Very peculiar issue

[spuddyt]

Yes I know this is the wrong section.
I have creative inspire T3100 speakers and have recently started having a very peculiar issue. The speakers have a side headphone port, to avoid me having to bend over and plug them directly into the back of my computer. Recently though, when I plug in headphones to that slot, I start hearing cracking noises, like mini lightning/loose connection sounds, which appear to be independant of the actual volume of the speakers (but the sounds come from both speakers) - this is not something I can understand, particularly as it appears the speakers work fine normally.

If you know this is the wrong section, why post it here?
Anandtech Moderator
Gillbot

 

[Beanie46]

Since your speakers are working fine, one can assume the problem lies downstream of the computer/speaker connection.

So, eliminate the headphones as a problem by plugging them into the proper port on your computer. This will show you that the 'phones are either working properly, as is its wiring, plug, etc., or they are the problem.

If the 'phones work when plugged in directly to your sound card's output, but still crackle when plugged into your speakers' output, the problem is then in the output of the speakers. Could be an internal wiring fault or more probably it's gotten a bit of dirt/trash inside. Circuit cleaner spray may help....spray short bursts into hole.