[twiz 8]

I connect my headphones directly to my computer (3.5MM) and I am hearing a humming/scratching noise. What should I do?
I am in the market for a amp, could this help?

 

[obobskivich]

Likely a grounding issue; a new source (soundcard, DAC, whatever) is probably the answer. If this is a front panel HP port, try the jack on the rear of the system; sometimes the front-panel wiring is just bad. If you get humming out of the rear jack (which is built into the motherboard), just get a soundcard or some other sort of new interface (USB DAC, whatever).

If this is a brand new build, you could RMA the mobo and whine about the bad QA, but expect multiple rounds before you get one that's done right.

 

[kova4a]

Yeah, if you get humming out of the rear jack then it's an issue with the soundcard. An amp will just make it worse. I suggest buying a new soundcard as if you're using a built-in one then it's just badly designed and picks up ground noise. A USB DAC will also fix that but most decent soundcards will be cheaper or will give you better performance. Even something like the cheap Asus Xonar DGX will remove all hissing and humming.