Ophicleide
Standard Member
Hi all,
I sometimes like to play music from my laptop (a Thinkpad X230) when it sits on my desk in a docking station. The docking station has a single 3.5mm output which I think duplicates the laptop’s 3.5mm headphone socket. For amplification and sound, I use two active studio monitors which I bought following some recommendations here, and also a passive-preamp which basically functions as a volume control knob and source selector. So the arrangement is basically: laptop 3.5mm -> 3.5mm to RCA splitter -> passive pre-amp -> active speakers.
The problem with this is that it is very noisy at higher volumes. I get a combination of a quite quiet low level hum; a high hum which is a bit noisier; and intermittant noise when (e.g.) I move the mouse.
I’ve tried using an external sound card which I had lying around (I think like this one) which improves the situation a bit but the noise is still present. This just has a micro USB input and various 3.5mm outputs so the data and power is carried by the same cable. The only thing that really seems to get rid of the noise is a ground loop isolator like this. However, I am not quite convinced that the isolator isn’t degrading the sound quality so was wondering if there are any other solutions.
I did wonder if there was a way to break the connection between the signal and the power but I couldn’t see any external sound cards or DACs which would take a USB data input but have a separate power supply. I therefore wonder whether that it not actually necessary and if I bought a more expensive sound card or DAC with a USB output then that would have sufficient protections within it to avoid noise? I also wondered whether I should use the cheap sound card’s TOSLINK output and then get a DAC which can convert TOSLINK to RCA or whether that would be mad and overkill?!
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Many thanks!
I sometimes like to play music from my laptop (a Thinkpad X230) when it sits on my desk in a docking station. The docking station has a single 3.5mm output which I think duplicates the laptop’s 3.5mm headphone socket. For amplification and sound, I use two active studio monitors which I bought following some recommendations here, and also a passive-preamp which basically functions as a volume control knob and source selector. So the arrangement is basically: laptop 3.5mm -> 3.5mm to RCA splitter -> passive pre-amp -> active speakers.
The problem with this is that it is very noisy at higher volumes. I get a combination of a quite quiet low level hum; a high hum which is a bit noisier; and intermittant noise when (e.g.) I move the mouse.
I’ve tried using an external sound card which I had lying around (I think like this one) which improves the situation a bit but the noise is still present. This just has a micro USB input and various 3.5mm outputs so the data and power is carried by the same cable. The only thing that really seems to get rid of the noise is a ground loop isolator like this. However, I am not quite convinced that the isolator isn’t degrading the sound quality so was wondering if there are any other solutions.
I did wonder if there was a way to break the connection between the signal and the power but I couldn’t see any external sound cards or DACs which would take a USB data input but have a separate power supply. I therefore wonder whether that it not actually necessary and if I bought a more expensive sound card or DAC with a USB output then that would have sufficient protections within it to avoid noise? I also wondered whether I should use the cheap sound card’s TOSLINK output and then get a DAC which can convert TOSLINK to RCA or whether that would be mad and overkill?!
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Many thanks!
— As an Amazon Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases —