Interesting discovery about headjack noise.

This applies to the Vostro 1400...

A friend of mine got a couple of Vostro 1400s. One of them had the dreaded headjack noise and other did not.

Out of curiosity, we decided to disect the two to see what maybe cause the noise, if there were different rev boards or somethings else...

We took them apart and the they both had the same Rev boards. Puzzling. We then started to swap parts back and forth to see what may cause the noise.

We finally found it..... it's the DAMN CASING. That's right, the casing. Both our boards had headjack noise in THIS particular casing but when we moved the boards to the other casing, no noise. We also moved over headjacks, cabling to both casing but for some reason, when every we used the "defective" casing, we got the noise (and it was just the bottom half of the casing where the board sits).

So not sure what to make of this..... it wasn't the baords or hard drives or processors...but the casing that solved the issue...

Thought I'd post this.

 

..............sounds like a shielding issue....or not

might have something to do with switching to magnesium bases.

 

That would be hilarious if Dell didn't figure this out, after all the time wasted trying "BIOS" fixes and different revisions of motherboards.

 

It happens, you'd be surprised how many problems car companies leave to mechanics to figure out for the because they cant.

I am interested in this solution. Could you notice any physical differences in the case? I'm wondering if it would be possible for us who have this problem to add some electrical tape in the said area to fix the problem.

 

dying to know more about this...

 

I wonder how much money they spent on R & D to fix this issue..
I wonder how much of that money was figured into the cost of my vostro...

 

You know, it's scary but I think that it does have something to do with the physical connection.

I made a post a while back about how I had no headphone noise one day. Well, that same day, all I did is twist the headphone plug in the jack slightly, and the noise came back, and I haven't been able to get it back to the non-noisy state no matter how many ways I try moving the plug around. It's really weird.

 

so any idea for a solution? it doesnt matter for me much since i use USB headphones but id still like to get it fixed without bothering dell. I already called them enough....

 

Doesn't the Inspiron 1520 share the headphone issue? Do they use the same casing as their respective sized Vostros? I thought Vostros were made from a different material, presumably making it "tougher"? Or are Vostros simply Inspirons without the color options and some slight differences in configurations?

 

They are identical materials. They just get sent to two different paint sprayers

 

more info pls, the only thing that i complain about my inspiron is the noise ( i am used to it already but i am rather interested to get it fixed! )

 

I lol'd when I read that.

 

Well, those are also supposedly for the CPU whine, as well... which is really annoying the crap out of me -right this moment- .

 

I think some electrical tape might fix this issue myself. What interests me more is when the sound is actually occurring. Is the sound card on all the time? Has anyone tried turning it off in the BIOS?

I noticed while in command mode (like running scandisk) or diagnostic mode, the noise is not audible.

 

I think you should contact dell tech support with this information... if you have actually found the cause of all this issue you might be in for a noble prize or something (haha)

No but really, give them a call or send them an email, you might not even realize the amount of people you could be helping if you actually found the fix.

 

where could i put the tape to attempt to solve the issue?

 

Want me to share my input on this issue?

My notebook arrived - one of the first batch they released most likely due to me orderings on day of release. It had zero problems, besides for a weird click in the hinges, that was resolved quickly myself requesting new ones 10 minute repair job.

Now I'm a clean freak so I rip apart all and any machine I own and clean it right down to every microchip and weld on every component. I was a bit werry of playing around and rearranging some things because it was new and only owned it for a month at the time. After putting it back together, I booted it up and put on my headphones, was gonna listen to some music and work. That's when I started getting this high pitched whinnying sound with crackling and clicks when I had no music/sound playing. It was aggravating because my old custom desktop did this and I hated it.

I put up with it for a few days anyways.. But I got a day off work and figured "to hell with it.. time to do some hackin", then ripped the machine down.

Heres what I noticed once removing the mobo, audio plugs, modem cards and such. They have the cables taped down to the casing (bottom part). None of the wires are sitting in the guidelines. They got tiny little lines sticking up a bit and they follow to where the wires go but NONE of the wires are sitting inside them.

So I ripped the tape off positioned the wires properly reused the tape. After repositioned the IR, Sound, Modem and Speaker wires in their proper position INSIDE the guidelines. I started putting the mobo and such back in. Make sure every component I put in, was 100% perfect where it should have been.

Booted up the machine..and no more noise. I'm still not 100% sure what exactly triggered it but after repositioned - all - the cables in the guidelines the noise doesn't exist anymore.

