Question Tinnitus-like ringing from headset when there's audio on any webpages ?

[WheezyWhiskey]

If I watch any video from any platforms (youtube, twitch, heck even here on tomshardware when the video playback isnt muted (if theres a video)) whatever the browser is (tried on chrome and firefox), theres a tinnitus-like really high pitch ringing from the headset. Its loudness is consistent whatever the volume is on my mixer, as soon as it hits 0 it stops until I unmute it and the browser plays sound (could be from a video or even browser-based games) However, if I play a game on steam (with audio) or browse webpages with only texts (no videos or audio) the sound is non-existant until I decide to watch a video online

Tried multiple headsets, problem is persistent

I updated all drivers (audio, graphics, everything) and my windows 10 is up to date

Pretty sure it isnt a hardware problem, the sound doesnt occur even when playing steam games or doing litterally anything other than a web browser outputting any kind of audio

Thanks in advance

EDIT: Ironically enough, this sound also goes off when I go to any windows audio settings menu, sound stops on any other menus

 

[Ralston18]

Make and model laptop?

What audio devices do you have and how are they all connected together with respect to power and audio cables/connections.

My first thought was a ground loop but they generally cause a hum or buzz.

However, with all sorts of things now being connected together there could well be something else going on.

Possibly a problem in the laptop.

 

[WheezyWhiskey]

Make and model laptop?

Its a brand new Predator Helios 300, Id think it would be a problem with the laptop itself if any audio did this but its specific to certain apps and in the browser only if theres audio coming from the browser, I can play ressource-intensive games for hours and nothing, but as soon as I load a video from the browser, sound appears back

The only audio device connected is my headphones (in a combo jack port) and the sound comes from the headphones and not the pc itself

 

[Ralston18]

From your original post I understood that all headsets had the problem. (Reference: "Tried multiple headsets, problem is persistent ".)

So other headphones do not have the ringing and the ringing follows Predator 300's to other computers and again occurs only with specific apps and browsers - correct?

Need to narrow down the circumstances where the ringing occurs and does not occur.

 

[WheezyWhiskey]

From your original post I understood that all headsets had the problem. (Reference: "Tried multiple headsets, problem is persistent ".)

So other headphones do not have the ringing and the ringing follows Predator 300's to other computers and again occurs only with specific apps and browsers - correct?

Need to narrow down the circumstances where the ringing occurs and does not occur.

All headphones work perfectly everyelsewhere, but, on this pc, the ringing occurs only in specific apps and browser, mostly using the realtek drivers because games on steam does not make the sound

 

[Ralston18]

List the apps/games/browsers where the ringing is heard via the headphones.

List the apps/games/browsers where the ringing is not heard in the headphones.

Someone may spot a pattern or some common factor.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

If it’s brand new I would RMA it Rule out problems with the hardware

 

[WheezyWhiskey]

List the apps/games/browsers where the ringing is heard via the headphones.

List the apps/games/browsers where the ringing is not heard in the headphones.

Someone may spot a pattern or some common factor.

1. I can hear the ringing in chrome, firefox, Edge, the Predator app and in the audio settings (right click on the speaker icon, open volume mixer and clicking on the speakers/headphones icon bringing the audio settings) maybe some more but I'll try to update the list if I encounter other apps doing this
EDIT: Steam (the app not games)

2. The ringing stops when I open programs related to the gpu (Geforce Experience, Blender, Games using the GPU) and I can watch videos or do anything related to the apps at paragraph 1 without any problems as long as any of those app runs on the gpu, its really weird
EDIT: this doesnt always work, its like a 50/50 chance

As soon as I close all apps in paragraph 2 and the gpu becomes inactive, the ringing would come back


I tried some voodoo computer magic and rolled back to some other windows audio drivers somehow (not realtek) and the ringing was a bit quieter but constant/non-stop even with apps at paragraph 2 opened... I then reinstalled the realtek drivers and it went back like before

 

[WheezyWhiskey]

If it’s brand new I would RMA it Rule out problems with the hardware

I cant return the laptop back and wait months to get a new one, man's gotta work ya know 😉

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Maybe install older drivers by using the DDU utility to remove all of your audio drivers in safe mode and then once you reboot try an older version of the driver for audio. It should still also be under support so you could call them for support couldn’t you if it is the hardware?

 

[Ralston18]

Try @Mandark's suggestion first.

If the problem continues take a different approach.

Open Resource Monitor so you can observe what all is running, what resources are being used, to what extent (%) they are being used, and what is using the resource.

Then run controlled tests using programs and configurations that result in ringing or no ringing.

Per 1. and 2. in your Post #8 you already appear to have a good sense of the underlying circumstances.

Watch the resources: e.g., CPU, GPU, etc. You might discover some consistent change that corresponds with the ringing or not ringing.

I.e., when the ringing starts and stops what is different?

Be methodical and try to narrow down the source cause.

 

[WheezyWhiskey]

I will try @Mandark 's suggestion eventually, from what ive experienced the noise only comes if the gpu is OFF, for now as a temporary solution I always have at least one program running on gpu even tho it just sits there and do nothing (blender, godot or davinci resolve in my case) so maybe when the gpu is off there's something going on with the way the electricity runs in the motherboard?? (just a theory im not a tech wiz, I only have a basic understanding of hardware and electronics)

I dont hear it from the speakers but maybe they just cant produce such high frequency noise.. I estimate it around 16k hz from this video but not too loud. Just enough to be really annoying, no matter if the volume is at 1 or 100.. at 0 tho the sound stops whatever happens so that info might make my theory above irrelevant