Unbearable Humming/Static/Noise from Speakers

I know nothing about:
Computers
Electricity
Sound
Electronics

pretty much anything regarding this topic, I am a complete dunce about. I can provide any information necessary and do anything asked, please I hope someone does instruct me in any way, I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Background:
I've been using a horrible PC since 2006, Vista, it only costs $500.00 (monitor included) and the most I could ever run was CS:S on it's lowest settings and resolution. With this computer I had a similar issue, static/buzzing/noise being interpretted (is what I assumed was happening) by my speakers. I always thought, it must be my bad computer.

Well I am very thankful to announce that I finally upgraded my PC here are the specs:

SOUND CARD: ASUS Xonar Essence STX
Speakers: PreSonus Eris E8 Monitors (left and right speakers only)

Motherboard: ASUS X99 Deluxe
Drive: 1TB Samsung 850 Pro Series
Processor: Intel Core i7 5930K Hex-Core 3.5GHz (3.7GHz TurboBoost)
Graphics: DUAL (2) 8GB XFX Double Dissipation Radeon R9 290X
Memory: 32GB Corsair LPX 2666MHz (4x8GB)
Power Supply: 1000 Watt Corsair RM1000
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional

USB Peripherals:
Corsair Gaming K70 RGB LED Mechanical Keyboard
Razer Taipan Mouse

I'd also like to add that, obviously I am an idiot and don't know anything about computers and don't even deserve this system (I am sorry), I purchased this PC from Origin and just mention this to cancel out any questions about maybe I put the computer together improperly or the cabling was crappy, etc. I trust that they did a proper job of assembling and testing out the hardware before shipping it out.

My monitors are plugged into the Left/Right outputs of the ASUS Xonar Essenece STX by plugging the cables provided with the PreSonus Eris E8 into the RCA to 3.5mm Y cable provided with the soundcard.

Problem:
To my complete dismay, I am now experiencing an even worse static/humming than I experienced on my previous, clunker PC. Everything is plugged in and set up. If the PC is off and the speakers are powered on by themselves, no background noise is heard. As soon as the PC is powered on, you will be able to hear a faint static/humming if you put your ear up to the speakers. When the PC is started up and running, it's just about the same. This static is very audible, but able to be drowned out by music. I was optimistic and thought, well I dealt for so many years with this static I guess I can still deal with it as long as I'm drowning it out.

All of this came crashing down as soon as I tried running Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. I've never played any game made past 2008~ on PC, simply because I could not run it, and was very excited to finally play a new game without lag.

As soon as the CS:GO menu came up, correlating this with the computer doing more work running a game than running Google Chrome, the buzzing/static was immensely intensified, audible even through the game's menu music. I then joined an actual match, and the static/buzzing intensified even further, completely unbearable and making it impossible to play the game.

This noise persists when the volume is muted. While I was playing CS:GO I muted all of the PC's sound/volume and just the fact that the PC/Speakers were powered on and playing a game, the sound persisted consistently and always will.

Games and programs that cause more load aside, this consistent buzzing is heard throughout anything I do on my computer, it's just intensified when I do something like play games or use a DAW.
Which I also would like to add the reason I upgraded as well is because I never wanted to lag ever while loading multiple VST's in my DAW, but all of this has been shattered as my DAW uses high performance and creates the similar unbearable static.

Other Various Fluctuations in the Static:
Although the static is constant, certain functions/computer use habits will trigger fluctuations in the static like blips, snips, cracks, I don't even know, it can get worse too depending on what it is I'm doing on something like Google Chrome (like loading a page with a lot of stuff on it, while it's loading the static fluctuates).

Once a page is loaded on Goggle Chrome, even simply using the mousewheel to scroll up and down, every subtle turn of the mousewheel correlates with a fluctuation in this static.

I've read all sorts of stuff related to this online and there are so many different things like, wires, cables, the hardware, the positioning, interference, drivers, etc. I don't know anything about anything, and definitely don't know anything about all of this electronic stuff, I have no idea where to begin, I have no idea what to do. I'm literally sitting on a $6,000+ cumulative investment with nothing to do as my main use with this PC is sound design.

Another odd fluctuation is when let's say I have two Chrome windows open and I take one of them and unmaximize it so it's able to be stretched/resized. As soon as I click on the borders of that window and begin to drag my mouse to resize, the fluctuation occurs and persists so long as I am dragging the mouse and resizing; once I let go the static, of course, still remains but no longer fluctuates.

One More Thing:
I also tried plugging the speakers into the motherboard and there was still this static. I also plugged in a gaming headset as well, and there was the same static.

Closing:
I humbly beg anyone, please, what do I need to do? Where do I start? I feel depressed, I'm honestly a big loser and do nothing but go on the computer and this problem has had me off the computer for most of the week, and I know this is pathetic, but my god I just feel so depressed; there's nothing to do, I understand people have "lives" I have no life. When I'm not on the PC I'm vegetating, an aimless consciousness. I am desperation. I need help. Please.

