If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
P4S8X-X, onboard sound noise
I have a P4S8X-X, and I've known from the beginning that the onboard
soundcard is noisy. Things like hard drive access, moving the mouse, CD drive spinning up, resizing windows (no, I'm not kidding) would all produce noise. However, when the 'Phone' input is muted from the Windows mixer, this is reduced significantly. Reduced enough, that it is not noticable at normal volume levels. Only when playing DVDs, whose overall volume level is much lower so I need to set the speaker volume much higher, this is sometimes noticable, but it was never a problem. Also, a slight buzz is audible whenever any sound whatsoever is played, but not when there is no sound playing (DAC chip deactivated perhaps?). I'm also getting a slight 'pop' every so often ever since I got these new speakers, but I think that's the driver's fault (see below). Today I got a 5.1 speaker set, so I of course wanted to try it out, but I found that when the rear speakers are otherwise silent during DVD playback (for instance if there is a scene with only centered conversation), the aforementioned 'slight buzz' is quite annoying. So I need to get rid of it. I was considering just buying a soundcard, like a SoundBlaster Live Value! 5.1 (those are pretty cheap yet decent). I'm quite certain this will solve most of the background noise, the only thing I'm not so certain about is this playback buzz. Could this be caused by something else, or can I rest assured that a PCI soundcard will solve my troubles? For the record, I'm running Windows XP Professional SP1 and are using the drivers that came on the CD with the motherboard, which is version 5.12.1.3533. I know there are newer drivers on the Asus site, but I couldn't get 5.1 sound working with those drivers at all. I did use those newer drivers before (with 2.1 speakers), and I believe those don't have the 'pop' sound I mentioned above. The SiS7012 drivers (which also work) under both Windows and Linux will also not give surround (but stereo over the rear(!) speakers) but exhibit the same troubles. The speakers I use are the Creative Labs SoundBlaster Inspire P580 5.1 speakers. Thanks in advance for any reply. -- Unforgiven |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
"Unforgiven" wrote in message ... I have a P4S8X-X, and I've known from the beginning that the onboard soundcard is noisy. Things like hard drive access, moving the mouse, CD drive spinning up, resizing windows (no, I'm not kidding) would all produce noise. However, when the 'Phone' input is muted from the Windows mixer, this is reduced significantly. Reduced enough, that it is not noticable at normal volume levels. Only when playing DVDs, whose overall volume level is much lower so I need to set the speaker volume much higher, this is sometimes noticable, but it was never a problem. Also, a slight buzz is audible whenever any sound whatsoever is played, but not when there is no sound playing (DAC chip deactivated perhaps?). I'm also getting a slight 'pop' every so often ever since I got these new speakers, but I think that's the driver's fault (see below). Don't have an answer, but I'm getting the same problem with an Asus A7V8X-X board. However, I haven't been able to find a "phone" input to mute in the Soundmax/Windows volume control (which is what I assume that you're describing). Matt |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
HPLeft wrote:
"Unforgiven" wrote in message ... I have a P4S8X-X, and I've known from the beginning that the onboard soundcard is noisy. Things like hard drive access, moving the mouse, CD drive spinning up, resizing windows (no, I'm not kidding) would all produce noise. However, when the 'Phone' input is muted from the Windows mixer, this is reduced significantly. Reduced enough, that it is not noticable at normal volume levels. Only when playing DVDs, whose overall volume level is much lower so I need to set the speaker volume much higher, this is sometimes noticable, but it was never a problem. Also, a slight buzz is audible whenever any sound whatsoever is played, but not when there is no sound playing (DAC chip deactivated perhaps?). I'm also getting a slight 'pop' every so often ever since I got these new speakers, but I think that's the driver's fault (see below). Don't have an answer, but I'm getting the same problem with an Asus A7V8X-X board. However, I haven't been able to find a "phone" input to mute in the Soundmax/Windows volume control (which is what I assume that you're describing). This is where I found it: open the Windows volume control. Select 'Options/Properties'. Make sure playback is selected, and then look for 'Phone' under 'Show the following volume controls'. Check it, click OK, and now you should be able to mute it. If it's not there, I don't know what else you can do. Try muting everything that seems unnecessary, such as Microphone and CD Audio (this is the analog connection between the soundcard and the CD drive, which is not used by most CD player applications, since they will use digital audio extraction). Muting CD audio can also help in reducing the CD-spin noise. For the record, I bought a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy2 today, which solved all my problems. -- Unforgiven |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
"Unforgiven" wrote in message ... This is where I found it: open the Windows volume control. Select 'Options/Properties'. Make sure playback is selected, and then look for 'Phone' under 'Show the following volume controls'. Check it, click OK, and now you should be able to mute it. If it's not there, I don't know what else you can do. Try muting everything that seems unnecessary, such as Microphone and CD Audio (this is the analog connection between the soundcard and the CD drive, which is not used by most CD player applications, since they will use digital audio extraction). Muting CD audio can also help in reducing the CD-spin noise. For the record, I bought a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy2 today, which solved all my problems. Found it. Thanks. Matt |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
onboard sound chip: advice needed | jackson marshmallow | General | 5 | May 14th 04 10:40 AM |
Onboard sound And internal sound connectors | dj | Homebuilt PC's | 2 | September 27th 03 10:52 PM |
a7n8x dlx and sound (noise) problems | Beemer Biker | Asus Motherboards | 1 | August 5th 03 02:33 PM |
onboard sound or sound card? | mig | General | 4 | August 3rd 03 03:38 PM |
Lost Onboard Sound | Ed_ | Homebuilt PC's | 3 | July 14th 03 02:55 PM |