've got two BX5's and an M-track 2x2m and when I use my m50x's I get a horrible buzz. This changes depending on how much power my computer is using so the more power the louder the buzz (for example in games). I spoke to my electrician and he recommended I look into isolators or something for sockets in order to clean the line up.

 

Anyone know what he exactly means as he wasn't sure of what they were called, was thinking it could be a UPS but not sure.

 

I'm a music student so I kinda need to be able to use my audio equipment, especially due to the fact I might need a second set of speakers.

 

I know it's not the PC, I have literally just replaced the entire system including power supply and I have also tried in multiple rooms.

 

Any help would be seriously appreciated, James

 

edit: also used different headphones

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try the audio out line from the back of the motherboard instead of the front panel, same problem with me on only the front panel audio out.

Ryzen 5 3600 stock | 2x16GB C13 3200MHz (AFR) | GTX 760 (Sold the VII)| ASUS Prime X570-P | 6TB WD Gold (128MB Cache, 2017)

Samsung 850 EVO 240 GB 

138 is a good number.

 

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2 minutes ago, themctipers said:

try the audio out line from the back of the motherboard instead of the front panel, same problem with me on only the front panel audio out.

Tried both on three boards, same issue.

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10 minutes ago, themctipers said:

try the audio out line from the back of the motherboard instead of the front panel, same problem with me on only the front panel audio out.

Some quick experimenting resulted in less noise from USB 2.0 rather than 3/c but it's still there (used different cables as well)

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Those Audio Technicas are so ridiculously sensitive that I wouldn't wonder if touching sleeve with one hand and ring/tip with other would give AC hum...

 

Is outlet grounded?

And have you tested with nothing but necessary things connected to PC?

 

If it's EMI coming from power line then good surge supressor could help.

Those have EMI filtering components.

https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/anatomy-of-surge-suppressors/2/

Though that interference becoming louder with increase of PC's power consumption hints that problem might be also in it.

 

What's the precise component list of that PC?

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37 minutes ago, EsaT said:

Those Audio Technicas are so ridiculously sensitive that I wouldn't wonder if touching sleeve with one hand and ring/tip with other would give AC hum...

 

Is outlet grounded?

And have you tested with nothing but necessary things connected to PC?

 

If it's EMI coming from power line then good surge supressor could help.

Those have EMI filtering components.

https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/anatomy-of-surge-suppressors/2/

Though that interference becoming louder with increase of PC's power consumption hints that problem might be also in it.

 

What's the precise component list of that PC?

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/JamesHewitt/saved/ggpgwP

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10 hours ago, JamesHewitt said:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-BSV102af-SurgeCube-Surge-Protection/dp/B00OLTJSZY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1532213620&sr=8-3&keywords=surge+suppressor

 

something like this? I have the larger ones powering my Monitor, speakers etc then my PC on its own socket but buzz still happens with it in the multiplug. 

Because of small size that might not have full EMI filtering.

And do you have actually grounded wall sockets?

 

And gaming increasing that buzz suggests its source might also be inside PC.

For example non-reference design graphics cards might fail to give damn about EMC.

Have you noticed does frequency of buzz change with for example frame rate or is frequency always same?

 

Also what kind frequency it is?

Low frequency, or higher?

Mains frequency hum caused by for example ground loop sounds like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_hum#Tone

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21 minutes ago, EsaT said:

Because of small size that might not have full EMI filtering.

And do you have actually grounded wall sockets?

 

And gaming increasing that buzz suggests its source might also be inside PC.

For example non-reference design graphics cards might fail to give damn about EMC.

Have you noticed does frequency of buzz change with for example frame rate or is frequency always same?

 

Also what kind frequency it is?

Low frequency, or higher?

Mains frequency hum caused by for example ground loop sounds like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_hum#Tone

4

I'll do some testing and get back to you

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21 minutes ago, JamesHewitt said:

That's my GPU, ZOTAC is quite known I thought? Also it does change frequency depending on load of the GPU so that could explain it...

It's overclocked more power hogging model with own power circuitry design, so they might have said screw it for EMC.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_1080_Ti_Amp_Extreme/5.html

Reference design usually pays more attention to things like keeping EMI under control.

 

Anyway buzz changing frequency that way excludes ground loops/EMI from AC lines as cause.

So you can forget surge supressor plans for now.

