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Old 08-28-2020, 10:42 AM   #1
tahnoon19
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Angry Weird static noise in headset on Ubuntu 20.04


After updating to Ubuntu 20.04, there's always a very low volume static noise that keeps coming and going on my in-ear headset when my laptop is charging. The noise is not noticeable when something is playing but it's driving me crazy. I tried almost all the solutions I could find and nothing worked.

This problem is only present in Ubuntu and goes away when I boot into Windows 10. I am using Dell Inspiron 15 7547. Can anyone help?
 
Old 08-29-2020, 03:38 AM   #2
ondoho
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Troubleshoot pulseaudio, I'd say.
Start by opening the mixer and make sure that microphone and other Line IN or Capture channels are muted.
 
Old 08-29-2020, 12:33 PM   #3
tahnoon19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ondoho View Post
Troubleshoot pulseaudio, I'd say.
Start by opening the mixer and make sure that microphone and other Line IN or Capture channels are muted.
I very little idea about sound systems but I did try muting sound inputs.
I also tried disabling loopback and setting headphone mic boost to 10dB as suggested but nothing worked.

Also note that the problem goes away when the laptop is not charging.

Last edited by tahnoon19; 08-29-2020 at 12:42 PM.
 
Old 08-29-2020, 02:01 PM   #4
uteck
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SInce it is not present in Windows makes me wonder if it is doing some noise cancelling. A quick search turned up this link to enable noise cancelling in Ubuntu; https://www.informaticar.net/enable-...ion-in-ubuntu/

Also found this link about a static hiss fix:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1066...-playing-sound

And this link for an audio powersave option to stop the hiss:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/4579...ound-is-played
 
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Old 08-29-2020, 04:26 PM   #5
tahnoon19
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Unhappy

Quote:
Originally Posted by uteck View Post
SInce it is not present in Windows makes me wonder if it is doing some noise cancelling. A quick search turned up this link to enable noise cancelling in Ubuntu; https://www.informaticar.net/enable-...ion-in-ubuntu/

Also found this link about a static hiss fix:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1066...-playing-sound

And this link for an audio powersave option to stop the hiss:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/4579...ound-is-played
Doing the noise cancellation turned of my output sound and selecting headphones as output device froze my screen for some time.

Entering "pulseaudio -k" helped reducing the sound a little.

But anyway, Turns out the noise happens in windows too. Although it is still very hard to notice and I only did so after focusing hard in a very silent environment.
So, I am suspecting electricity leakage or faulty charger/laptop.
Thanks everyone who tried to help and I am sorry for wasting your time.
 
Old 08-29-2020, 07:49 PM   #6
frankbell
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Helping someone troubleshoot a problem is never a waste of time. One learns stuff along the way.

Just from my own curiosity, have you tested with a different headset/external speakers just to confirm that the problem is within the computer?
 
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Old 08-30-2020, 07:26 AM   #7
tahnoon19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankbell View Post
Helping someone troubleshoot a problem is never a waste of time. One learns stuff along the way.

Just from my own curiosity, have you tested with a different headset/external speakers just to confirm that the problem is within the computer?
Thank you and yes I tried that.
 
Old 10-03-2020, 07:06 AM   #8
kgsw.de
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Had same problem after update from Ubuntu 18.04 LTS to 20.04 LTS - random crackings, popping noise, sometimes when moving or clicking the mouse, but also just by chance.
Found hints that Ubuntu is now using power safe features?
-- but on "askubuntu" which I currently cannot paste ("You cannot post URLs to other sites") -- so I will quote

(i.e. switching devices/audio back on will make that cracking, like when you plug in a speaker or headset)

Quote:
Verify how is your sound card's power_save parameter:
cat /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save

If it returns 1, do the following to change it temporally:
echo "0" | sudo tee /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save
So you can try and test, it that's the right way for a solution - for me it was - but still investigating

BRs kg
 
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Old 10-08-2020, 09:40 AM   #9
tahnoon19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kgsw.de View Post
Had same problem after update from Ubuntu 18.04 LTS to 20.04 LTS - random crackings, popping noise, sometimes when moving or clicking the mouse, but also just by chance.
Found hints that Ubuntu is now using power safe features?
-- but on "askubuntu" which I currently cannot paste ("You cannot post URLs to other sites") -- so I will quote

(i.e. switching devices/audio back on will make that cracking, like when you plug in a speaker or headset)



So you can try and test, it that's the right way for a solution - for me it was - but still investigating

BRs kg

Thank you for sharing this but i'm afraid that was not the problem for me. my problem is with the hardware/power supply.
 
Old 10-09-2020, 04:41 AM   #10
kgsw.de
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Have you tested if your power_save parameter is 1 i.e. on,
and have you tested to switch it off temporarily (until next boot, but can also be changed permanently), if that changes the situation?

A difference, even in intense, Win/Ubuntu and after update to 20.04 looks like different driver usage or handling by different systems and change in Ubuntu 20.04 which more user stated (from which version before?)

"not charging" - when you unplug the charger or when the battery reached 100% and still connected to mains, or both?
Is your laptop always connected to the power adapter and it charges only by chance,
or do you only plug it into mains and adapter for charging, and then the noise happens?
So would the noise go away again, if you unplug the power connector from the laptop.

