PCMCIA digital optical sound card

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

A PC Card (and that is the correct terminology, "PCMCIA" should no
longer be used) is not the answer.

What you want is an external USB sound card. That should solve your
problem. Several firms make them, Creative has several models, from
about $40 to about $200.


Josh Walrath wrote:

> Currently I am using a 1 year old laptop to play music to my home theater
> system. When I am running on battery power, I get a perfect signal to the
> receiver. However, when I plug the laptop into the wall I get a low pitch
> hum through all the speakers. I have researched the problem extensively but
> even when the audio cable is far away from any power cable (including all my
> speaker wires to and from the receiver, I still get the hum). I was
> thinking that if I had an optical connection from my laptop to the receiver
> I wouldn't get any feedback. Problem is, does anyone make a PCMCIA
> soundcard with an optical output or perhaps even a digital shielded coaxil
> output? I have read other newsgroups with links for cheaper USB soundcards
> with optical output but they have been dead ends. If anyone has any ideas
> or knows where I could find what I am looking for it would greatly help.
>
> Josh
>
>
>
>
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Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

You might look at RMEs Hmaerfall DSP series of cards:
http://www.rme-audio.com but that might be a bit of an overkill for your
needs.

Yor problem sounds like ground loop that can be solved by disconecting the
ground conection of notebooks power cable (a lot of people who use notebooks
for music production do this).


"Josh Walrath" <puckdrop87@cbcast.com> wrote in message
news:40b6a065$1_3@corp.newsgroups.com...
> Currently I am using a 1 year old laptop to play music to my home theater
> system. When I am running on battery power, I get a perfect signal to the
> receiver. However, when I plug the laptop into the wall I get a low pitch
> hum through all the speakers. I have researched the problem extensively
but
> even when the audio cable is far away from any power cable (including all
my
> speaker wires to and from the receiver, I still get the hum). I was
> thinking that if I had an optical connection from my laptop to the
receiver
> I wouldn't get any feedback. Problem is, does anyone make a PCMCIA
> soundcard with an optical output or perhaps even a digital shielded coaxil
> output? I have read other newsgroups with links for cheaper USB
soundcards
> with optical output but they have been dead ends. If anyone has any ideas
> or knows where I could find what I am looking for it would greatly help.
>
> Josh
>
>
>
>
> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Hum is usually caused by a ground loop. An opto-isolator would solve this
but a cheaper solution woud be an isolation transformer on the audio lines.
Radio Shack used to carry one. Sometimes, just disconnecting the shield lead
on the laptop audio out will work.
Terry

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:40B8A4C3.2070100@neo.rr.com...
> They are not magnets, they are ferrite beads, which act like chokes
> (large inductors). They may or may not stop the noise that he is
> seeing, they are primarily effective against HIGH frequency emissions
> rather than aginst what sounds like 60Hz "hum", but it's worth a try.
>
>
> AndrewJ wrote:
>
> >
> >>Currently I am using a 1 year old laptop to play music to my home
theater
> >>system. When I am running on battery power, I get a perfect signal to
the
> >>receiver. However, when I plug the laptop into the wall I get a low
pitch
> >>hum through all the speakers. I have researched the problem extensively
but
> >>even when the audio cable is far away from any power cable (including
all my
> >>speaker wires to and from the receiver, I still get the hum). I was
> >>thinking that if I had an optical connection from my laptop to the
receiver
> >>I wouldn't get any feedback. Problem is, does anyone make a PCMCIA
> >>soundcard with an optical output or perhaps even a digital shielded
coaxil
> >>output? I have read other newsgroups with links for cheaper USB
soundcards
> >>with optical output but they have been dead ends. If anyone has any
ideas
> >>or knows where I could find what I am looking for it would greatly help.
> >>
> >>Josh
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > There are ring magnets that will stop that hum. They clamp over the
> > power cable right before the plug goes into the notebook. I have over
> > a dozen video and sound cables that all came with these magets.
>