I've posted my story before but no one really paid any attention to me.

I'm 100% backing the OP here because I randomly got the problem one day then resolved it.

I'm about to gut my machine in an hour or so because my eff'n screen replacement kit should be here today. Damn random ass dead pixels. I'll take pictures and such.

 

Take pictures of the cables. Circle where they were and where they're supposed to go. Also, double-check for areas of metal touching metal (such as weld spots that might be touching the case) and try to circle those.

I can hear the noise coming out of my speakers sitting 3' away from it.

 

I was thinking perhaps it was wiring placement that was interfering with other signals. I know my cellphone interferes with my amplified speakers and clock radio during calls.

That sounds great B. Are there any online guides to taking apart the Inspiron/Vostro that a novice could follow? I've never had the need to open up a laptop but this time seems as good as any (assuming if I return it to Dell techs, they wouldn't reposition the wiring anyway). I assume it's simply a matter of popping off plastic panels and undoing screws?

 

Yep, a guide for rookies on how to solve this issue would be absolutely AWESOME...

opening up a case and moving some wires shoudlnt have to be so hard, but we still need someone very experienced with this to write a guide or something.

lets keep up this post !!

 

we're counting on your B!!!

 

Interesting, I have the same issue on my Vostro 1500 and I'm waiting for the fabled call back to get news of the new motherboards. I would think that Dell should know of this problem at least potentially anyway. I have the same issue on my old desktop machine too so I don't want to just live with it on a brand new notebook.
So are these cable guides actually built into the casing material? Is there any insulation material between the MB and the magnesium case?

Look forward to extra info on this one.

 

Hey all,

I didn't get to rip my notebook apart for pictures because my replacement screen kit came today. Go'figure they send me a ugly, far more grainy Samsung matte screen. God it was so bad I threw up looking at it. They got a nice glossy LG coming now. Apparently the dispatch people just grabbed a box and thought it was glossy. the way the rep talked the guy was gonna get the newspaper to the nose or something lol. But I took pictures and was gonna do a walk through on replace the screen but eff it. I'll do one on this wire issue, I don't think it'll solve everyones problem but it solved mine so worth a shot right?

No theres no shielding panels/plates/mesh or anything between the motherboard or wires.

To explain this is how it's all laid out.

Think of the magnisum chassis bottom. Theres little risers where the screws go in, that's where the motherboard sits. So basically the motherboard sites roughly, half your fingers height from the magnisum chassi. The cables run directly under it. The cables have a plastic coating and that's about it.

On the magnisum chassis bottom theres tiny indents where the tape should be, go figure half the places on my machine the tape wasn't where it should have been. Then tiny little walls that stick out where the wires should run. Again, wires not entirely where they should be.

I've heard people mention they can hear the static change and get louder and such by hard drive activity and when they use the touchpad and click. Shockingly, where all the cables hook up and what they run by are those exact components.

So considering that's two people now that have discovered it's the casing/wiring and not motherboards and such I think we're safe to say we're hitting the nail on the head here.

I'll right up a guide, as a matter of fact, I guess I'll rip my laptop apart now. I can't promise I'll do it with time constraints, but I'll try and toss it up tonight.

Heres hoping it solves at least a few peoples troubles or I'm gonna look and feel like a moron.

 

do it right now.

 

You (and the OP!) are pretty much amazing.

 

w0w0w0w

i would laugh if you guys actually did fix the prob then call up dell or something

mannnn dell management would be killing all the guys on the factory floor.

 

i'm half tempted to pull apart my Vostro 1400 at the moment and see whats inside mine as well...

cept I'm a little weary because i've never ripped open a notebook before...

 

LMFAO.. We better patent the fix, and sell it to Dell at an outrageous price. That or free notebooks once a year to every NBR member or something. Frig that would rock..

I just finished ripping my laptop apart, and putting it back together. Took plenty of pictures. From start to finish on taking it apart. That only took 3 - 4 hours (40+ pictures..yikes).

Testing for any sign of the noise. So far, zero noise from the speakers, cranked up. In the headphones zero, I do hear an extremely faint 'wah' sound every so often but after asking 5 other people in the house if they hear it they just look at me like I'm some jerk off or something. It's over 98.9% better then my old desktops whine was. It was brutal, you could hear it in the speakers and headphones, from across the room. Stupid Gigabyte mobo.

