[SOLVED] Coil whine through headphones

[VermilionNeko]

Hi

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this, or if I'll even get a reply, but I suspect this is a coil whine issue. Basically, if I try and listen to music whilst using simple Apple earbuds, and I use software, such as 3DCoat, I hear horrible coil whine through them. 3DCoat tends to run uncapped, and my frame rate can go as far over as 400fps. I've tried capping the frame rate to 60, and while it's reduced, I can still hear it. I'm using an old sound card - an ASUS Xonar DGX - and I have to disable SPDIF Out/PCM (whatever that means) in order for audio to just play through headphones. I don't have a microphone, but that's disabled in the sound properties anyway.

I'm not sure how I could get rid of it, if it's even possible. Was wondering if anyone knew of a way, or something I could try, to get rid of it...?

Thanks

 

[InvalidError]

If you plugged your case's audio ports into the sound card, the internal cables may be picking up EMI from internal components. Try plugging your earphones directly into the IO bracket ports on the back of the card. If that does not help, then it may simply be that the old GPU isn't able to cope with the electrical noise in a modern system. In that case, the simplest fix would be an external USB DAC.

 

[InvalidError]

To have electrical interference is something else entirely.

Not quite, coils can directly radiate EMI.

 

[OrlyP]

It could be a ground loop.

I had a similar issue when using the front headphone jack of my PC case. I found out eventually that the case had a flaw in that, it was designed to have both audio ground and chassis/case ground joined together.

Using improvised insulators, I made sure that the audio ground was isolated from the metal case and now, absolutely no noise or whine from the front headphone jack.

 

[alceryes]

Not quite, coils can directly radiate EMI.

True. But then it's EMI and not vibrating coils creating sound waves.
So it still could be caused by the chokes but shouldn't be called coil whine if it's EMI.

I agree with @OrlyP, it sounds like you're grounding somewhere.

 

[dorsai]

Honestly I would get ride of the sound card and try the audio provided by the motherboard which is pretty good these days. Your motherboard audio has specs as good or better than the ASUS card for the most part...and likely has better EMI isolation as well since it's not right next to the gpu.