[rmilewsk]

I have just received the following setup. I've put it all together and it sounds really good.
 
Audez'e LCD-2
Burson Headphone Amp 160
MHDT Labs Paradisea 3 Non Over Sampling Tube DAC
MHDT Labs USBridge USB to SPDIF converter
source = Dell XPS via usb.
J River software via ASIO
 
WHat i'm hearing that I don't like is a constant buzzing in the background. Low in level but always noticeable. Also, whenever I move my mouse, which is also connected via usb, I hear the similar buzzing but at a higher level. The background buzzing changes sound and sometimes sounds like muffled clicks. I've never heard any of these sounds from this computer when playing music through my creative labs soundcard to my speakers.
 
I've tried moving the usb cable to different ports on the computer. That seems to have made the noise slightly quieter but it's still there.
I'm think the problem might be my computer. What options do I have to fix this so I get dead quiet backgrounds?
 
 

 

[Broken Arrow]

Within the settings of your soundcard disable all ( MIC etc. etc. ) but the output to your AMP. that should fix the problem for like 90 %.
 

 

[rmilewsk]

I've already disabled all inputs to my soundcard and I haven't heard any difference. I don't understand why that would make any difference since my soundcard is not connected in any way to my headphone system. My headphone system is using USB only. My soundcard doesn't have any usb ports on it.

 

[nick_charles]

 
Quote:

I have just received the following setup. I've put it all together and it sounds really good.
 
Audez'e LCD-2
Burson Headphone Amp 160
MHDT Labs Paradisea 3 Non Over Sampling Tube DAC
MHDT Labs USBridge USB to SPDIF converter
source = Dell XPS via usb.
J River software via ASIO
 
WHat i'm hearing that I don't like is a constant buzzing in the background. Low in level but always noticeable. Also, whenever I move my mouse, which is also connected via usb, I hear the similar buzzing but at a higher level. The background buzzing changes sound and sometimes sounds like muffled clicks. I've never heard any of these sounds from this computer when playing music through my creative labs soundcard to my speakers.
 
I've tried moving the usb cable to different ports on the computer. That seems to have made the noise slightly quieter but it's still there.
I'm think the problem might be my computer. What options do I have to fix this so I get dead quiet backgrounds?
 
 

The trick with debugging a system is to be systematic and change one thing at a time and see what happens, what I would do is this...
 
1. Make sure you have the latest drivers for the USB device 
2. Try different audio players - is the problem the same on all of them
3. Borrow a different computer, if there is a fundamental problem with the USB on your system then swapping the PC will show this up
4. If the problem persists then it is the USB device or the DAC - try the DAC with a raw SPDIF feed, if the problem goes away it is the USB device , if it does not it is the DAC
 
EDIT : Your DAC has a USB input - try that first if you don't get problems then you can eliminate the USB itself
 

 

[rmilewsk]

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
1. Make sure you have the latest drivers for the USB device
      - This doesn't matter as I'm hearing the noise before the usb drivers are even loaded, before the OS is even loaded, before the BIOS is even loaded. It can't have anything to do with the USB drivers
2. Try different audio players - is the problem the same on all of them
      - Once again it can't be this since i'm hearing the noises before any players or even the OS is loaded.
3. Borrow a different computer, if there is a fundamental problem with the USB on your system then swapping the PC will show this up
4. If the problem persists then it is the USB device or the DAC - try the DAC with a raw SPDIF feed, if the problem goes away it is the USB device , if it does not it is the DAC
 
EDIT : Your DAC has a USB input - try that first if you don't get problems then you can eliminate the USB itself
    - Not an issue for the same reasons as above.
 
The only real suggestions to try are 1. a different computer, 2. the SPDIF.
What it really comes down to is. Is it the USB on this computer that is the issue. I think it is. If it is how do I fix it?

 

[Broken Arrow]

i think it can also be your powersupply.
does your pc have more then one usb controllerchip ? if so chances are very slim that both of them are "broken".
 
I heard the exact same thing as you before i moved my powerbrick away from my pc with a extension cord. all is gone. deadsilent.
 
goodluck sorting this out though. it can be a real pita.

 

[leeperry]

if you unplug the soundcard from the 160 RCA inputs, no more hum?
 
the first revisions of the HA-160 had groundloop issues when using noisy computer sources, hopefully you didn't buy an old unit second hand that suffers from this problem.