noise from the speakers

[gate7nico]

Hi guys.

I just bought me a dac, a cheap one, called brik-dac and hooked it up to my laptop hoping the sound quality would get better, which it actually did, but I'm experiencing some noise coming from the speakers which I did even before the dac.

I would assume it's not the amp as when I'm not playing anything, no matter how much I turn up the volume, it's quite. When I do play music though it sounds more if I turn up the volume.

What could it be?

 

[ID.]

Could you be a little more specific about the "noise"? "What's that noise coming from the speakers?" is a question my choice in music sometimes elicits.

Is it a hiss that is there constantly? Is it clicking or static? Does it occur between tracks?

It really could be any number of things. It could be noise from the computer or even other appliances plugged into the same electricals as the computer being transferred due to a lack of galvanic isolation in the cheap DAC, it could just be a poor/cheap design so the output stage gives out a hiss, etc.

 

[gate7nico]

Well... the noise is constant. It doesn't sound between the tracks. When I don't play any music I can turn up the volume to maximum and there won't be any noise coming out of the speakers at all.

How can I explain the noise...? Something like buzzing or humming :/

Excuse my English, I'm swedish.

 

[Gazzip]

Well... the noise is constant. It doesn't sound between the tracks. When I don't play any music I can turn up the volume to maximum and there won't be any noise coming out of the speakers at all.

How can I explain the noise...? Something like buzzing or humming :/

Excuse my English, I'm swedish.

Sounds like a sound card issue to me. Have you got another laptop or PC you can borrow to check this? You could also try plugging the laptop in to a different multi-adaptor to the one that your amp is plugged in to. Note however that you want to plug both in to the same mains circuit to avoid any potential ground loop issues.