VOGONS

CD-ROM Audio cables and how to manage them for least interference

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First post, by appiah4

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This is an issue I have with mostly Socket 7 and earlier boards - whenever there is a CD-ROM audio cable in the case in these builds, it becomes a huge antenna for all kinds of strange static and noise. I'm experimenting with different routing options and I've found they actually change the way the noise behaves. Honestly, I would have thought the power cables from the PSU would be the worst offender but actually being routed near the motherboard seems to pick up the most static. What are your experiences with this nuisance and how do you manage it?

And please don't say "shielded cables" because in all my years of tinkering with PCs I have ever seen only one such thing, all the rest were regular, crappy grey cables..

Reply 1 of 1, by Tiido

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You run the cable as close as possible to the case while being as far away from motherboard and any cards attached to it, this will help to reduce problems. There are two general ways to run the cable but I usually run the cable toward PSU (which is shielded and thus not a problem) and then to the area above expansion cards and then to the sound card which is in bottommost slot. Other way is doing the same but toward the front of the case.

Competent sound card has a pseudo-differential / ground cancelling input for CD so that there wouldn't be these sort of noises picked up. Creative cards are one of the few that do this part right, most others do not since it requres an extra opamp and small amount of passives to do.

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