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KITTY
1454
Mar 14, 2018
The JBL speakers I bought from Massdrop are making this annoying buzzing sounds when there's no sound playing. I usually leave the speaker knobs around 3.5-5 (The buzz is still noticeable even at that volume). Anything that goes over 5 makes this insanely loud buzzing noise, which I'm very worried about since I don't want to damage my speakers. Also, the buzzing gets louder when I'm waiting in a game lobby (with game background music volume off). The speakers are currently connected to my mother board. Should I connect them through a DAC or purchase a sound interface like Scarlett 212? Would that fix the issue?
BigBoyLoki
83
Mar 15, 2018
KITTYIt could be your motherboard. Does the noise persist when you connect it to other sources, say your mobile phone? Or any DAP?
cspirou
220
Mar 15, 2018
KITTYWhat sort of cables are you using now? Are you using a preamp? If you are using a DAC with RCA outputs be sure you use pseudo-differential XLR cables.
The buzzing noise could also mean you have the gain way too high. If it seems like the volume ramps up too fast then you have high gain. Lower the individual volume settings on the speakers until the buzz is at a tolerable volume.
But you are correct that the ultimate solution would be to get something like a Scarlett 2i2 or Behringer UMC202HD
Mshenay
135
Mar 15, 2018
KITTY@KITTY
I'm using a Fiio D3 right now with a Schiit SYS for my JBL LSR 308s, I also run a RCA to XLR un balanced cable. Though this is with my TV which runs optical out only. I cannot say what is causing the noise, but I've found the best results using a Seperate Dac & PreAmp with powered monitors. @cspirou makes a good point. The Behringer UCA 202 is an excellent option. It along with a Schiit SYS or JDS Labs OL Switcher would run ya $80 or so. Not bad for a speaker system.
@cspirou I think I've seen you quite a number of places online! The Behring UCA 202 is indeed a great option!
shorkorde
127
Mar 15, 2018
KITTYActually, I had this exact same issue with a set of JBL LSR305s: keeping things down was fine, but I'd get a combo of a very faint, high-pitched whine on top of what I could best describe as "angry-bees" styled buzzing. The sound could also vary greatly depending upon what I was doing with the computer at any given time and sometimes felt like it was changing at random.
The punchline is that I had 2 separate problems to troubleshoot: one was being directly connected to my motherboard, and the second was having unshielded cables.
Since it's happening to you in game lobbies, my guess is you have the same issue of network interference I did (that was causing the more noise/less noise for me as the game tries to connect and ping servers). You could check to see if the same thing happens when streaming, downloading updates, or other network-heavy tasks. My uneducated guess would be yes, (though it may not sound as aggressive as the game lobby).
As BigBoyLoki suggested, try some other sources and see if the noise goes away (or changes at least). That would be a nearly surefire indicator that your mobo is to blame at least in part. If the noise is the same, then you might have to try some alternative cables (incidentally, we're now on problem #2).
cspirou and Mshenay mentioned XLRs and that's ultimately what I wound up using from a DAC that supported balanced XLR cables. ("Balanced!" We're on topic! Huzzah!) Is balanced vs. unbalanced directly your problem? Maybe not - but switching these out would eliminate one possible factor.
In my case, I live just a bit too close to a big, shiny transformer. The amount of interference through the air was too much for a cheapo, unshielded 3.5mm to 1/4" (TRS) cable - even though it was a short run. I had what effectively sounded like a ground loop (that high-pitched sound amid the buzzing). While probably true, the bigger issue was the airborne crazy caused by that transformer. Just from connecting an audio source and swinging the extra cable length around, I could change the degree of noise significantly - even when I unplugged *everything* (and I mean from the computer to the microwave).
Switching from that "random-audio-cable-i-pulled-from-the-tangle-box-of-shame" (...everyone here has one...admit it) to a decent set of cables that was shielded knocked this second issue out for good. Was it because the cables were balanced, or was it simply because these were higher quality cables with some shielding against interference? I can't be sure. The problem went away and I was happy; so like the lazy person I am, testing stopped right there.
Others here have already laid out the steps well, but as far as troubleshooting order: -- Try a different source first. Better? Get the cable away from the mobo (cspirou's Scarlett 2i2/Behringer UMC202HD are great suggestions, or try Mshenay's Behringer UCA202 idea for a slightly cheaper alternative to troubleshoot). -- Not better from a different source? Mix up the cables and see if things improve. (Though even in this case, I'd still probably shy away from plugging into the motherboard directly - being that close to that many electrical components can just add some strange noises to audio in general unless the board was specifically built to resist this.)
Good luck with the issue and give us an update if it gets fixed!
cspirou
220
Mar 15, 2018
MshenayYeah, I hang out far too much on audio forums
RayF
22214
Mar 16, 2018
KITTYI have the speakers, but not the problem--but I was expecting it! I'd read earlier that you can run into that issue if both speakers are plugged into the same outlet (as I was forced to do). Although in my case, both cords share a common power strip which is connected to a single wall outlet . Not an ideal set up at all, but no buzz, even at load volumes (speakers are maxed, controlling volume on my computer). Might give moving the power cords around to see if it has any effect.
Mshenay
135
Mar 17, 2018
RayFI use Furman power conditioners for years now... though I've not had any issues with grounding except for from the Hugo 2 running Line out into my amplifiers
So... try a couple of different outlets if that doesn't work give a Furman M-8x2 a shot
I use that for my JBL LSR 308s and when ever I do audio Shows. An so far no buzzing!
RayF
22214
Mar 17, 2018
cspirou
220
Mar 19, 2018
KITTYI nearly forgot about the Lexicon Alpha. It's $50 on Amazon and has a DAC and balanced outputs. It uses 1/4" TRS cables instead of XLR which I know the LSR305 can use.
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