I also noticed near where the jack plugs into the mobo then runs off to the other things, the mobo is pinching it - so I don't think I'd consider that all to great of a thing.

Another thing.. The WiFi catchers cable, and headphone jacks cable are shielded together by a plastic cover. Then split apart. Last time I checked, WiFi runs at 2.4Ghz, that's an unregulated frequency. God knows what garbage that little bastard is picking up and feeding through the cable. The WiFi catchers cable is unshielded inside that plastic cover too, with the headphone jacks wires. Although the headphone jacks cables appear shielded inside the plastic cover by a metallic cover as well.

Aha..I think that WiFi catcher is contributing, or the metallic cover is - opinions?

Do I dare rip that plastic cover off and separate the WiFi Catcher feed and Headphone jack feed?

Didn't help matters any that the mobo's grounds weren't all touching the bottom of the case either.

FYI - I'm speaking completely from the 1520/1500. I'd have to look at the 14" models to be 100% sure what the issue might be. Then again God knows if I'll be able to track the issue down, I'm no scientist.

 

GOD DAMNIT .. Why didn't I think of the WiFi when I had the machine open... lol My screws are gonna be stripped from taking this thing apart so much lmfao.

 

So... I talked to Dell about this about a week ago. I made a huge fuss and after being transfered to the manager, I was informed that there was a fix coming "on or after December 17th" and that I had to wait. I hung up angry and called back the next day.

This time I talked to someone who insisted that I should have the motherboard replaced. I made another large fuss and got transferred to the manager and she spent about an hour and a half or 2 on the phone with me trying to provide me with proof that this time replacing the motherboard would work, because they had a new shipment of motherboards that would fix the problem. She referred me to 2 different "CONFIDENTIAL DO NOT SHARE" articles and emailed me some stuff that seemed to imply that the issue was updated and starting December 3rd the new motherboards would fix the issue and that they would send me a box to send them my Inspiron in. They also scheduled a callback for once I had my laptop back to "check to make sure that I was not having the problem anymore"

The box arrived today and I was having second thoughts, so first I called to check that I could make sure that they could send it back to me at a different address, since I will be home after my last final on saturday. This guy seemed to be having a bit of trouble with basic english sentences and grammar structure, so after sorting out the delivery issues (he told me to write my name and new address on a piece of paper and put it in the laptop before I packed it, which seemed totally sketch), I asked if they could guarantee me that this would fix the issue, and after exchanging the same lines over and over again he eventually transferred me to his manager.

I made a fuss about how people have been sending in Inspirons for months and there really isnt a single documented case of replacing the motherboard fixing the issue, and that I wasnt willing to send them my computer and wait a week or more for them to send it back if it was going to have the same issue. He eventually said that after replacing the motherboard that they would check to make sure the headphone jack issue wasnt present because there was no point in sending people back a system with the same problem. I said "that's a nice idea, but Dell has been doing it for months" and I basically just kept saying that I wanted it in writing from Dell that this issue wouldnt be a problem when it was sent back to me. He told me that he was sending me an email with a case# that I could refer to, and that it has our call recorded with them assuring me that the problem would be checked for before they sent it back to me.



I felt like that was as good as I was going to get, and I was planning on dropping at the mail center to have it picked up tomorrow. This thread made me reluctant though....

I mean, given the steps I've taken, what happens if they send it back to me and it has the same issues?

 

lmfao brutal bro brutal..

I've been stubborn and a tough ass to tech support many times. I wouldn't blame you for wanting in writing.

Seems pretty convenient though, hundreds of mobo swop's and such, but this one time they have a 'sudden fix'. BASTARDS RIPPED MY FIX! lmfao..

Seems weird to me they'd go through trouble resolving issues with a system they plan to phase out any time now.

Well I'm half way through writing the guide how to rip the machine apart.

I'm noticed the noise pick up after putting it back together. Time to rip it apart and experiment.

Some how.. I see tin foil being used in the near future. lol

 

Nothing. You're SOL.

The 12/17 thing and the 12/3 thing make me think either one is BS. I'll wait to 12/17 to see what they have planned. Maybe the "fix" is a replacement laptop (in other words, they're discontinuing the 1500 series).

 

That would be fine as long as we all get the replacement laptops. I spent a lot of money and want a machine that works as it should. Don't care if its a slightly different model, as long as it's dealt with. Could be very expensive if Dell decide to replace machines though so I can't see that happening.

