I was using a USB connection from a laptop to the Coax input of the AVR using an external soundcard, and the hum was decidedly audible. They are not DACs so will not suffer any conversion losses. There are also tiny usb to optical convertors. So one of these into a optical input on a AVR and you are sorted. Computers of a certain vintage already have optical outputs available on either a motherboard or a laptop 3.5 mm plug.there was a fashion once for these. I have a little experience with this situation and have had a number of toys hanging around. 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?!Ĭan anyone point me in the right direction? 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. However, I am not quite convinced that the isolator isn’t degrading the sound quality so was wondering if there are any other solutions. The only thing that really seems to get rid of the noise is a ground loop isolator like this. This just has a micro USB input and various 3.5mm outputs so the data and power is carried by the same cable. 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.
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. The problem with this is that it is very noisy at higher volumes. So the arrangement is basically: laptop 3.5mm -> 3.5mm to RCA splitter -> passive pre-amp -> active speakers.
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. The docking station has a single 3.5mm output which I think duplicates the laptop’s 3.5mm headphone socket. I sometimes like to play music from my laptop (a Thinkpad X230) when it sits on my desk in a docking station.
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