 

Separate sound cards cope lot better with possible EMI sources inside PC, because of having own circuit board unlike integrated...

Whose signal routing goes close to GPU slot wiring/under graphics card itself.

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Alright I will look into sound cards as well, also what type of GPU would you recommend then like the strix etc?

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36 minutes ago, EsaT said:

It's overclocked more power hogging model with own power circuitry design, so they might have said screw it for EMC.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_1080_Ti_Amp_Extreme/5.html

Reference design usually pays more attention to things like keeping EMI under control.

 

Anyway buzz changing frequency that way excludes ground loops/EMI from AC lines as cause.

So you can forget surge supressor plans for now.

 

Separate sound cards cope lot better with possible EMI sources inside PC, because of having own circuit board unlike integrated...

Whose signal routing goes close to GPU slot wiring/under graphics card itself.

3

Thank you again for all this help btw. I plugged my old 7950 in and the buzz is still there but a lot less, it also does change depending on frames.

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Also, if I unplug my BX5's and just use the headphones the buzz goes away in the headphones.

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48 minutes ago, JamesHewitt said:

Also, if I unplug my BX5's and just use the headphones the buzz goes away in the headphones.

Are you connecting them to same output with headphones using splitter?

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2 minutes ago, EsaT said:

Are you connecting them to same output with headphones using splitter?

 

I have a M-track 2x2m and both speakers plugged in via TRS leads.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/M-Audio-M-Track-Interface-Grade-Recording-Software/dp/B01FFH5YTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532279296&sr=8-1&keywords=m+audio+m+track+2x2m

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USB isolator would be one thing to try.

Wouldn't be first time for EMI from some component to reach.

 

Though curious that interference stops when disconnecting speakers.

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32 minutes ago, EsaT said:

USB isolator would be one thing to try.

Wouldn't be first time for EMI from some component to reach.

 

Though curious that interference stops when disconnecting speakers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AudioQuest-AA02-Jitterbug-Noise-Suppressor-USB/dp/B00YTA78FW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532285141&sr=8-1&keywords=USB+isolator

 

I've tried this before but it doesn't sort the issue.

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Proper USB isolator should prevent EMI through it.

 

But with disconnecting speakers helping maybe there's also another thing in play.

I suspect with that glass side that case is EMC failure and might let EMI of graphics card leak out, which then somehow gets received by cable of those speakers.

But that would also need that M-track 2x2m to leak that EMI to speaker output.

 

Do you have speakers powered by same outlet than PC?

And you haven't yet answered if those are grounded.

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2 hours ago, EsaT said:

Proper USB isolator should prevent EMI through it.

 

But with disconnecting speakers helping maybe there's also another thing in play.

I suspect with that glass side that case is EMC failure and might let EMI of graphics card leak out, which then somehow gets received by cable of those speakers.

But that would also need that M-track 2x2m to leak that EMI to speaker output.

 

Do you have speakers powered by same outlet than PC?

And you haven't yet answered if those are grounded.

Yeah everything is grounded. The speakers and pc are also plugged into separate sockets. I phoned zotac and they believe it could be interference on the speakers seeing as it doesn't happen when they're unplugged. Also if I plug just my macbook into it the buzz goes away even with the speakers plugged in

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12 hours ago, JamesHewitt said:

Yeah everything is grounded. The speakers and pc are also plugged into separate sockets.

Try connecting everything to same outlet.

Audio equipment should be connected to single outlet for them to have same ground reference.

 

Laptop isn't usually ground referenced even if using its wall power supply, so it won't cause grounding related issues.

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2 hours ago, EsaT said:

Try connecting everything to same outlet.

Audio equipment should be connected to single outlet for them to have same ground reference.

 

Laptop isn't usually ground referenced even if using its wall power supply, so it won't cause grounding related issues.

I'll give this a shot shortly, been building IKEA stuff all day. I've had this response from M-audio

Screenshot_20180724-160143_Gmail.jpg

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On 24/07/2018 at 1:19 PM, EsaT said:

Try connecting everything to same outlet.

Audio equipment should be connected to single outlet for them to have same ground reference.

 

Laptop isn't usually ground referenced even if using its wall power supply, so it won't cause grounding related issues.

Same buzz even if in the same outlet so going to try a UPS, think this would be fine? - https://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerWalker-2200VA-IEC-1100W-UPS/dp/B00HWWJW58/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1532539491&sr=1-10&keywords=ups

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