Noted.
Happened to me before those noise issues with audio DACs. Up to the point that my mouse scroll wheel causing audible clicking noises on my earphones. Solved with USB isolator, those USB isolators that use Analog Devices ADUM chips. I guess it was USB ground loop issue. But those USB isolators usually only comes with 12 Mbps speed, so no DSD playback. Not sure if the newer ones these days have better speed. I encounter that issue like more than 10 years ago.
I looked into it a bit since my last post. That is the quick fix, a usb isolator, but the cheap ones will limit your dac/adc a bit like you said. There are newer and better ones like the iFi Audio iDefender3.0 but those are expensive, I might as well buy a new ADC/DAC for the price. At least I've figured out how to fix the noise now, I basically need a usb dac/adc that uses a separate auxiliary power source, or a usb noise isolator like you said.
The D10 DAC I had takes power directly from the usb input so that explains why it carried on the noise. At least now I know I can work around it with just getting a dac that can take power from a different source. Of course I could buy another D10 or D10s (since I sold my last) but then I would also need to purchase something like the idefender3.0.. (since a cheap isolator would defeat the point of spending extra for a good dac) which would be more expensive than just getting a topping e30 or smsl sanskrit 10th mkii which
can take power from a separate source.
Well, that's kind of off topic. Now for the issue at hand.. from what I can tell I have the following options:
1. Get a balanced ADC to go with my 9038s g3
2. Get a cheap balanced usb interface and usb isolator and just use that
3. Get a decent 3.5mm balanced dac so I can use the motherboard's 3.5mm input.
Option 1 seems to be the most expensive, even if it would give me the best results. I can't find a cheap audio interface or adc with balanced input for my life. I might as well get the cosmos adc, and an xlr to bnc cable if I go that route.
Option 2 is the cheapish option, something like a Audio-Technica Consumer ATR2x plus cheap usb isolator should do the trick but I would be at the mercy of my cheap gear's questionable quality I think.
Option 3, would actually be the cheapest, since I could just get an apple usb-c to 3.5mm dongle, and it would be decent enough. I'm just worried if it would pickup noise from my pc, or if my motherboard 3.5mm input will be any decent.