STX > M-stage picking up noise

[Chrisjlee]

Hey everyone, ive just discovered an annoying problem with my set up, which is STX > M-stage > DT990.
Whenever ive got the GPU under a high load from running games at over a few hundred FPS i can hear a distinct tonal noise. Im fairly sure its the STX picking up noise from the GPU because the noise becomes more high pitched and noticeable as the frame rate rises but the strange thing is though if i rotate and slightly pull out the headphone port on the M-stage i can get the noise to go away.
So im thinking its some sort of grounding problem but i just want to check if this has happened to other people with their M-stage or other amp before i decide to open it up to tinker or send it back for warranty


Cheers in advance

[dingostolemyipod]

Using USB right? Sounds like dirty ground coming over usb = computer's fault not your audio gear

[Chrisjlee]

Ah the STX is an internal soundcard lol. Unless your refering to something else being usb?

[dingostolemyipod]

Ah the STX is an internal soundcard lol. Unless your refering to something else being usb?

for some reason i was thinking of the dacmagic, how embarrassment

So when you pull and twist the jack, are you touching the case of the amp or the metal of the headphone jack at all?

[grevillea]

What OS are you running ? I've had problems with 64-bit Win7 that I didnt encounter with the 32-bit version - it was suggested that I need to reformat my hard drive and reinstall Windows, but I had a better idea - installed 64-bit Linux and I've had no noise issues since. Not sure how practical that is for a soundcard, but works a treat with external USB DACs.

[Chrisjlee]

for some reason i was thinking of the dacmagic, how embarrassment

So when you pull and twist the jack, are you touching the case of the amp or the metal of the headphone jack at all?

Haha nah all good. Yea im touching the metal of the headphone jack which is why i think it might have something to do with grounding

What OS are you running ? I've had problems with 64-bit Win7 that I didnt encounter with the 32-bit version - it was suggested that I need to reformat my hard drive and reinstall Windows, but I had a better idea - installed 64-bit Linux and I've had no noise issues since. Not sure how practical that is for a soundcard, but works a treat with external USB DACs.

May fix the problem but not sure if its the most practical solution =p
Also, to save me from starting another thread, how warm does an M-stage usually get? Mine seems to run fairly hot most the time. Not anywhere close to burning but still uncomfortably hot

[dingostolemyipod]

Make sure to use properly shielded rca cables.
Is the amp close to the computer? if so, it might be picking up RFI, try keeping the amp and cables away from the computer. Also keep the audio cables away from power and monitor cables.

[Drubbing]

Also, to save me from starting another thread, how warm does an M-stage usually get? Mine seems to run fairly hot most the time. Not anywhere close to burning but still uncomfortably hot

Mine runs warm, nowhere near hot.

[Marcus]

Demo unit here runs warm, not too hot to touch

[Chrisjlee]

Make sure to use properly shielded rca cables.
Is the amp close to the computer? if so, it might be picking up RFI, try keeping the amp and cables away from the computer. Also keep the audio cables away from power and monitor cables.

Id assume $10 cables from tandy aren't shielded? =(
Ive got the computer to my right and the amp is to my left with the cable going behind my desk. Also wondering how i keep the cable away from my computer when its plugged into it...

[dingostolemyipod]

Id assume $10 cables from tandy aren't shielded? =(
Ive got the computer to my right and the amp is to my left with the cable going behind my desk. Also wondering how i keep the cable away from my computer when its plugged into it...

cheap tandy cables will be shielded, but probably have mediocre shield coverage. It would be worth upgrading in the future, but maybe not worry about it for now. Amp to your left and computer to your right is good, just make sure the audio cables aren't running alongside the monitor's data and power cables. If they cross over once or twice is ok, but running in parallel or close to each other is bad. But then it might not be RFI getting picked up on the cables that's the issues.

If the issue's the PC itself, it could be any number of causes, a might require a bit of trial and error to isolate.

[Chrisjlee]

Hmmm, havent moved anything but the buzzings gone away and only comes back if i wiggle the headphone jack.
Still, ill try keep the cables seperate cause i think ive got RCA cable running directly along with the monitor cables.
Cheers guys

[dc]

things like fluro lights, air conditioners, fridges etc. may be the source of noise too