Where does the WiiM amp Pro's HDMI buzzing sound come from?

[snazy514]

(I asked a similar question before but I now want to try to troubleshoot/locate the problem)

I use one of my TV's as a 3rd monitor (PC) and have the following setup:

I have an Aune X8 DAC connected to my PC via USB (and the same DAC is also connected to my WiiM AMP Pro).
On the WiiM, when I choose line in as the source (i.e. my DAC as the source) and have a HDMI plugged into the WiiM I hear buzzing.
Whenever I disconnect it it's gone. If I hook my DAC up to my PC via TOSLINK then the problem disappears (However, I don't really like this method as it then uses the onboard soundcard and seems to have a slight delay after I have nothing playing for a few minutes).
And yes technically I could hook my WiiM up to the PC directly but I'd prefer to use my dedicated DAC etc.

I have tried changing which powerlines I have these Devices hooked up to but sadly that didn't help. I tried having the DAC and amp on different lines and then also moving the TV (when I had the DAC and AMP on separate lines) to either the one where my DAC was or the amp was (I can only use two power-strip adapters sadly, a third one isn't possible)

Could the problem be because I have my WiiM's HDMI going to the TV's ARC port and then ALSO a HDMI from my GPU to another HDMI port on the TV?

Gear:

Aune X8 Dac
WiiM AMP Pro
RTX 3090
Sony XH90/XH9005
HDMI 2.1 cable + The one WiiM includes

Appreciate the help!

 

[AnalogSteph]

Welcome to the wonderful world of ground loops, a.k.a. why unbalanced connections kinda stink.

Could the problem be because I have my WiiM's HDMI going to the TV's ARC port and then ALSO a HDMI from my GPU to another HDMI port on the TV?

Quite possibly, as that would be ground loop number 1. It's not unusual to have other ground connections somehow going to a TV as well though (e.g. antenna, satellite dish, cable).

 

[snazy514]

Welcome to the wonderful world of ground loops, a.k.a. why unbalanced connections kinda stink.

Quite possibly, as that would be ground loop number 1. It's not unusual to have other ground connections somehow going to a TV as well though (e.g. antenna, satellite dish, cable).

Thank you!
Well wouldn't the world be a better place if everything audio was balanced and everything else USB C Thunderbolt 5 on every device.
I'll try to unplug the HDMI going from my PC to the TV and see whether that helps and post the result.

 

[risandipra]

Thank you!
Well wouldn't the world be a better place if everything audio was balanced and everything else USB C Thunderbolt 5 on every device.
I'll try to unplug the HDMI going from my PC to the TV and see whether that helps and post the result.

How does it turned out ?

Have you tried separate wall outlet for the PC?

 

[snazy514]

How does it turned out ?

Have you tried separate wall outlet for the PC?

Sorry I forgot to do an update. Sadly it didn't work. I have 2 power adapters in different outlets (located at different sides of the wall) and I had tried plugging my DAC and AMP into different ones, then in the same one but that also didn't work (I also tried having the amp + pc in the same outlet and then DAC+PC in the same but no difference and I can't have 3 outlets) I don't know what else to do.

 

[risandipra]

Sorry I forgot to do an update. Sadly it didn't work. I have 2 power adapters in different outlets (located at different sides of the wall) and I had tried plugging my DAC and AMP into different ones, then in the same one but that also didn't work (I also tried having the amp + pc in the same outlet and then DAC+PC in the same but no difference and I can't have 3 outlets) I don't know what else to do.

Is any of those power cables different from the others? Maybe one is 2-pins while the others are three ?

Or maybe some signal cables (your HDMI/USB) runs paralel very close or even tied together with power cables?

 

[snazy514]

Is any of those power cables different from the others? Maybe one is 2-pins while the others are three ?

Or maybe some signal cables (your HDMI/USB) runs paralel very close or even tied together with power cables?

I live in Germany we have a "Schuko plug" and every one of my cables is of that standard. I have like 3 million cables so I also tried seeing whether that was the issue but as far as I can tell, I don't think that that is the problem. I just gave up it isn't really that important for me anyways since I bought this device because it is a good speaker amp first, and then ALSO has streaming features which I don't necessarily have to use (I was just curious as to where the problem could originate from).

But I appreciate the help and suggestions! I'd still like to find out if possible but if I can't it won't be the end of the world.

 

[Hoozyerdaddy]

I had a similar issue.

Setup with static coming through speakers.

PC > HDMI 1> LG C2 > HDMI 2 (eARC) > WiiM Ultra > RCA/XLR > Yamaha HS8 speakers

Instead of using HDMI 2 (eARC), I connected my LG C2 to the WiiM Ultra using TOSLINK cable and static is gone.

Setup with no static coming through speakers.

PC > HDMI 1> LG C2 > TOSLINK > WiiM Ultra > RCA/XLR > Yamaha HS8 speakers

I could just go from PC to WiiM using TOSLINK, but if I want to use my LG C2 with my speakers, this was the only way I could find that avoids the constant static coming through the speakers due to the second HDMI.

