HDD use + front panel audio = static noise

I hAVE a ANTEC 900 and a X-FI extremeGamer sound card and the front panel STILl sucks (full of static) its like that for both the Sound card and onboard audio >_> such T_T tell me how to FIX T_T!!!!!!!!!!!

okay im so sorry icewolf69 T_T im stealing ur blog coz i dont noe how to start one T_T , but hey mine i dont think has anything to do with the HDD >_> it just static >_> for some reason :S i hate it >_> i need to use the front panel as i have multiple headphone getting to the back is a pain >_>

Well i don't know if *any* case has quality wiring these days. they're all made in malyasia and china, and let's face it, these companies are trying to make money and will cut corners when they can. you can tell that just by noticing that your front panel cable is JUST long enough to get to your audio input. I'd like to wire it behind the mobo, but that's not going to happen.

My case is a silverstone TJ-09 though. and for the price i paid for it, i would think that's about as "quality" as i'm going to get.

hi guys, old thread i know but I have spent most of the afternoon trying to solve similar issues, so i thought I'd share some knowledge

obviously the problem lies with EM interference, and i found a post on another forum (link lost: i powered down to try it!) saying that (particularly for antec cases) the problem is caused by the front USB and AUDIO headers sharing a ground connection, hence i set to work decoupling them.

the following applies to an Antec 300 (and probably all other antecs and many other cases):

1. take front panel off (plastic bit, clipped on with plastic hooky clips)

2. locate plastic block containing connectors, unscrew, and prize lid off with a small electronics screwdriver or similar (I started with a plectrum)

3. under the headphone socket there was a black earth wire which looped under the mic jack and was soldered onto the back of the USB port on the left, I snipped it as close as possible to the USB end, leaving me around 1½" slack wire to play with

4. cut/filed a groove in the edge of the plastic box to allow the cable to pass outside

5. as i screwed the box back in I caught the wire between the plastic block and front panel, such that the splayed ends of the wire touched against the bare metal of the case chassis.

thats it!! careless wire stripping left me with only 4 strands of wire exposed, which doesn't provide an ideal contact, but it has still eliminated ALMOST all of the noise (I'd say it's around a 75% reduction), but i think to do any better it may be useful to wrap the wire as Hunter suggests

If anyone wants to try this, but is unconfident, I took a few photos for a pictorial but haven't uploaded them yet, if you want them, let me know!

Add me to the list of Antec owners with static ridden front panel audio. I'm really glad I googled the problem cos for the life of me I couldn't figure out what was going on. I was also curious about why the static (which in my case isn't just static, but a sort of low volume high pitch whine as an accompaniment) seemed to fluctuate and change constantly. Interesting to hear the OP's comments regarding his HDD interfering and causing it. Based on what I've read it's definitely interference of some sort. So it wouldn't surprise me. At least can evidently be eliminated.

Zhemin - this is the first page I've visited since I started searching about the problem a few minutes ago, but I'll be hunting down a solution one or another. I'll keep this thread updated when I find the simplest, most user friendly and idiot proof way to get it done.

It's a shame Antec didn't do a little more R&D on this. In the few searches I've done it looks like a large number of people have this issue. Mostly 900 owners, but it obviously effects their other models like my 100. Surely Antec should have picked up this flaw during R&D.

Just to add - I've just experienced this issue - affected both my speakers and my headphones coming from and Auzentech Forte. Even switching to digital out there was still this drumming static noise.

My case is also an Antec but a P182.

Tracked down the source (after moving mobile phones away and unplugging virtually ever single cable!) - my microphone default had switched to the front panel choice, which was producing the static. Nothing was plugged in but you could see the noise level moving in time on the Sound panel.

Just selecting the back panel mic eliminated the problem immediately. Funnily enough, after going back to the front panel moments later, the noise had disappeared. But the cause really was the front panel mic.

No idea if the Antec wiring is sub par or what but hope this helps...

I know this is an old thread, but it is the first result that pops up when searching Google for "front headphone static noise", so it is likely that people will come here looking for a solution...

I had the exact same problem as icewolf69. Reading through this thread I saw the post from rxracer and that gave me an idea. Although I don't have an Antec case (I have a Sharkoon), the headphone connector is mounted on the same circuitboard as the front USB ports.
So I made two small modifications by cutting (scratching) the circuitboard so that the ground connectors of the USB ports were no longer connected to the headphone ground pin. And that solved the problem. I've made a photo to show what I did (look at the two blue arrows).