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Static noise over USB on most DACs - any help?

Mar 7, 2020 at 3:33 PM Post #31 of 52
Propagandist said:
Did you power it with a phone charger through the little port on the side?

I had a similar problem - buzzing coming from my motherboard's USB to my RME ADI-2 DAC. The problem was only present when I was using USB and had a video game up. Turned out it was some kind of coil whine on my video card. If I swapped to optical, it went away. If I turned off my game, it went away.

It only happened for the single-ended amp connected to my DAC, and not with the balanced amp connected to my DAC.

I ordered the ifi iDefender and it reduced this buzz substantially if I just placed it into the circuit between my motherboard and my DAC. There was still something small there, though. If I used just a standard phone charger to feed into the side of the iDefender as well, the buzz was completely gone. Based on what I've read, the iDefender uses filtering to reduce/eliminate noise on the USB power/ground lines when unpowered from the side. If you plug in an external power source to it as well, it completely shuts off the power/ground from the motherboard and only uses the power supply you're feeding to it.

You can also try taking a spare/junk USB cable and literally cutting the power lines out of it, while letting the data lines remain intact, and see if that works.
Click to expand...

Tried powering the ifi with the port on the side via a phone charger (5V one) and the buzz is still there... :(
 
Mar 7, 2020 at 6:13 PM Post #32 of 52
While this may not be that helpful, from my limited experience all mine noise/buzz problems went away with iFi nano iGalvanic 3.0 + iFi iUSB micro 3.0. The only DAC/AMPs I am sometimes running directly is Mojo (but with different than stock USB cable) and Q5s (but I used it mostly with my Android mobile).
 
Mar 7, 2020 at 7:37 PM Post #33 of 52
I have noodled around with this idea/concern as I questioned USB from a PC straight to a DAC. I had this discussion on another forum. What I gathered...is that it is best to run an ethernet cable to a device/streamer that is on the same network as your PC. Then use the USB out to your DAC.

Cheap examples are
https://allo.com/sparky/usbridge.html
http://www.sonore.us/ultraRendu.html
 
Mar 9, 2020 at 4:37 PM Post #34 of 52
1.)have you confirmed that if the power socket that your pc's 3 prone plug is plugged into, is properly grounded?

2.) noise coming out from headphone or speakers or both?

3.) are your speakers using two-prone or 3 prone plugs?

4.) speakers plugging into same pc socket of different? and is this socket properly grounded?

5.) is it possible that you can upload a clip to show how the buzzing sounds?
 
Mar 9, 2020 at 4:55 PM Post #35 of 52
sensenonno said:
1.)have you confirmed that if the power socket that your pc's 3 prone plug is plugged into, is properly grounded?

2.) noise coming out from headphone or speakers or both?

3.) are your speakers using two-prone or 3 prone plugs?

4.) speakers plugging into same pc socket of different? and is this socket properly grounded?

5.) is it possible that you can upload a clip to show how the buzzing sounds?
Click to expand...

1. The power socket that the PC is plugged in is definitely properly grounded. When I plug in my laptop to that same socket I don't have any issues.
2. I don't use speakers - just headphones. Have several pairs and experience the same problem with all of them.
3. Same as 2.
4. Same as 2.
5. Yes I can, but not sure it will be heardable in a video, cause I'll have to put the mic extremely close to the drivers of the headphones.
 
Mar 9, 2020 at 8:18 PM Post #36 of 52
c0rp1 said:
1. The power socket that the PC is plugged in is definitely properly grounded. When I plug in my laptop to that same socket I don't have any issues.
2. I don't use speakers - just headphones. Have several pairs and experience the same problem with all of them.
3. Same as 2.
4. Same as 2.
5. Yes I can, but not sure it will be heardable in a video, cause I'll have to put the mic extremely close to the drivers of the headphones.
Click to expand...
is your laptop adapter 2 prong or 3 prong?
 
Mar 10, 2020 at 6:01 AM Post #38 of 52
c0rp1 said:
Have tried it on battery, but in general it's 2 prong.
Click to expand...
just because your laptop does not buzz when plugged in power does not mean your home power line or pc is properly grounded.

because your 2 prong plug laptop adaptor does not have ground wire .

ungrounded desktop is much more noisier than ungrounded (but properly designed to use 2 prone power) laptop.

and you are not using grounded speakers .

i highly suspect your home power line or your pc is not properly grounded.
 
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Mar 10, 2020 at 7:05 AM Post #43 of 52
sensenonno said:
i would suggest to first check the power line if all 3 wires are correct, if not fix that, if yes then open the pc and check inside if everything are connected with a ground wire. is noisy and dangerous if they ain’t. hope you can fix the issue soon. And please report back. :)
Click to expand...
Will do, buy I still can't figure out why the problem is not present when using a device with mini usb input instead of USB A
 
Mar 10, 2020 at 7:39 AM Post #45 of 52
Scrap the entire system, start again
 
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