Best of luck resolving your issue.

 

[bravomail]

(I asked a similar question before but I now want to try to troubleshoot/locate the problem)

I use one of my TV's as a 3rd monitor (PC) and have the following setup:

I have an Aune X8 DAC connected to my PC via USB (and the same DAC is also connected to my WiiM AMP Pro).

Your USB giving you buzz. Some PCs are like that. My suggestion - if possible, get a motherboard with SPDIF (optical TOSLINK) - that will separate your components from any ground loop.
Another option - send sound to TV via HDMI, and do not use USB->Aune->Wiim. Wiim should be able to extract the sound from TV via HDMI eARC (if your TV has eARC).
Some TVs has optical out too - you can try using that.

 

[antcollinet]

And yes technically I could hook my WiiM up to the PC directly but I'd prefer to use my dedicated DAC etc.

But the sound quality from the DAC built into the amp pro is just as good as from your external DAC. Better in fact, since the analogue input to the amp is actually not very good as described by Amir :

Analog input is digitized so doesn't have the same performance but should be good enough for a turntable and such:

So if I were you, I'd get a digital connection direct from PC to Amp. If you want to use USB out of the PC, try a USB to Toslink converter. Or if your PC has toslink output - use that. You'll have better sound quality, and get rid of the ground loop problem at the same time.

 

[snazy514]

I had a similar issue.

Setup with static coming through speakers.

PC > HDMI 1> LG C2 > HDMI 2 (eARC) > WiiM Ultra > RCA/XLR > Yamaha HS8 speakers

Instead of using HDMI 2 (eARC), I connected my LG C2 to the WiiM Ultra using TOSLINK cable and static is gone.

Setup with no static coming through speakers.

PC > HDMI 1> LG C2 > TOSLINK > WiiM Ultra > RCA/XLR > Yamaha HS8 speakers

I could just go from PC to WiiM using TOSLINK, but if I want to use my LG C2 with my speakers, this was the only way I could find that avoids the constant static coming through the speakers due to the second HDMI.

Best of luck resolving your issue.

This is actually exactly the same way I have it setup without eARC

 

[snazy514]

Your USB giving you buzz. Some PCs are like that. My suggestion - if possible, get a motherboard with SPDIF (optical TOSLINK) - that will separate your components from any ground loop.
Another option - send sound to TV via HDMI, and do not use USB->Aune->Wiim. Wiim should be able to extract the sound from TV via HDMI eARC (if your TV has eARC).
Some TVs has optical out too - you can try using that.

But doesn't a conection with TOSLINK then use the onboard soundcard to process the signal? I think I read that that isn't really that ideal (correct me if I'm wrong).

Would the eARC to WiiM use the TV as a DAC then?

 

[snazy514]

But the sound quality from the DAC built into the amp pro is just as good as from your external DAC. Better in fact, since the analogue input to the amp is actually not very good as described by Amir :


So if I were you, I'd get a digital connection direct from PC to Amp. If you want to use USB out of the PC, try a USB to Toslink converter. Or if your PC has toslink output - use that. You'll have better sound quality, and get rid of the ground loop problem at the same time.

But doesn't a conection with TOSLINK then use the onboard soundcard to process the signal? I think I read that that isn't really that ideal (correct me if I'm wrong)? And doesn't an USB to Toslink adapter also impede on the "purity" of the signal?

 

[mcdn]

But doesn't a conection with TOSLINK then use the onboard soundcard to process the signal? I think I read that that isn't really that ideal (correct me if I'm wrong)? And doesn't an USB to Toslink adapter also impede on the "purity" of the signal?

Wherever you read those things, stop reading because it’s wrong. TOSlink is just raw digital data, and whether it’s converted from USB or not is irrelevant. The DAC will recover the clock from the digital signal and make perfect waves.

 

[snazy514]

Wherever you read those things, stop reading because it’s wrong. TOSlink is just raw digital data, and whether it’s converted from USB or not is irrelevant. The DAC will recover the clock from the digital signal and make perfect waves.

Ah okay thank you! So I can just connect my WiiM to my PC directly via TOSLINK and don't have to worry about the WiiM's DAC being reprocessed by my motherboard.

 

[antcollinet]

But doesn't a conection with TOSLINK then use the onboard soundcard to process the signal? I think I read that that isn't really that ideal (correct me if I'm wrong)? And doesn't an USB to Toslink adapter also impede on the "purity" of the signal?

No. TOSLINK just sends the digital data. It might go via the on board sound card, but there will be no processing unless set in the software settings - just as for USB.

Alternatively - as I suggested, use a USB to TOSLINK converter (available inexpensively) and the sound card then has nothing to do with it.

 

[snazy514]

No. TOSLINK just sends the digital data. It might go via the on board sound card, but there will be no processing unless set in the software settings - just as for USB.

Alternatively - as I suggested, use a USB to TOSLINK converter (available inexpensively) and the sound card then has nothing to do with it.

Thank you, I've connected it directly now so all's good

 

[antcollinet]

Thank you, I've connected it directly now so all's good

Thanks for letting us know.