Using PC as Music "Server" HUM problem

[nhpm510]

I am using a PC as Music "Server" and have a low electronic type HUM problem coming from my speakers. I am connect by a line out spliter to a decent rca-type audio cable.

The audio card is a standard pci type that came with the pc. the pc is only 2 months old and has made the hum ever since connecting it. I've been ignoring it up til now. Is there anything I can place in-line to kill the hum?

Thanks!!!

 

[emorphien]

I don't have very much experience dealing with this kind of issue but I'm somewhat familiar with it and have tried to help friends with similar problems.

Computers are noisy, electrically, and that influences the audio signal. It might be better if you use a digital connection off the card to a receiver or something else with a DAC to do the digital conversion away from the "noisy" computer. So whether that means using a digital coax or optical connection, if you can do it digital it may be better. If you can't then I don't know what else you can do without changing sound cards.

 

[AVno0b]

If your reciever has an optical in, I would suggest grabbing a new soundcard, (i use a Soundblaster X-FI) and running an optical cable. Ive recently set my system up as such, and it sounds amazing. Using the house speakers is a massive upgrade from my 2.1 logitechs

 

[Hi Ho]

I have a similar problem between my PC and receiver. I don't have any hum through the speakers, but I do get hum in my wireless headphones whenever the PC and receiver are connected in any way. The problem is a ground loop issue and I have never solved it. I haven't tried too hard though as it isn't really noticable unless nothing is playing.

Try running a digital coax or optical cable to the receiver. Optical will definetly get rid of a ground loop problem since it doesn't conduct electricity at all. A digital coax may do it but it depends on your particular scenario. The cheapest X-Fi card does not have optical out. The Turtle Beach Montego is a good inexpensive card with an optical output.

 

[nhpm510]

Either figure out the ground loop, or..

get a new sound card, I guess. The easy choice will probably be the sound card w/optical out. Gee, do they make 20 ft optical cables? I guess I'll have to check out monoprice.

Has anyone used the TB card and the non=TB drivers as suggested on newegg?

Thks, still willing to listen to others ideas.

 

[emorphien]

Agreed on the choice of optical, that's definitely the best way to go although coax has worked for some people I know.

 

[Hi Ho]

Agreed on the choice of optical, that's definitely the best way to go although coax has worked for some people I know.

Coax works great. That's what I use, a nearly 50 foot run. It just has more potential for a ground loop problem since it is an electrical connection. However, using digital coax is less likely to produce a hum in the speakers than an analog connection. I get a serious hum when I connect my sound card using analog jacks.

 

[jonnythan]

I am using a PC as Music "Server" and have a low electronic type HUM problem coming from my speakers. I am connect by a line out spliter to a decent rca-type audio cable.

The audio card is a standard pci type that came with the pc. the pc is only 2 months old and has made the hum ever since connecting it. I've been ignoring it up til now. Is there anything I can place in-line to kill the hum?

Thanks!!!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829118105
+
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022901&p_id=2668&seq=1&format=2&style=

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Joy.

 

[Nestor]

RCA cables are lousy at noise rejection, mainly because of unbalanced inputs. Why home audio equipment refuses to move from this antiquated standard is beyond me. Professional and some high-end consumer products use balanced outputs, which greatly reduce the chance of emi and other noise. Problem is balanced inputs must be supplied by a balanced output to realize the benefit.

Is there a long distance between your stereo and pc? If the cable is long, and parallel to power cables, you may be picking up interference that way.

Also, a poor/damaged rca cable may can cause a ground loop, another source of noise.

Good luck!

 

[farscaper]

I had an old 2 channel setup and used the RCA method from my computer. All kinds of noise came through. When I upgraded my receiver, I also changed to Optical. I actually have a 50 ft optical cable running through my walls to my receiver. I haven't had a noise problem since.

 

[nhpm510]

Looks like my problem is coming from amplified cable tv signal

and a slight ground loop issue. Thanks for the ideas on the new sound card. Will be completed in the near future.

 

[j.e.f.f]

Stumbled across this thread, and my response may be too late, but I went through this myself. I eventually moved the PC out of the theatre room and got a Squeezebox (http://www.slimdevices.com/) for about the same price as a premium sound card.

The nice thing is that it supports wireless streaming of music compressed in any popular format, including lossless AAC, WAV, and FLAC, as well as mp3/wma/m4a/ogg compressed. Plus it looks really slick!

Downside is, it just streams music. If you're using the PC for other stuff like video/dvr/photos etc on your TV, then you would lose that. I miss the ability to look at my photos on my TV, but otherwise, I haven't looked back.

Worth looking into if you haven't gone the sound card route already.