I greatly appreciate anyone's time or effort.

Please if I am missing any information, ask me for it, I'll take pictures, do anything, I am desperate, I need help.

How close are the speakers/speaker wires to your monitor and monitor cable?

Sounds like a ground or emi issue.

Elf_Boy said:

How close are the speakers/speaker wires to your monitor and monitor cable?

Sounds like a ground or emi issue.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, I took some photos to help illustrate:

What happens if you connect to the RCA inputs on your monitors instead of your TRS inputs?

I'd also like to add that, obviously I am an idiot and don't know anything about computers and don't even deserve this system (I am sorry)

Click to expand...

I LOL'd That is one of the best sentences ever conceived!

I feel your pain sir, this is actually a very common problem and only yesterday I advised another forum member about this. Check this topic out: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1567899
I posted a short check-list of things that you can try. Obviously just do those tests you're comfortable with with your level of knowledge.

i think there is a reasonably good chance you problems are the unbalanced rca to TRS balanced connections..

I also think you should try the RCA connections instead.

I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 that has balanced outputs for awhile I was using a 20' TRS to RCA cable and I had similar problems to what you describle... after some advice from the guys at guitar center I got a 8' cable and it was fine... so if you cables are 10' or longer maybe try shorter cables..but in this case based on the gear involved I thing you should use the RCA inputs.

See if the hum disappears if you unplug the computer from the speakers. Power supplies often leak voltage to the computer case and this can cause severe side-effects. You should install a galvanic isolator between your analog inputs and the computer or use a digital input if available.

If you have a bad ground loop at home, then outside of hiring an electrician to rewire your home your only real option it sounds like is running speakers with non-analog input like optical toslink or digital coaxial.

My home has a ground loop issue that even electricians couldn't figure out. Any power amplifiers will cause speakers to hum like mad so my only option is running the biggest A/V receivers I can find.

I had a similar issue though I never heard it from my speakers (i keep the volume fairly low), but it was clear in my headphones. Switching to a DAC using optical out from my computer fixed this issue for me. I've got a Schiit Modi 2 Uber and a cheap FiiO D03K, either of them worked to fix the issue. At less than $30, the D03K might be worth a try.

My guess would also be your RCA cables or your PSU may be bad.

Did you try to unplug the speakers from the computer, did the hum disappear? If you try to unplug the RCA cables from the speakers, does the hum disappear? Doing these simple tests can rule out the computer power supply and the cable as the source of hum if nothing changes.

I had a problem identical to what you describe. (Still do). However I got some good advice here.

The problem stems from the fact that the audio outputs from the computer are very badly shielded against electric interference.

If you have a USB headset try to plug it in and see if you still have the buzzing sound. I suspect you won't. In my case I didn't and I was advised that I need a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC for short).

It plugs into USB so the audio is sent digitally (1's and 0's) to it and converts it to an analog signal (electricity). However the analog port it outputs the data to is very well shielded against electrical interference and this prevents the buzzing in the speakers.

I can't say this will 100% fix your problem, but I plan on trying it myself very soon so I don't have to game using my hot and uncomfortable headset.


EDIT: I just saw you're using RCA cables ... any chance this still applies to RCA plugs?

Well, any sound outputting device that feeds analogue has a DAC chip in it somewhere.

You were lucky in that none of your USB wiring was polluted with alternating ripple current or 'noise'.
Possibly your USB DAC has good input filtering.
Or perhaps it uses something called 'ground lift' to reject/ignore weak EMI garbage signals. Or maybe it was moving the converter away from some other component like a transformer.

The reasons and fixes are endless... trial and error mostly.

For example, a small amplitude alternating current can appear in the 5v power supply.
It can also appear in the ground plane.
In either case, you might hear it as a buzz. That little buzz might come back into the soundcard via the microphone inputs, get amplified and re-emitted through your speakers.

In the worst case scenario, it might silently kill your gear because that ripple is still 'working current' on top of your DC.

If you have alternating current (galvanic or induced by electromagnetic noise) bleeding into some element that's supposed to operate on DC, like the power section of the USB ports, you might hear stuff that shouldn't be there.

To elaborate further on Escape's solution - this is a cheap USB sound card. You could say the whole thing is a 'Digital2AudioConverter'. You could also say that the black integrated circuit in the middle (the PCM2704 in this case) is the 'DAC'. Either way, it was dirt cheap and it instantly silenced prevalent hard drive seek noise in my PC.
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It only outputs stereo, hence the symmetrical appearance. To the right you have a siimple USB port, and on the left - starting from the top - an optical output (digital), a green 3.5" analogue jack, and a digital coaxial output. Most operating systems know this IC and have integrated drivers so it's really 'plug and play'. No external power needed, decent quality.