Does moving the way of the cables or changing positions of the components (powersupply, head/headphones, laptop) to each other make a difference?
Do you use other power devices, power adaptors for phones, network switch and other equipment, even a powerline LAN adapter -- try a single outlet for your laptop charger, unplugging other "unnescessary" devices from circuits in the surroundings?

If you think, it's the power adapter - have you tried another?
- do you use an original one or just a kind of universal switching supply with the right plug?
- so you may try another, borrowed from a friend, from a shop or school nearby,
- or trying another cheep(er) universal (eg. a car adapter) you may buy or an original but second hand/refurbrished one?
- see DELL part numbers for matching supplies (often short letters/digits-mix) you may enter your laptop's "service tag" from the back side, often hard to read (use photo), under dell.com > support > product support - which may also give you other hints and updates, e.g. BIOS?!
-- but I would suggest doing a more systematically repetitive testing.

Is your headset connected by cable / stereo plug - or by bluetooth - or by another, eg. proprietary radio (device with USB or stereo plug to wireless headset?) - which all may interfere somehow.
Would the noise go, if you use another (plain, plugged in) headset?

For me, I have tried the cinnamon-desktop-environment which also changed the situation for me successfully!
(via $ sudo apt install cinnamon, e.g. itsfoss.com/install-cinnamon-on-ubuntu) - which can be switched to and forth from the login screen's setting button
 
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Old 10-16-2020, 11:35 AM   #11
tahnoon19
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@kgsw.de

I am using wired in-ear headphones.

I just hopped on to Debian KDE yesterday and I used Kubuntu last month. the problem existed in both.
I checked echo $power_save and got an empty output.

My laptop is almost always connected to the adapter but yes I did try plugging it in/out in various battery level and the noise always disappears when it's plugged out of main.

Another thing I noticed is that when I touch the laptop body, the noise kind of goes down or sometimes almost goes away. So I believe somehow the current is leaking out and that's the culprit.
I was going to take it to a shop to properly test it but I just could not find the time for it.

I am also suspecting that it might be something to do with the electricity system of the apartment. Because a few years ago I was using a desktop, and whenever I was touched the metal part of the CPU case, it gave me a shock. I just covered the case up and moved on.

Last edited by tahnoon19; 10-16-2020 at 11:37 AM. Reason: forgot the $
 
Old 10-16-2020, 03:00 PM   #12
ondoho
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tahnoon19 View Post
Another thing I noticed is that when I touch the laptop body, the noise kind of goes down or sometimes almost goes away. So I believe somehow the current is leaking out and that's the culprit.
No, it's a grounding problem.
With the laptop itself, or its power supply, or the phones, or the point where they connect.
 
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Old 10-16-2020, 04:38 PM   #13
tahnoon19
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@ondoho

How can I fix this?
 
Old 10-17-2020, 12:18 AM   #14
kgsw.de
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a) it was $ cat /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save
to print the content of a config file -- not an (empty while non-existing?) environment variable
==> still not tested?

b) grounding

b1) @ondoho: that kind of "ground loop" will only happen if you have an external analog inbound signal (eg. recording from phono, disk player, walkman) to a kind of amplifier,
occuring between two analog devices,
between the source of analog (audio) signal and a analog amplifier (connected to loudspeakers or headset)
- I would assume that here it is the audio output (headphone jack) of the laptop, like for playing digital mp3 watching digital video/audio file


b2) the human body works both, as antenna for parasitic signals (= source of noise), and as drain to ground - that's why you should avoid touching bare live leads (wires) - but this can also attenuate, reduce other (unwanted) signals, especially, if there is no correct system ground and shielding.

b3) grounding & appartment: that really sounds bad!
- like an open, missing, broken wire, lost connection in a plug, cable, or outlet, which should be the return-to-ground for all and other devices plugged in, and resulting in a floating ground line (and your body connects the residual currents to ground if you touch any metal chassis) - so the former PC may have been correctly grounded but to a defunct ground wire) - this can also be a problem with a Residual Current operated Circuit-Breaker (RCD; defect or loose wire?)
- meaning the protection for humans will catastrophically fail -
and if so, this should get repaired ASAP! best: "yesterday!" -- can only be tested by professional electrician (test equipment & repair)!

Some houses and regions still have different power supply systems, like neutral = earth (no "protective-earth", no RCD) - then also the neutral wire may float...

b4) grounding & power supply: today, most types are "switching power supplies", which show a huge inrush current (and often destructive to high-side switches / circuit breakers) and other side effects -- and they are applied with PFCs and Y-capacitors between Live/Neutral to Protective Earth (Ground wire) - and some even use NTCs in a "cheap way" without fuses, which also may break...
-- if such a component becomes too old, worn off, this may also look like a bad installation, leaking unwanted voltages to ground - and bringing unwanted "noise" from anywhere into your device
==> have you tried another and best an alternative power supply? (and it's cheaper than a worker on-site?)
==> have you tried to avoid other devices (which may inject that noise and other currents to ground)

c) it is possible, that you hear mice and rats (like having "fleas and lice") - meaning, you are now sensible, but you may sense two different issues?

! please try systematically
 
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Old 11-05-2020, 12:39 PM   #15
tahnoon19
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I went to the repair shop and the static noise was gone. It came back after I plugged my laptop in my apartment. So, I guess I am done with this crap and buying a wireless headsets.
Thanks to everyone who spent their valuable time to help me.
 
  


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