Speaker Distortion

[Trem]

Put this in here as it seems more like an audio problem rather than a pc problem.

I have recently built a new pc, I have used the same sound card in the new pc that was in my old one, I am using the same speakers in the same location as before and also my headphones are set up in the same way as before.

The problem I am having is really bad distortion if I turn the volume up to slightly louder than hearable, I get the really bad hum from them where the sound is unhearable.

Any idea what may be causing this?

Before I could turn them so loud the windows would shatter and have no distortion whatsoever.

TYIA.

 

[Munkey]

You have a microphone near the speakers?

 

[old.user4556]

Hmmmmm, Mr Tremlar.

Well, if you've built a new PC using exactly the same hardware (soundcard), plugged in exactly the same place before, then it's logical to presume you did a full reinstall of OS/drivers? Sounds like it could be perhaps clipping at the software end? (volume too high).

Where abouts are you turning it up from? Software, or is your soundcard connected to an amp, that you then turn up? Are your speakers powered seperately, or connected to an amp?

I get clipping if I have the PC volume set too high, but i'm connected to an amp. Chuck some specs and your setup (speakers, soundcard etc) into this thread, and we'll see what we can see.

G

 

[Ch3tan]

Sounds like you are getting interferance from another card in your pc. Can you move the soundcard to another slot and see if the same still happens?

 

[Trem]

I have a SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS. I have some surround sound headphones as well but they have always been there and set up the same way.

Just tried messing with the pc volume control and the distortion went uber bad when I closed the volume control box........wtf!

So, the speakers are powered seperately(Creative 2.1 speakers) via the sub woofer, the speaker in lead then plugs into the surround headphones and they then go through that, the headphone connections then plug into the sound card, so I don't actually plug the speakers directly into the PC.

Thanks so far lads, I will try Ch3t's suggestion in a bit but I don't really have anything else in the pci slots apart from a network card.

I did a clean install on the new pc btw and everything in it is new.

PC spec in case it matters -

2gb DDR
Conroe processor
74gb WD Raptor HD
Asus Mobo
GeForce 7900gt Gainward.
Antec case
Netgear wetwork card.

Thats about it really, quite sure none of that matters though.

 

[Tom]

Is this volume on the PC, or volume on the speakers?

Get rid of all the other crap, just plug a cheap pair of speakers into your audio out socket. If its distorted, its the PC. If its not distorted, its some element of your normal audio setup.

 

[Trem]

Well its mainly just the subwoofer, the speakers don't distort, if I turn the bass down on the speakers(not pc) it can go louder but sounds shite obviously.

I blame Tom for this.

 

[Tom]

So is the audio distorting in the PC? If you plug some cheapo headphones in the back of the computer, nothing else connected, and turn the volume up, does it distort?

 

[Trem]

No it doesn't luv.

 

[Tom]

Speakers are faulty then. Proveable if you connect them to another computer, or iPod or something.

 

[Bodhi]

Make sure the subwoofer is plugged in properly.