 

Yeah I didn't mean they'd hand them out. I meant that they'd be offering the new model as a replacement model in their lineup. Sweep it under the carpet sort of thing.

Now HOPEFULLY that means that whatever they did for the new model can be applied to the old one, but my dime is on we're all SOL.

 

Yeah, wishful thinking on my part 640k

 

lol @ jumping the gun. + rep.

 

Okay, people, I thought I should probably share my story.

I bought a Dell Inspiron 1520 a month ago with the following specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.2 GHz
7200rpm HD, 160 Gigs
2 Gigs of Ram

I start using it, and behold, I get a little whiny high-pitched noise in my headphones when it's plugged into the jack. You can hear it as soon as you log into Windows, but it's fine when you've pressed F8 right after restarting. It's horribly annoying, especially when you're listening to soft music... You hear it in the blanks, and it probably ruins your ears as well.

So I call Dell. The first tech guy goes through with re-installing my drivers, the second one reformats my drive. After four whole hours, I am fed up and tell them that I want out, but they convince me to get the computer exchanged. I get the exchange after they "build" my new computer for a week. (yeah right). When I get the new one, same problem with the sound. The only good thing from this whole experience is that they finally gave me a refund.

People, learn from me, and avoid Dells.

 

No. :SLEEP:

 

hope this works, maybe a recall will happen. Maybe this will be a sticky

 

Sorry for the delay... FINALS ARE OVER!!!!

I still got both laptops.... I guess i'll disect them again and take some pics....

I just found it ODD that it was the casing that made the difference....
I'll have more time with the machines over the weekend without having to worry about finals.

B2theEYO..... Excellent observation and that's EXACTLY what I will do. Pictures will follow of before and after.

I'll need to find a static free environment so I can run the system OUT of the case and observe...

I think we're getting somewhere here.

Also B2theEYO, since you have the 1500/1520 and I have the 1400/1420.....let's work something out. PM me and we can work on this stuff....would really like to come to some sort of a resolution on this.

As far as recall... I don't about that. I think they need better shielded cables.

One can also use something like this http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/DiMarzio-Copper-Shielding-Tape?sku=364741

or plain aluminum foil paper for shield as well....

I can't wait till I get home

 

can't wait for n1ghtmare to make a 1400 guide

 

PROBLEM DISCOVERED!!!!

took out the base totally and low and behold NO NOISE

I took the motherboard out of the Lower Magnesium casing, and powered it up... there is NO HEAD JACK NOISE OF ANY KIND. Clean BLISS!

I'm using my etymotic er6i headphones which are one of the most sensative headphones on the market.... I hear NO NOISE.....

Now all that needs to be done is shielding the base of the unit in which the mobo sits and I should be able to isolate the clicking whining noise..

The wire job on the base looks DIRTY....

 

Is it really possible for Dell to be this incompetent?

I mean, they had to really easy solutions.

1) Send inspiron users with the problem the express X-Fi card

2) Figure out what the real problem was. It cant have been that hard for all of Dell to get to the bottom of it.

 

Well considering 2 average joe users just cracked the issue on the 14" and 15" models. Meanwhile Dell with there millions of dollars and connections, couldn't figure it out. It does make them incompetent. That or they seem to have some trick up there sleeve.

 

Do I really have to take the whole notebook apart to fix it though? Ihope dell has some kind of plan.
n19htmare send that fix into dell.

 

You guys have no idea how stoked I am about this.

 

Success people..

No whine, no crackling, no 'morse code', nothing but pure silence.

Lmfao as I type this on my 1520, it's sitting here without a screw holding it together.

I placed electrical tape all over the head jacks card. All along the bottom, and the top of the screw heads. Punched holes for the screws, then put it in. I also noticed the CPU heat sink runs right over the card, I'm just gonna say that maybe interference can be coming from that to so I placed a bit of tape on the bottom side of the heat sink above the jacks card.

I closed RMClock.. I don't hear a CPU whine either right now.. ROFLMAO

Looks like the 1500/1520 have a fix

 

Solution for the 1400/1420 posted here
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=197984

 

I wish I had read all this before I returned 3 Inspiron 1520's and demanded a full refund..... Either way,it SHOULD work perfectly fine right-out-of-the-box !!! I appreciate all you efforts though. I'm holding out for the new Inspiron 1525... Hopefully no audio issues. Anybody know when the 1525 is supposed to be released?