Weird, annoying computer audio problems?

[funny little hat]

Maybe this isn't the right place for something like this, but I assumed if anyone would know how to help me, it'd be this forum.

I'm using a Chaintech AV-710. This morning, suddenly, the audio became very strange -- distorted, with a heavy echo effect, through my headphones -- and through my speakers, the same thing, but with a harsh BZZ noise when turned on. I haven't changed any settings or anything, it was just out of the blue. The effect was there in foobar, media player classic, youtube -- so I rebooted. Same problem. So I used Driver Cleaner to remove all my Envy24/audio drivers, rebooted, installed the latest card drivers, and rebooted again. Same exact problem.

Here's the weird part, that worries me most: the optical/digital output is fine... I have an amp which has optical input. So AV710 > amp > headphones is fine. AV710 > speakers, unusable, AV710 > headphones, very weird.

Is my sound card just messed up? Is there anything at all I can do? I realllllly can't afford to buy any new gear or get a repair or anything done, so... am I screwed?

Edit: Actually, is there any way I can install the drivers for my motherboard's onboard sound, using that for speakers, but keep my AV710's digital output active too, for headphones?

 

[oogabooga]

Well, if you want to rule out Windows, you could try using a Knoppix CD or somesuch to boot Linux and play some sound...

but if I had to make one guess it's the DAC on your soundcard - the optical out would bypass this while the 7.1 outs, headphone out, etc would not. I'm assuming, of course, that you've tried more than one audio cable.

Does it happen on just the stereo-out jack or on all the jacks used in the 7.1 hookup? If sound is clear when you're using the jacks needed for 7.1, it might not be the DAC.

At least you have a "free" solution - use the optical out to the amp, and then the headphone jack on the amp if you want to use headphones.

 

[funny little hat]

I'll have to try that, thanks for the suggestion. I don't have a 7.1 out setup, can I just use my regular stereo 3.5mm cable in the 7.1 jacks to try it out? I assume I'll only get one channel or something, but it'll still work...

And yeah, it's good that I'm not *completely* screwed on sound, but I do rely on my speakers a lot, so it's still a pain.

thanks.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Sounds like your soundcard is picking up noise somewhere inside the computer and putting it into the output. That sounds like classic RFI. You don't get it with the digital out since the noise is coming somewhere (most likely) in the output stage to your headphones.

Any number of things may have caused this to start happening. Maybe a ribbon cable inside that was blocking the RFI moved a few millimeters to the side. Have you installed any new hardware or opened the box up lately? That could have done it, too.

The best option is to use a digital out, bypassing the noise.

 

[funny little hat]

Hmm, interference? That does sound possible. I haven't installed anything or moved the computer, but I'll try opening the case soon and moving the cords/ribbons just in case, it could probably use a dusting anyway.

And yeah, digital out is good. I wish I could plug my 3.5mm speaker jack in there though -- it requires one of those 1/4" bullet plugs, which can be affixed to my cans but not to anything else.

Thanks for the advice, both of you. Appreciate it.

 

[Uncle Erik]

If it was a driver or hardware problem you'd get noise on the digital out. Just so you know, computers are extremely noisy inside. Switching power supplies throw off lots of RFI, as do fans and electric motors in your drives. Each one of those things broadcasts radio noise and your soundcard is picking it up like an antenna.

 

[funny little hat]

tying up all the wires away from the sound card fixed the problem, thanks Erik.

 

[funny little hat]

Or not... since at 1am today I was woken up by the same problem coming back twice as loudly, and despite spending nearly 3 hours on my knees cleaning out the case and reordering and tying off wires, nothing fixes it this time. >______<

 

[Hayduke]

After reading all your posts on this issue, it sounds to me like a 1/4" to 1/8"(3.5mm) adapter will solve your problem

If the optical out from the soundcard is fine and you have an external DAC and amp, then why wouldn't you just use those?

You said you rely on your speakers a lot, so it would be a pain. Just because they use a 3.5mm plug and the amp is 1/4"? Again, an adapter sounds like a solution, and likely, an upgrade!