Headphone background noise, distorted audio, and wailing.

[Nex]

The strangest thing just occured and I'm not sure what to make of it. While I was playing CSGO, my headphones starting picking up strange background humming. I had heard it before, but this time it was louder than before and I could hear it clearly at all times.

When I went back to the main menu, the audio became seriously distorted. The background music practically sounded 8-bit. I decided to reset the game.

When I exited to the main menu my headphones started emitting a single constant beep. The only way to describe it was like a siren wailing. It got contrinously louder until I unplugged the orange cable from my sound card. (I'm using a 5.1 Headset with analog jacks, I don't remember which cable the orange one is.)

My headphones are a CM Storm Sirus 5.1
Is this a problem with my headphones or my soundcard? I tried plugging it back in but the same thing happened.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I just plugged in my stereo speakers and the exact same thing happened.

[MrMcSwifty]

If it's doing it through your speakers too, it's the sound card. Out of curiosity, is this an add-on sound card, or built into the motherboard? If it's an addon you might want to open up your case and just wiggle it in the slot a bit and see if that helps.

Coincidentally, I just went through a very similar situation about a week ago with my Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic. I had opened up my PC to clean the dust out, and when I booted it back up I didn't have any sound. If I tried to change the volume settings, or open the control panel, I got a message that there was no sound card detected. Reseated the sound card, and everything seemed fine for a bit.

Then, usually in between boots, Windows would suddenly stop detecting the sound card again. Sometimes I would have really low, distorted sound; other times none at all, but in either case if I tried to change any sound settings it kept saying there was no card detected. (or in the case of dual-booting into WinXP, just resulted in blue screen, and infinite boot loop)

Went on like this for a few days until finally Windows started to "lose connection" with the sound card unexpectedly, even while running, and I ended up getting exactly what you described. Really distorted sound, ear-piercing feedback noise, humming, etc etc. This would come on suddenly and without warning any time the PC was running (think I might actually be partly deaf now because of it, lol)

Anyways, long story slightly shorter... I ordered a new one off of ebay and the problem hasn't returned. In 20+ years of PC gaming I've never had a sound card fail prior to this one, but I guess there's a first for everything!

Sorry for the wall of text. TLDR; cleaned my PC, shorted out my sound card, got the same symptoms you describe, fixed with a new card.

[_I_]

sounds like a ground loop issue
60hz humm

make sure your pc and moniotr and other accessories are on the same outlet/circuit breaker

[Nex]

Well after resetting my computer it stopped. It is an addon card but its only a few weeks old, because my motherboard's card had issues. I'll wait to see if it occurs again. Might have just been a one time freak but thanks for your advice. I'll keep them in mind if it happens again.

[MrMcSwifty]

What issues did you have with your onboard sound? If you're consistently having feedback problems with multiple audio devices then what _I_ suggested above might be more likely.

[Nex]

Some slight crackling audio. I bought a new Sound Blaster a few weeks ago and put it in. Problem solved.