Speaker Interference - Help Needed!

Leon Axel · 17 May 2015 at 22:05

So I got these new speakers today; (Yamaha HS5's) (great speakers btw) and I'm getting interference whenever I move the mouse/scroll down a page/load a new page/open a file. Its like a high pitch buzzing and occasional crackling.

I've searched the web, and I can't seem to narrow it down. I've unplugged my mouse/keyboard, tried them in different sockets, tried them in the front as well. If I unplug the audio jack the interference stops, so that's leading me to believe that it has to be the motherboard's on board sound card,GPU(s), Ethernet, or something else inside the PC.

The motherboard is a Maximus VI Formula.

And before anybody gives me the "update drivers" and all that palaver, They are all up to date and working as should.

Help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

EDIT: RIGHT, narrowed it down to GPU. Just Running Valley made a HUGE buzzing sound.

How can I go about this? Grounding? External DAC?

Thanks.

Leon Axel · 17 May 2015 at 23:19

Marsman said:
Onboard audio is picking up EMI. It's a common problem. Not a great deal you can do other than to buy a sound card, or an external one if you have no space on the motherboard.

So a DAC would work?

Leon Axel · 18 May 2015 at 00:04

Thanks guys!

Leon Axel · 18 May 2015 at 15:09

I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

Leon Axel · 19 May 2015 at 11:56

Right I've bought a DAC. Its a Audioengine D1. And I'm still getting the interference.

Even when the DAC is off.

Unfortunately it doesn't have XLR outputs like Ninja said. (they seem hard to find)

Any more suggestions??? :confused:

Leon Axel · 19 May 2015 at 16:10

Yeah I'll take a look.

This is So frustrating!

If this is such a common problem, why don't motherboard manufactures take precautions to prevent it??? I mean surely this effects a lot of people?

:confused:

Leon Axel · 19 May 2015 at 23:42

UPDATE:

Tested the speakers on a hi-fi system downstairs, bad interference is still being picked it up. This time the TV and Sky box are adding to the already there, interference...

So far, 2 PC's (both with different levels of hardware) and a hi-fi system tested.

My guessing now is that its a big grounding issue?

Leon Axel · 20 May 2015 at 18:29

Been digging some more. Its definitely a ground loop problem.

Instead of the painstaking task of going through all the the hardware in the house to find a source; I'm thinking of going: Speaker - XLR(M) - XLR(F) - XLR(M) - 3.5mm jack - PC.

That way, the XLR will catch the interference before it reaches the speakers(?) (I HOPE) :confused:

EDIT: On further inspection, maybe not...

Leon Axel · 23 May 2015 at 13:04

UPDATE: SOLVED

Bought a Dual Channel Isolator, and the interference is no more!

Super chuffed right now! :cool: