Speaker background sound changing based on what the pc is currently doing

[Marcus Aseth]

I have a pair of of "Kali LP6 2nd Wave", they are hooked up like so: PC -> Behringer UMC22 USB Interface -> Kali Monitors, the strange and annoying thing is that they keep producing a variety of different background sounds based on the activity of my PC, I have recorded two of them to give an example:

Firefox Browser with AVS Forum page open background noise:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1olJaQtCA4nWMFlEiLK_iV0AP57BiFHXj/view?usp=sharing

(the intensity change because I was moving the recording device up and down the speaker)

Desktop idle background noise:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j-4SiCKTCingF8wIE6f0K_zlcPJtX4-h/view?usp=sharing

(this is a bit harder to hear, you need to increase the volume a lot to hear a rythmical thump)

And there is many more... for example, whenever I move the mouse, for the whole duration of the movement the speaker produce a constant note (although very low in volume, but still audible from the listening position)
When I scrool the mouse wheel, for the whole duration of the wheel rotation, it produced another constant note, lower frequency than the one produced by a mouse movement
If am in game (Dota 2) they produce another type of background noise, and so on, you get the idea.

I don't know who is the culprit of this and how to solve, so I ask to you guys for guidance.

Furthermore, there is a risk of damaging the Kali if I keep using them with this strange background noises?

 

[SimpleTheater]

There probably isn’t risk to the speakers. What I would do, assuming a Windows PC, is open the device manager and, one at a time, disable sound devices that aren’t your Behringer and find the culprit. Of course it could be the Behringer drivers are the culprit or even a bad USB port (DELL docking stations are known for using crappy USB ports), so you may need a different DAC to test that, but I would think a pair of headphones plugged directly into the PC would be a good way of testing if the Behringer is the culprit.

 

[Bamboszek]

Are monitors connected to interface with proper balanced cable (TRS jack or XLR)?
Is PC and monitors connected to properly grounded outlet?
You may also try different USB port on motherboard (not front panel) and connecting PC and monitors to same power strip.
Sometimes swapping different combinations of mouse and interface connections to motherboard might help.
You could check this too - https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-high-end-usb-cables-make-a-difference.11272/

 

[voodooless]

Also check your windows mixer if there are not some input sources mixed back into the output, for instance, a microphone input. The Behringer also has those, so also verify there.

 

[Marcus Aseth]

but I would think a pair of headphones plugged directly into the PC would be a good way of testing if the Behringer is the culprit.

The headphones are dead silent when no music is playing, no background noises at all

Are monitors connected to interface with proper balanced cable (TRS jack or XLR)?

I am using unbalanced RCA because they support -10dBU and I don't think the behringer UMC22 can handle +4dBv

Is PC and monitors connected to properly grounded outlet?

Pc and monitors are connected to a power strip connected to the wall outlet

You may also try different USB port on motherboard (not front panel)

I've switched usb, the background noise appears to be louder when the USB is connected to the upper USB in the rear pannel (the one close to the keyboard port), it dimished in volume when I connect it to the lower USB port, where it was already connected

 

[Killingbeans]

I don't know who is the culprit of this and how to solve, so I ask to you guys for guidance.

Signal Processing Devices, Made in Germany

Inventor of USB 2.0 High Speed Isolator

intona.eu

Would be way cheaper to get a different interface with toslink input though (assuming you have a toslink output on you mobo).

Or do some ground loop hunting for free.

 

[Soniclife]

I have a pair of of "Kali LP6 2nd Wave", they are hooked up like so: PC -> Behringer UMC22 USB Interface -> Kali Monitors, the strange and annoying thing is that they keep producing a variety of different background sounds based on the activity of my PC, I have recorded two of them to give an example:

Firefox Browser with AVS Forum page open background noise:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1olJaQtCA4nWMFlEiLK_iV0AP57BiFHXj/view?usp=sharing

(the intensity change because I was moving the recording device up and down the speaker)

Desktop idle background noise:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j-4SiCKTCingF8wIE6f0K_zlcPJtX4-h/view?usp=sharing

(this is a bit harder to hear, you need to increase the volume a lot to hear a rythmical thump)

And there is many more... for example, whenever I move the mouse, for the whole duration of the movement the speaker produce a constant note (although very low in volume, but still audible from the listening position)
When I scrool the mouse wheel, for the whole duration of the wheel rotation, it produced another constant note, lower frequency than the one produced by a mouse movement
If am in game (Dota 2) they produce another type of background noise, and so on, you get the idea.

I don't know who is the culprit of this and how to solve, so I ask to you guys for guidance.

Furthermore, there is a risk of damaging the Kali if I keep using them with this strange background noises?

My PC does exactly the same thing when connected to some devices via USB, depending on how you want to look at it it's either a PC problem or a usb device problem, you can fix it with a USB isolator, the cheap ones won't support much over 16/48, I have one of these and it works perfectly with problem devices.

 

[Marcus Aseth]

I'm not quite sure how to hook those device with my pc/interface - my guess would be: USB-A from mobo rear panel to the isolator (USB-B port) -> USB-A from the isolator to USB-B in the interface.
Is that correct?

the cheap ones won't support much over 16/48

16/48 what? I am noob when it comes to audio x_x

Also this is my mobo: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B450M-GAMING-PLUS

 

[voodooless]

Also this is my mobo: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B450M-GAMING-PLUS

That thing seems to already have gotten some TLC toward audio. Did you ever try that?

