[Fuzziekiwi]

Here's a link to a video of the noise:

 

[Anarion]

It could be the case (bad grounding or something), motherboard or power supply.

 

[NA Blur]

Make sure those RCA cables are fully seated. I have had plenty of bad RCA cables, but I would be surprised if that fixes it.

 

[NA Blur]

Have you tried another player? Be sure that all EQ is OFF!

 

[NA Blur]

The following is a fix from another site, but is great advice.

Windows 10 has spatial sound. You can enable spatial sound in Windows 10 via the built-in feature, or you can buy the Dolby Digital app to get spatial sound for your home theater. It’s a pretty impressive addition but Windows 10 has a few sound woes. Specifically, one of the recent monthly updates appears to have caused sound distortion and static in Windows 10. The static might be constant or you might occasionally hear distorted sound while media is playing. This problem effects all apps including Chrome and the Movies and TV app. The good news is, you can fix sound distortion and static in Windows 10 by tweaking your sound settings.

We should mention that, as far as we can tell, the problem only seems to occur on systems that have Realtek soundware. That said, if you’re experiencing static, random cracks and pops, or distorted sound in Windows 10, try this fix anyway. It’s simple and easily reversible.

Right-click the speaker icon in the system try and select ‘Playback devices’ from the context menu.

This will open the Sounds window with the Playback devices tab selected. You might see one or multiple devices listed in the Playback devices tab. For an immediate fix, double-click the active/default playback device. This will open the device’s properties in a new window

On the device properties screen, select the ‘Advanced’ tab. In the ‘Exclusive Mode’ section of the Advanced tab, disable the ‘Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device’. Click Apply, and you’re done. If you use other audio devices with your Windows 10 system, repeat the above for all of them.

Cracking & Popping On Dell Systems
This will fix sound distortion and static in almost all system. If you’re using a Dell laptop/desktop, your speakers might occasionally crack. This is to do with a power management feature that is enabled by default on Dell systems. It’s possible that other manufacturers have something similar in their sound management utility. If you have, for example, an HP laptop and your speakers crack or pop at random, check the sound manager for a power management feature.

The sound manager is a manufacturer app. It is not a default option in Windows. To disable power management for audio devices in Dell, look for and open the Dell Audio app. It’s in Control Panel under Hardware and sound. Go to the Advanced tab and turn off Power Management.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

Have you tried another player? Be sure that all EQ is OFF!

Yup, both Foobar and Spotify. All the sound enhancements are disabled, EQ is off.

 

[NA Blur]

Did you try any of the above fixes?

 

[KLN1610]

I have the exact same problem with the exact same Dac/Amp combo.
For me, the Windows 10 fix did not work...

 

[NA Blur]

Try all USB ports in hopes that at least one is USB 2 and not all of them are troublesome USB 3 ports.

Sounds like a driver issue to me or the DAC is noisy for some reason.

 

[KLN1610]

For me, it's the same with all USB ports (2.0). The DAC (for me again) doesn't seem to be the problem either, since everything worked fine when i tried it with my laptop. Additionally, the noise is also there, when i connect the AMP directly to the PC via RCA → 1/8"...
I guess the problem is either the noisy USB power or the power line but I have no idea how to fix it

 

[NA Blur]

Best bet is to snag a USB isolator and 2 ferrite chokes that are 5mm in diameter. Place the chokes at the far ends of the USB cable and the USB isolator nearest the PC.

Total cost will be less than $45.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

Best bet is to snag a USB isolator and 2 ferrite chokes that are 5mm in diameter. Place the chokes at the far ends of the USB cable and the USB isolator nearest the PC.

Total cost will be less than $45.

My USB cable going to my modi does have ferrite chokes on one end. I just got a soundcard and the issue the still the same. I'm going to blame either the MOBO, case, or wall socket. I do have a laptop I can test the modi with though.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

Update: I plugged my computer straight into the wall with an extension cord, and now the noise is significantly reduced at the same volume level on my JBL's. I'm guessing it is probably an issue with the power strip or that particular wall outlet AND the motherboard? I guess next time I have the spare money I'll get a ground loop noise isolator and ferrite chokers.

 

[NA Blur]

Try not using a powerstrip at all and just run what you absolutely need directly into the wall. Add one powerstrip at a time and avoid daisy chains.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

I was able to minimize the issue with one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...ailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1#customerReviews

Soon as I plugged this in the noise is now a lot less, so in parts of music that are dead silent or fairly quiet, it's no longer distracting. Cheap fix!