My headphones make a hissing noise

[MrPirate2882]

I have an AKG K516TV headphones, soundcard is built in the motherboard, MSI DP35DP P35/G33/G31. Sometimes when playing loud music (for some tracks only) it makes a hissing/clicking noise HSSSSSSS... it's not dominant over the track but it's audible and very annoying.

I tried messing with "sample bit-rate" options, changed from CD quality to DVD quality and to studi quality, nothing changes.


Please help?

 

[corey]

(for some tracks only) implies that it's the software not the hardware.

 

[markw]

It sounds like these are a bit more revealing than whatever you used before.

Corey's right. Barring bad connections, headphones (and speakers) don't "make" noises on their own. They only reproduce what's fed to them from upstream.

Sometiimes. some headphones and speakers can be too good for what's driving them.

 

[zhimbo]

soundcard is built in the motherboard

I've had computers with such issues. Laptops are often the worst offenders. I have a "Bithead" from Headroom, a little headphone amp that is also a basic external sound card. There are cheaper options (I got mine on sale), but it's a neat little device.

I guess I'm not 100% sure an external sound card is your solution, but it's a pretty good bet.

Added by Edit: I should add that in one case, the bithead didn't place nice with the computer (a circa 2005 Mac desktop), and the sound was severely degraded - like I was listening to 8-bit sound or something. Very odd, I could never figure out the issue, and I haven't had the problem with any other computer (Mac & Windows, laptops and desktops).

 

[Djizasse]

That's interference from all the components inside the computer.

A simple USB audio card gets rid of all that hiss. With my laptop I use a sound card that came with my plantronics headset. It was cheap but it works.

 

[highfigh]

A soundcard in a computer isn't made to be good enough to use headphones and not hear noise. For that, an outboard piece is needed.