On Fri, Jul 07, 2023 at 06:23:26PM -0400, Ricky Cintron wrote: > I recently resolved an audio issue where I could hear a constant, light > static noise in my earphones. It wasn't loud or distracting, but it was > always there. The solution was to remove 'mix' as a source for mix2 and > mix3. > > However, once I got rid of that static, I noticed some additional noise > that was apparently hidden behind the original static. Compared to the > first issue, this noise is quieter and not constant. Anyway, it > manifests itself in the following ways: > > 1) Very light static noise that never increases, but I've noticed that > when I load a web page (YouTube, for example), the noise is silenced > until the page finishes loading. This also sometimes happens when I > move the mouse cursor around the web browser window, but very briefly. > It's easier to notice when loading a page since it lasts longer. > > 2) Moving the mouse generates a barely audible buzzing sound, but this > either doesn't occur or is barely noticeable when moving the cursor on > a web browser window. > > To troubleshoot, I inspected all the cables in the back of the > computer (power, DP, ethernet, USB keyboard, USB mouse, speakers/line), > and unplugged them (except the power cable) one at a time. I didn't > hear a difference, good or bad. I also turned some mixerctl knobs with > no noticeable effects. > > Does anyone have any ideas? This isn't a big deal since I can't notice > it while listening to audio, and it's pretty easy to tune out even > without audio, but I'd still like to remove it if possible. I'm > considering buying a USB audio interface, so if that even works, that > could be a solution.
Check that your AC power plug is connected to the ground. Possibly plug the computer in another plug, in another room, and see if this makes any difference. FWIW, I managed to reduce similar noises by putting ferrite rings on most cables, the HDMI cable was a significant source of noise in my case. I didn't try to put ferrite rings on the internal cables (ex. those between the power supply and the motherboard), but it might make sense as well. Certain motherboards are just not well designed and noise might remain, no matter what you do. A good audio interface would solve this problem, assuming you're using speakers that don't generate noise or passive headphones. HTH
