Re: Background noise with sound off

"Gustaf" <gustafl@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:1139879857.467473.145830@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is an HP Pavilion ZE2372EA laptop, with WinXP SP2.

I hear a clearly audible background noise (white noise), even though
I've checked the "Mute all" checkbox in Volume Control. If I turn up
the volume, there's more noise, but my guess is that this noise is the
usual noise you'd expect to hear when you push the volume up high, and
the noise I hear constantly comes from another source. Because I hear
the noise even before Windows has started, or when I'm in the BIOS
setup. I wonder if this problem is really connected to (or can be
solved from) Windows at all. Shall I look elsewhere for a solution, and
if so, where? There are no sound card settings in the BIOS, and I got
the latest drivers.


Adjust the volume level in the mixer control so WAV is at mid-level and so is the master volume control. Then adjust the volume control on your speakers down from their max setting. The problem is with the noise in the speakers because you probably have *their* gain (volume) set to max. That is why you are hearing the noise before Windows is even loaded. By setting the mixer levels at midpoint and then putting the speaker volume at what would be considered normal listening levels you get the proper range of software volume control. Alternatively, you could set the software mixer levels at maximum and then adjust the speaker volume controls (while listening to a "loud" music CD) to whatever you consider is the loudest level that want to hear from them, then readjust the software mixer to what you consider normal volume levels. It is unlikely that you want the noise and distortion that is present when both speaker and mixer volumes are set to max.

For example, with my speakers, I know from experimentation that rotating their volume knob to the max position and then reducing by 10 indents sets them to a gain level that is devoid of noise and gives me the proper sound level when the mixer is set to midpoint to give me what I consider a proper volume for listening to music CDs. If I occasionally want the volume up, so I raise the mixer/software volume levels but don't touch the speaker volume control. I've already set the mixer levels up to their highest slider positions and then set the speaker volume control at the max volume level that is comfortable for me to listen to for extended durations (at that means the speaker volume control is not at its max setting). I then move the mixer sliders down to more normal listening levels.

It is possible that even with speaker volume controls set to less then their max settings and with reduced mixer slider settings that you still get the white noise. Have you tried using better speakers cables (that have a shield) than some cheapie 2-wire lamp cord wire? Then it is a problem with your sound card, especially if using onboard audio, or with a cheap set of speakers, or both. It is easier to get a better set of speakers to check if the noise goes away (with mixer sliders at max and by reducing the speaker volume control to less than max). Otherwise, the problem is with your sound card or onboard audio. However, if it is not white noise but a buzz then you probably need better cables or need to move away transformers, like the kind at the end of power plug, away from your computer or speakers. If you have speakers anywhere near your computer, and especially near the monitor, you obviously should be using *shielded* speakers (and the cord needs to be properly shielded and have a good ground connection on both ends).

If you have no volume/gain control on your speakers, or setting them on their lowest gain level where the noise is still present, and because you are hearing the noise with no OS loaded, you have cheap speakers or low-grade amplifier(s) within and you need to get some where you can control their volume, or you need better cables, or you have noisy electronics nearby, or you have noisy power coming in (and need to filter it), or you have a low-end consumer-grade computer with a cheapie sound card or audio circuit. Just walk over to your stereo system and set its Treble slider all the way up and then crank up the volume (while NOT playing from any source) and you'll hear the white noise from your stereo speakers, too (unless you have very inefficient or dull speakers or very good amplifiers with noise cancellation on the inputs).

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