Buzzing/static in front panel headphone jack

sookainian

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Aug 17, 2020
15
1
Any one know why when i connect my headphone to the front audio port there is buzzing/static sound ?

I tried different headphone and all having the same issue.

But if i connect my headphone directly to the rear of the motherboard, there is no buzzing/static sound.

Is my front IO port faulty ?

My setup:
Ncase M1 V6.1
Asus Z490 I gaming
i9-10900k
rtx3070 tuf
corsair 32gb dom
samsung m.2
 
Last edited:

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
This buzzing, I suspect, is caused by interference due to poor shield and/or grounding of the cable and front panel. If so, then this is a faulty front IO panel unit.
The possibility is small as if a batch is bad, then others would have reported this but there does not seem so.

Maybe you can check to see if the cable passes by/over some components (which might induce interference). Move the cable around to avoid coming close to any component to see if this improves. May also borrow a ferrite bead and see if it can eliminate the noise?
 

Gilles3000

Airflow Optimizer
Oct 6, 2018
240
243
I've noticed front panel audio issues on numerous cases in the past, now I just remove the front panel audio cable on every new case I get...

No point wasting space and time on a cable that doesn't work properly anyway.
 

Beeblebrox

What's an ITX?
New User
Nov 25, 2020
1
0
Having a similar issue on my ncase. No problems with the rear audio out. But buzzing noises on multiple devices and cables if I use the front audio port.
 

Necere

Shrink Ray Wielder
NCASE
Feb 22, 2015
1,719
3,281
I've just tested a V6.1 combo port with a set of headphones (not a headset) and found the sound to be clear.

For those of you with problems, can you answer the following questions:

1. Is your combo port plastic (black) or metal (silver)? We switched from metal to plastic from V6 -> V6.1.

2. Does the issue persist if you remove the front I/O plate?

3. Are you using headphones with a TRS connector or a headset with TRRS?


Would also like to hear from anyone who has no issues with the front audio.
 

sookainian

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Aug 17, 2020
15
1
I've just tested a V6.1 combo port with a set of headphones (not a headset) and found the sound to be clear.

For those of you with problems, can you answer the following questions:

1. Is your combo port plastic (black) or metal (silver)? We switched from metal to plastic from V6 -> V6.1.

2. Does the issue persist if you remove the front I/O plate?

3. Are you using headphones with a TRS connector or a headset with TRRS?


Would also like to hear from anyone who has no issues with the front audio.

1. Black

2. Yes

3. I've tried simple headphones like apple ear piece to my ultimate ears inear monitors. All having buzzing.

Right is Apple earpiece
Left is Ultimate Ears monitors

 

sookainian

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Aug 17, 2020
15
1
I've just tested a V6.1 combo port with a set of headphones (not a headset) and found the sound to be clear.

For those of you with problems, can you answer the following questions:

1. Is your combo port plastic (black) or metal (silver)? We switched from metal to plastic from V6 -> V6.1.

2. Does the issue persist if you remove the front I/O plate?

3. Are you using headphones with a TRS connector or a headset with TRRS?


Would also like to hear from anyone who has no issues with the front audio.

Did you test it when the GPU is under load ?

I notice this issue only happened during gaming or during high graphic intense application.

If I just watch Youtube or play music, there is no buzzing sound from the front I/O port.

So most likely during heavy GPU load, the audio port is picking up noise from the GPU due to bad shielding on the audio port ?
 

Necere

Shrink Ray Wielder
NCASE
Feb 22, 2015
1,719
3,281
Did you test it when the GPU is under load ?

I notice this issue only happened during gaming or during high graphic intense application.

If I just watch Youtube or play music, there is no buzzing sound from the front I/O port.

So most likely during heavy GPU load, the audio port is picking up noise from the GPU due to bad shielding on the audio port ?
Yes, I also tested under gaming load and had no noise.

It's difficult to tell where the problem is. It could also be poor shielding on the motherboard itself.
 

sookainian

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Aug 17, 2020
15
1
Yes, I also tested under gaming load and had no noise.

It's difficult to tell where the problem is. It could also be poor shielding on the motherboard itself.

But why is it poor shielding on motherboard if the motherboard audio jack dont have buzzing ?
 
Last edited:

Gilles3000

Airflow Optimizer
Oct 6, 2018
240
243
But why is it poor shielding on the motherboard if the motherboard audio jack dont have buzzing ?
Because the front panel audio circuitry is separate from the rear i/o audio circuitry. And the cable and connector it uses is quite awful.

From my experience, its just a garbage standard, no one that cares about audio in the slightest should use it. I always wonder why some SFF case designers even bother to include it.
 

sookainian

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Aug 17, 2020
15
1
Yes, I also tested under gaming load and had no noise.

It's difficult to tell where the problem is. It could also be poor shielding on the motherboard itself.

Then what option do you have ? or how can we solve it ?
 

Gilles3000

Airflow Optimizer
Oct 6, 2018
240
243
Then what option do you have ?
Your options are either using the the rear jack, which is the only proper audio connection available by standard on your motherboard.

Or by getting an external DAC/Amp, which is wat I use, that way you get great audio no matter the device you're connected to and the connections are easy to reach.

or how can we solve it ?
There's nothing to solve, your front panel audio is performing as expected, with most hardware combinations you're more likely to get audio issues than clean audio. Nothing is faulty about your setup.