 

[Marcus Aseth]

That thing seems to already have gotten some TLC toward audio. Did you ever try that?

TLC? Can you elaborate? How do I try the thing you're suggesting?

 

[somebodyelse]

I am using unbalanced RCA because they support -10dBU and I don't think the behringer UMC22 can handle +4dBv

Seems like the usual PC ground related noise issue with single ended interconnects. Swap the RCAs for balanced and the noise will probably disappear.

 

[voodooless]

TLC? Can you elaborate?

"tender love and care"

If it works for games, it probably also works for music

How do I try the thing you're suggesting?

Two steps:
- plug it in
- listen

 

[Soniclife]

I'm not quite sure how to hook those device with my pc/interface - my guess would be: USB-A from mobo rear panel to the isolator (USB-B port) -> USB-A from the isolator to USB-B in the interface.
Is that correct?

Sounds right. Is your interface usb powered, or self powered? I've never used my isolator with a power supply.

16/48 what? I am noob when it comes to audio x_x

Short for 16 bit, 48Khz, the bit depth and sampling rate, your interface will support much higher, so will be limited with a cheap isolator.

 

[Marcus Aseth]

we got progress guys!
I've tryed a balanced TRS-XLR cable from the UMC-22 to the Kali and they became dead silent, fixed all my problems
So maybe, using the -10dBu RCA port in the Kali was the issue

Although, I also have an SVS SB-1000Pro subwoofer to connect, so next I've run a TRS-RCA from the interface to the sub input, and an RCA-TRS from the sub to the TRS +4dBv in the Kali, still dead silent, only the note when I move the mouse is audible but now is extremely faint and really not distracting at all, so I'll take it!

I have only one audio problem left to fix with the Kali, at this point might be off topic, but maybe is something simple not needing a separate topic so I'll mention it:

During a tone sweep in the region around 40 to 140hz, both Kali speakers make some very faint "pop" sounds - this happened both with balanced and RCA cables, I don't know how to get rid of it... :\
Seems a very misterious issue, any idea of what might be causing it?

 

[Marcus Aseth]

ok, I've celebrated too soon! xD
Passing from the -10 dBu port to the +4dBv improved the situation quite a lot to the point where the browser noise is gone, the desktop noise is gone, and the mouse movement noise is extremely quiet, but it didn't fixed everything
As you can see in the video below, the background noise when I switch to Dota 2 is quite present

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ROU803usl7Mqf0aXN_2rgdHj8soq8y2-/view?usp=sharing

So I still need that isolation device?

Sounds right. Is your interface usb powered, or self powered? I've never used my isolator with a power supply.

USB powered, is that alright? Or I need an isolation with separate power suply?

 

[antcollinet]

Seems like the usual PC ground related noise issue with single ended interconnects. Swap the RCAs for balanced and the noise will probably disappear.

Agreed - see my post here;

Ground loops and powered speakers.

I've seen a lot of question recently on how to solve ground loop noise problems. In a majority of cases I've seen, these have involved powered speakers (either mains or subs) being connected with unbalanced connections. I've thought a little about why in 40 years of owning audio kit, I've never...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Soniclife]

So I still need that isolation device?
USB powered, is that alright? Or I need an isolation with separate power suply?

The one I linked to accepts external power, I've just never had to use it. I'm not sure from your description that this is your problem now, it might be though.

 

[DVDdoug]

USB powered, is that alright? Or I need an isolation with separate power suply?

Usually it is noise from the USB power supply getting into the analog electronics. Usually it's the mic preamps, where any noise gets amplified... Noise on the line-level outputs is more rare. Internal computer power tends to be noisy (not a problem with digital) but some computers are "better" than others and some USB-powered interfaces are more immune to noise than others. An interface with it's own-separate power supply is "safer".

If you can find an isolator with its own power supply that should help, or maybe a powered USB will hub (a hub with its own power supply).

(I think most "USB filters" supposedly filter the data lines but that's rarely a problem.... You need to filter the power.)

 

[antcollinet]

No, usually this is ground loop noise. Ground loops act like loop antennas picking up any stray magnetic fields. The reason it increases when you play DOTA is that the power consumed by your graphics card will dramatically increase. So, therefore, will any M fields from your PSU, and the graphics card, including power supply connections from the PSU to the graphics card. Also possibly from your display if it switches to higher frame rates for gameplay.

But yes - the USB power ground forms part of the ground loop. If you can get a usb isolator that fully isolates the USB(Data and power) then that will solve the problem - but they are expensive.

It is normally much cheaper to set up an optical connection to your dac. Even buying a dac with toslink input, if yours doesn't have one, is probably cheeaper than an effective USB isolator.

 

[Marcus Aseth]

Agreed - see my post here;

Ground loops and powered speakers.

I've seen a lot of question recently on how to solve ground loop noise problems. In a majority of cases I've seen, these have involved powered speakers (either mains or subs) being connected with unbalanced connections. I've thought a little about why in 40 years of owning audio kit, I've never...

www.audiosciencereview.com

You guys where completely right
I've just connected once more the monitors to the interface using the balanced "XLR<->TRS" I own and that completely muted Dota
It's settled, I need all balanced cables. The only problem is that I have an SVS SB1000 pro, and that only has RCA input/output... so I need two pairs of balanced "TRS<->RCA" to hook from the interface to the sub, and from the sub to the monitors.
Do they sell this cables? I thought everything involving RCA was unbalanced...