Buzzing issues

CSMonkeh · 3 Jul 2012 at 19:11

OK getting to the end of my tether now. Recently bought myself a KFA2 680 GTX LTD (one on offer) and since then I've had buzzing in right channel of my speakers. First thought the speakers were shot then replaced with Logitech 323 speakers and problem persists. Current have a Xonar XG with headphones in the front panel and the speakers connected via RCA - 3.5mm at the rear.
Can't think why this has come up, esp as current GC is in fact thinner than the last one (6950 directCUII)

Any advice welcome

anything I don't mind · 3 Jul 2012 at 19:56

Try the onboard soundcard to test the result.

Have you tried to reinstall xonar drivers? Tried moving it to another slot, if available?

CSMonkeh · 4 Jul 2012 at 00:09

Could do, but card worked ok before, only variable is the new 680 graphics card.
Would move to another slot but then doesn't work (oddly!)
Also don't get the buzzing/whine in the headphones....

Marsman · 4 Jul 2012 at 01:19

You don't get buzzing with headphones using the front case audio, but you do with the rear? That is strange. Someone else had the same problem some time back. That doesn't make much sense really, as normally it is the front audio where the problem lies, and not connecting to the card directly.

Not sure there is a lot you can do, other than moving it as far away from the graphics card as possible.

CSMonkeh · 4 Jul 2012 at 02:01

Marsman said:
You don't get buzzing with headphones using the front case audio, but you do with the rear? That is strange. Someone else had the same problem some time back. That doesn't make much sense really, as normally it is the front audio where the problem lies, and not connecting to the card directly.

Not sure there is a lot you can do, other than moving it as far away from the graphics card as possible.

Thats the hilarious bit - it is further away cos GC thinner!! It only takes 2 slots whereas the 6950 took up 3 and had NO issues!
Will try with onboard in morning but not holding my breath.

anything I don't mind · 4 Jul 2012 at 09:44

I have had similar issues with my esi maya 44 over the years. Usually fixed by moving it to another slot and updating the drivers. I think it could be power related.

Marsman · 4 Jul 2012 at 11:16

CSMonkeh said:
Thats the hilarious bit - it is further away cos GC thinner!! It only takes 2 slots whereas the 6950 took up 3 and had NO issues!
Will try with onboard in morning but not holding my breath.

Graphics cards themselves cannot be thicker or thinner than another, it's the cooler that makes it thicker or thinner, which has no bearing on how much EMI a particular card might emit.

Nvidia seems to be more troublesome when it comes to EMI issues. If not their graphic cards, then motherboard chipsets.

CSMonkeh · 4 Jul 2012 at 12:15

OK i'm getting annoyed at this: seemingly all the sound is coming through one speaker (????). Tested this by dropping the balance to 0 on speaker and still kept playing sound, albeit at reduced volume. Dropped the other (left) to 0 and all could hear was the sub.....
Now using the onboard sound also.

PS I'm where cards cannot be thicker but the metal of the heatsinks/fans would be a good conductor of EMI surely?

Marsman · 4 Jul 2012 at 13:34

CSMonkeh said:
PS I'm where cards cannot be thicker but the metal of the heatsinks/fans would be a good conductor of EMI surely?

That makes no sense. How can a larger heatsink increase EMI, if you had no issues with the AMD card? Going by that logic, one would expect the card with the smaller heatsink, to produce less EMI. All cards will emit EMI. With some it will be more than others. If a large heatsink were to increase EMI, then surely you would have had the issue with the AMD card.

Someone else had an EMI problem with their microphone with a Xonar D1/X. Their speaker/headphone output was fine, so it would appear that the microphone connection wasn't as well shielded. I would expect the DG to be less well shielded, or more susceptible to EMI than the D1/X, given that it is a low budget card with cheaper components.

A more expensive card might be more resistant to EMI, but that isn't guaranteed. For some people, there is so much EMI in their PC case, no sound card will work properly. An external DAC is an option for some people. A decent one would cost considerably more than an average priced sound card though, and there is no microphone connection. A USB microphone would have to be used.

CSMonkeh · 4 Jul 2012 at 14:02

Didn't say the larger the heatsink the more EMI, just said its more likely to transmit to the soundcard below cos its closer! Surely EMI transmits better through metal than through metal??
Now as I write this the speaker that didn't work just popped into life for like a few seconds....
Have tried re-installing the Xonar drivers, plugging and unplugging the speakers, even using the packaged 3.5mm jack to the comp, as opposed to the RCA to 3.5mm I was previously using. Onboard was also exactly the same.

CSMonkeh · 7 Jul 2012 at 16:34

OK it seems I have some sort of 'grounding' issue because on-board produces same results :mad:

Latest is that I have no sound on my right speaker and my left speaker is playing as the right (so when I play a speaker test it comes out as right speaker and left speakers seems to come from the sub) :confused:

Any thoughts?? Tried EVERY plug in my house and a friend has suggested to remove the 'earth' wire from the plug and try that but no way am I doing that!!